I have noticed that I receive many e-mails with the same questions, so I have started to post the most frequent questions – and of course the answers to them – for everyone to read for free. As this section might already answer many of your questions, I invite you to browse these FAQ before you contact me (or any other lawyer) about your case.
I have also posted FAQ about divorce in Germany, inheritance law in Germany, child custody law in Germany, about international child abduction, about filing a constitutional complaint if your human rights are violated in Germany and about how to work with me as your lawyer. You can see the full list of FAQ on my website.
1. Does Germany have a system of ius sanguinis or ius soli?
Germany has traditionally always been a ius sanguinis country, meaning that citizenship is passed on to the next generation by birth, irrespective of the place of birth. Only recently (1999) has the law been amended to incorporate ius soli, giving German citizenship to a child born in Germany to two parents of foreign citizenship. I will explain these different ways of obtaining citizenship in more detail below.
2. Does ius sanguinis mean that I am entitled to German citizenship if I have German great-great-grandparents, even if they left Germany generations ago?
Possibly, but not automatically. You are a German citizen under ius sanguinis if your ancestors had German citizenship at the time of the birth of the next generation and passed on this citizenship respectively. It is therefore necessary to find out the exact timeline of events to determine if your ancestors might have lost their German citizenship (e.g. by giving it up voluntarily, or by accepting a foreign citizenship) or if they still had it and could thus pass it on. You see that this requires a lot of research into your family history and into the respective laws of the relevant points in time. But if you are lucky, you might have German citizenship even if your parents never knew about it and neither you or them have ever been to Germany or even have a German passport.
3. Is there any chance to obtain German citizenship for someone without German ancestors?
Yes. You can become a German citizen trough the ius soli option (more about this below), through adoption by a German citizen and through naturalization. Please note that German citizenship cannot be obtained through marriage with a German citizen, although this does increase your chances of naturalization.
4. So what is the ius soli component of German citizenship law?
Ius soli means the acquiring of a citizenship based on being born in a country’s territory. Germany’s ius soli law is much less far-reaching than that of the USA for example. Since 2000, a child born to foreign parents in Germany is born a German citizen if at least one of its parents has been a legal resident of Germany for at least 8 years and has a permanent residence status (§ 4 III StAG). Because these children usually also receive the citizenship(s) of their parents, they will have dual or triple citizenship. German law requires these children to decide which citizenship they want to keep after they turn 18 and before they turn 23 (§ 29 StAG). I doubt if this is in accordance with rights bestowed by the Constitution, but these cases have not reached the Supreme Court yet.
5. Does German law allow dual citizenship?
Germany disapproves of dual citizenship, but cannot completely prevent it, especially in cases where only one parent is German and the child receives two different citizenships at the moment of its birth. In these cases, both citizenships are of equal standing and nobody could be forced to give up one of them. In cases of naturalization however, Germany requires the foreigner to give up his or her original citizenship in order to obtain a German passport (§§ 9 I Nr. 1; 10 I Nr. 4 StAG). There are quite a number of exceptions to this requirement (§ 12 StAG), for example if your home country does not allow you to renounce citizenship, or if the loss of your original citizenship would result in the loss of economic rights in your home country, and for all citizens of another EU country.
6. How long do I have to live in Germany before I can get a German passport?
There is no minimum residency requirement. However, as integration into German society is one of the requirements for naturalization, most immigration authorities demand that you have lived in Germany for a few years. For the spouse of a German citizen, this requirement is usually 3 years (of which you need to have been married for the last 2 years). For other foreigners, it is anything between 3 and 8 years. After 8 years of residency, a German passport ca no longer be denied, you have acquired an entitlement to it (if you fulfill the other requirements, e.g. German language skills, no criminal record, no dependency on welfare).
7. Is it possible to obtain German citizenship although I don’t live in Germany?
Yes. § 14 StAG opens this possibility if you can show that you have close ties to Germany despite your residence in another country.
8. How do you lose German citizenship?
There are several ways how German citizenship can be lost (§ 17 StAG): The main cases are applying for another citizenship, renouncing German citizenship if this does not render you stateless (§ 26 StAG) and adoption by a foreign parent (§ 27 StAG).
9. Are there special rules for victims of the Nazi-regime and descendants of these victims?
Yes, and this is fair because the Nazis stripped a number of Germans of their citizenship for political, racist and anti-Semitic reasons. These former German citizens or their descendants have a right to have their German citizenship reinstated (Art. 116 II GG).
10. If I don’t fulfil any of the legal requirements, is there still a chance for me to get a German passport?
Do you play football very well?
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Hi
The post in this page is full of info, i thank you so much for it,
I would you mind if i ask what do you mean in Question #5 (if the loss of your original citizenship would result in the loss of economic rights in your home country)
Regards
In some countries, if you give up your citizenship, you lose all your property rights there, especially relating to real estate. Some countries will declare you ineligible to inherit any property.
In these cases, Germany would not insist on you giving up your previous citizenship.
Hi Andreas,
I have the following problem. My boyfriend (non EU-Citizen person) rejected (didnt accept) his german cititenship. He married before a german girl after living and working 5 years in Germany. Now he is in divorce. Then 2 years ago he moved out from Germany to an other european country. He think (He asked emigration office) he never can go back to germany, because he didnt accept the citizenship. Is this true??
He hasnt got any chance to go back?
Thanks, Pumukli
No, that’s not true.
Hello!
My x-boyfriend is German. I got pregnant and decided to have this child. He doesn’t want to acknowledge his parentship. I know that he is afraid of ailments etc. but I need only a citizenship to my child as his father is German. I live outside of Germany. Pls advice what can I do?
You would need to establish paternity. If he does not cooperate, you would need to sue him. Please feel free to contact me for more specific advice and don’t forget to mention the country you live in, as that may be important for the jurisdiction of that lawsuit.
Hello,
My wife is German and I am American. We would like our newborn son to have dual citizenship.
Should we first apply for naturalization, or go ahead and apply for his German passport?
Where can we find instructions for applying for naturalization?
Thank you,
One parent being German and ther other parent being American is the prime example of a obtaining dual citizenship at the moment of birth. You do not need any naturalization and you can apply for both passports. Please note that a passport is not a document of citizenship, it’s a travel document. A passport does not establish citizenship, it regularly requires the citizenship of the country that you ask to issue the passport.
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I am concerned that my ex-husband will try to take our daughter to Europe from the United States without my knowledge or consent. I am wondering if my daughter could lose her German passport to make this more difficult. The reason I think she might be able to lose her passport is because my ex-husband applied for the Hungarian citizenship for our child (#8), while in Germany, declaring to be a German. As a result, our daughter has passports from Germany, Hungary, and the U.S. Frankly I am more concerned that our child be taken to Hungary than Germany, but I would really like any information you could provide. Can I declare to the German Government that they please take my daughter’s citizenship? Is this a good idea, since having 3 nationalities seems like it has some benefits? Thank you!
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I was born in Germany in 1940. My father, a German soldier (not a member of the NAZI party), was killed in WWII. In 1950 my German born mother emigrated with me to the US. At the age of 18 I became a naturalized US citizen as I did not have any resources to do otherwise. I would like to obtain dual citizen with Germany in recognition of my birthplace. I am financially secure and would not be an encumbrance to Germany. Years ago I wrote a letter to the German Embassy and was told I was not eligible for dual citizenship as I was a naturalized US citizen. Do I have any recourse?
The last comment on “do you paly football” made me laugh so hard! Nice blog by the way. I had one question. What was the nationality law before 2000? Could foreigners born in 1950 who moved and lived in Germany for in 1951 and lived there for 40 years until 1991, would they be able to obtain citizenship based on the length of years spent in Germany? Or was it purely based on the jus sanguis principles?
hello , i am indian and i am living in germany , now i have daueraufenthalts karte , i want apply german citizenship , please tell me after how manny years i can apply and what i need for this.
thanking you
I think question no. 6 of the above FAQ answers this.
So I just spoke with a German lawyer and I was given the following (great information). Here’s my situation. I was born in the United States to my German mother and my American Father. The verdict:
I am a German Citizen by birth. I can get a passport immediately from Germany, even though I don’t live there. In fact, my children who were born in 2008 and 2011 also have German Citizenship because of me. They can get a German passport as well.
In order to do this, I need to appear at a German mission in the United States and provide the following documents to get a passport (i’ve listed the reasons why I need the documents as well)
1) My birth certificate (proving who my mother is)
2) My U.S. Passport
3) My mother’s (who is German) Passport (proving she is a German citizen)
4) My mother’s Green Card (proving she did not give up her German citizenship)
5) My parent’s marriage license (proving they were married at the time of my birth)
6) My father’s Passport (proving his identity)
7) My American Driver License or Utility bill (proving address)
For my parent’s documents, they can either be original or notarized copies of the original (since I highly doubt my parents are going to send me their original passport).
Nationality law if you were born after January 1, 1975 is if your Mother was German. I am sure there may be other exceptions to the rule, but I actually went to and paid an attorney to ensure I was on the right track.
Thanks for posting this! It was really helpful. I also had a German mother and American father and just recently found out I had German citizenship and got my first German passport as an adult. The process was really much easier than I thought! But I wonder if it’s enough to just have the passport or if we’d need a certificate of citizenship too down the road.
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In all serious, can you get in contact with me regarding point number 10! Haha.
I’m planning on studying and living in Germany for 3-6 years and I wish to play an international sport for them, cricket, if I am deemed eligible. Will this mean I am entitled to a citizenship? (to play for Germany in cricket one must live there for 4 years and play cricket for 3 of them I think)
If what your saying is that since my mothers was still german citizen when i was born in oct 1964 in usa Im still entitled to get a passport to use for travel , but im not a citizen, unless I claim stateless at which point i could be considered for it. Or would i have to file under the “right to return” in order to get citizenship ,My intent is to spend the next 15-20 years traveling but i would like to do it as an german citizen since i have lived most of my life in u.s. I have no intrest in returning to it but living abroad until i return to germany to finish my life!
To g,
1975 onward = mother or father
before 1975 = (you are 1964) = paternal, father or grandfather only.
Your mother’s citizenship will not play into the equation if you were born pre-1975.
Those born before 1 January 1975 could normally only claim German citizenship from the father and not the mother. Exceptions included cases where the parents were unmarried (in which case German mothers could pass on citizenship) or where the German mother applied for the child to be registered as German on or before 31 December 1977.
Hi, I married a german woman in Pakistan and she is the love of my life, I am a Pakistani citizen and she is german citizen residing in Pakistan from a long time. After our marriage my wife wants us to settle in europe. Can I get german citizenship if my wife is german?
Yes. I think the FAQ above answer this question. If you want a more in-depth consultation about your specific case, please feel free to e-mail me.
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Like to get my german passport.Born in germany,mothers german,dads canadian.Moved out from germany in the year 2000 and i am now in england.Can i get my germany passport with out any probblems.
I will need more details, like your age, if your parents were married, what other citizenship(s) you have and so on. Please feel free to contact me for a consultation. The fee is 150 € ( http://andreasmoser.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/faq-andreas-moser-lawyer/ ).
hello, i Had Germany Ancestors which were moved by force from Germany back in 19th century from Swabia (Bavaria) region, is there any chance that i can claim Germany citizenship, if there is any procedure or government entity please advice. Thank you in advance
Please see # 2 of the above FAQ.
Hi Andreas, I’ve been trying to find information regarding a combination of #2 & # 7. My father was born in Germany in 1948; however, he was born “stateless” and never obtained German citizenship. My Grandparents, I believe, eventually obtained German citizenship and entire father’s side (aunts, uncles, cousins etc.) were all born German citizens and reside in Germany to this day, where I frequently visit them. Would it be difficult to obtain citizenship based on these facts? If possible, please direct me to any info – on this site FAQ or others. Thank you in advance.
* Please note: by “aunts, uncles, cousins”, I mean my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and my father’s sisters, brothers, and nieces/nephews.
lost my german naturalisation/citizenship certificate. lives in london, how do i get a replacement
As a first stop, I would recommend the place that issued the certificate.
Hello,
first of all thank you for your insightful information on this page.I have a question, My husband is dutch and I am from the caribbean but we reside in germany at the moment, and we would like to adopt my 16 year old niece who has a child. Would it be possible to adopt her and not seperate her from her daughter as well?
I am going to post FAQ about German adoption law in the next few months. Alternatively, you may of course contact me directly for a consultation before that.
Hey, I was born in Germany in Augsburg in 1997, because my father was in the military at the time,(Not born on military grounds I believe) But my parents are both natural born US citizens, and did not get German citizenship, even though they had lived there 8 or 9 years. I moved out of Germany when I was 3, and have lived in the US since then, but visited Germany last year. I’m wondering if I would be eligible for Dual citizenship. I’ve been a US citizen since birth I believe.
Here’s an update from my September 15 post.
I now have in my possession a German Passport !!!
The hardest part of the whole thing was getting a document that proved my mother’s German citizenship at the time of my birth. As it turned out, all I really needed was her USA Permanent Resident card. Even though her current physical card was issued in 2005, it had an original issue date of 1967, so the SF consulate accepted this as proof she was German when I was born. In hind sight, the whole process was fairly easy once I got all the documents. We decided to make a week trip out of it. We drove down to SF on a Sunday, got there on a Monday afternoon, checked into a hotel and enjoyed SF for a few hours that evening. Our appointment was for 10am the next morning. It took about 30 seconds for the consulate agent to review my documents. Then, she got on the computer and started inputing the information in. Fifteen minutes later, I signed a document, gave her a lot of cash (for myself and my children’s passport too). The passport was ordered on November 6 and it came to my house via Fedex on November 29.
Congratulations and thanks for the update and for sharing your experience!
But you were born after 1975 , right?
I am in the same shoes but i was born in 1964 does this process include me?
My understanding is before 1975, like me, it only counts if it was your father was born in Germany.
Dear Andreas,
My husband is a legal resident in Germany for more than 20 years; we have been married for 5 years now and have 4 years old child who is born and living with me outside of Germany. We (I & my child) haven’t been traveling to Germany or applying for any legal thing (not even registered as a spouse and child in Germany) till now. But my husband has now applied for a German citizenship. What I would like to ask you is:-
-How long does this citizenship process take?
-After my husband gets the citizenship how can we (Me & my child) get permanent resident permit and what is the procedure.
-Does a German resident permit works to any other European countries
Please have a look at these FAQ about how to get an individual consultation.
My brother was born in germany on a air force base to a american solider and german mother but when we moved to u.s and lived when he turn 18 he was given the option of being u.s. citizen or a german citizen, he had to pick u.s. or they would have deported him, why wasnt he given the right to retain dual citizenship?
If your brother sends me all the documents pertaining to both his citizenships, I will be able to find out what happened or what went wrong there.
This took place in i believe 1980, even though we travel alot throughout our youths with our father being an air force service man, My brother had an german passport but he also had an american passport the only time he had to carry both was when we were in germany, otherwise he used the american since we were mostly on military bases living. I never understood why he had one and I didn’t ,He was born on a u.s. military base “Hahns air force base” in germany. From my understanding since my mother was german citizen and my father was american he had to have both, but when i was born in U.S. i only got u.s. citizenship. I have checked many time throughout my life to see if anything had changed and i could possibly get citizenship as an german but have alway been told no! Even if i had been offer the choice between u.s. and german I would have went with german, I had consulted with an few attorney to see if it was possible they all wanted money upfront and made no guarantees ,I had payed one $700 and all he did was send a letter asking if i could get citizenship . Which they replied no, without even receiving any of my information!
m indian living in germany my girl frnd is germn citzn i have marry with her when i will get germn citznship
I would have to look at the health care system over there , Since he has metal health issue I am not sure if they would take him or provide him with what he gets here.
Hi,
I was born in Germany in the early 90s, lived there for three years and then moved to the United States. Neither of my parents are German citizens, but my grandfather was originally from Germany. Do I have any rights in becoming a citizen?
You could try the naturalization route, but do you speak German and are you willing to give up your existing citizenship?
I speak a little German, not enough to get me by, though. I’m more than willing to give up my existing citizenship.
For German citizenship, you will need to get to the B2 level in German at least, preferably certified by the Goethe Institute if you are not in Germany.
I was born in germany and lived in germany until I was 35 Years old. I got married to an American and received my american citizenship just in 2005 at the age of 42. Do I have to reapply for my german citizenship? I want to go back or at least travel more often to see my family and maybe later on down the road go back to stay for a longer period of time.
If you applied for US citizenship without requesting and receiving permission from Germany to maintain your German citizenship then you did indeed lose it. Re-applying is an option, but Germany will want you to give up your US citizenship in that process.
This information comes too late for you, but it may serve as a reminder for others to plan carefully if they wish to retain their German citizenship while applying for a second one. It is absolutely possible to do that, but it needs to be done before applying for the foreign citizenship.
hi…
i was born in Germany and lived there for 5 years and my dad lived in Germany for about 27 years and he speaks perfect German and he doesn’t have criminal record, he doesn’t depend on welfare, but he does not have the German pass,he is living now in Egypt since 15 years….
1st question: can he get the German pass?
if yes,
2nd question: im now 23 years old can i get it too?
Thanks in Advance, your feedback will be highly appreciated.
Please feel free to contact me for a consultation. I’ll even offer you a discount and answer both of your questions for the price of one consultation (150 €).
Hi Andreas!
I am from Uruguay and my husband is German, we have been married for the past 16 years and living in the Philippines all that time. We have been told that I cannot apply German passport because I have not lived in Germany for a certain period of time or speak fluent German language. Your point #7 says that I need to show ties with Germany. Being married for 16 years to a German national and having 2 German kids is not enough??
thanks in advance!
No, that’s not enough. § 14 StAG can free you up from the residency requirement, but not from the language and the integration requirement. You may have strong ties to 3 German nationals (your husband and your children), but not necessarily to Germany itself.
Thank you Andreas!
Both my grand parents on my fathers side were born and married in Germany. They came out to Australia when my dad was 3. Due to the work that my dad now does etc he got naturalised as an Australian in his mid 20′s. i have read point no 2 above… however does this completly rule me out as my dad got naturalised or not?
It depends on whether your father lost his German citizenship (by applying for the Australian one) before or after you were born. If he did so before your birth, then he was no longer German at the time of your birth and could not pass on the German citizenship. Once the chain is interrupted, it’s the end of ius sanguinis.
Quick question. I went through the process of getting a German passport, at which time I was able to successfully prove to the German Consulate in SF that my mother was German at the time of my birth. So, the passport was issued. My question is, is there any benefit to applying for a Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis? Will the process be easier now that I have a German Passport? Or with having a passport, is this even necessary? Thanks in advance.
For most intents and purposes, you don’t need the “Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis”. You can use your passport to travel and to perform most other activities in Germany (one exception is joining the public service in Germany).
However, if you (will) have children and you wish to pass on your German citizenship, it could help them if you have a “Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis”.
So I would say it’s neither urgent, nor a priority, but it’s better to have it, just in case.
Dear Andreas, heare I’ve kindly posted my Inquiry again.
My husband is a legal resident in Germany for more than 20 years; we have been married for 5 years now and have 4 years old child who is born and living with me outside of Germany. We (I & my child) haven’t been traveling to Germany or applying for any legal thing (not even registered as a spouse and child in Germany) till now. But my husband has now applied for a German citizenship. What I would like to ask you is:-
-How long does this citizenship process take?
-After my husband gets the citizenship how can we (Me & my child) get permanent resident permit and what is the procedure.
-Does a German resident permit works to any other European countries
I’ll be happy to answer all of your questions after setting up a consultation. My fee for this is 150 €.
Hello Andreas, I have a doubt.
my ancestors were germans. I don’t remember so well but I’m the fourth or fifth generation since they came to South America. I was wondering if I can do something to get a german passport because I love Germany more than my home country and even though I’m the fourth or fifth german generation born in SA, my mom raised me as a german.
My ancestors immigrated from Germany to the United States several generations ago. How can I prove, or find out if they ever voluntarily gave up German citizenship? I cannot find any records of them having given it up, just each successive generation obtaining U.S. citizenship based on being born in the United States. How can I prove to Germany that they did not give up German citizenship or voluntarily obtained U.S. citizenship when there is no record of any of them having done so? How do I provide proof of something that did not happen?
Also, when I inquired through the German consulate a few years ago they stated that I had to provide proof of my ancestors having visited Germany every ten years because I wanted to claim it from so long ago. Is this true?
How many generations can I go back? I have a direct paternal line to Germany, but many generations back.
I am travaling to germany this summer i was told that I have both passport for my son american and german is that true
If you are asking me if you have both passports for your son, I recommend to look into the drawer where you keep his passport(s).
If you are asking me if your son has both citizenships, I would need to know far more details about your son’s background than the mere fact of him travelling to Germany in summer.
Thanks for posting this; It was very informative. I have a question. I am a Canadian Citizen married to German wife who currently lives with me in Canada. We are planning to move to Germany in 3 years. I am also taking German language courses to learn German. Is it possible for me to apply for German citizenship directly while still in Canada? Or am I required to live in Germany first?
It is possible to obtain German citizenship without living in Germany (see question # 7 above and § 14 StAG), but your chances will be much higher once you will have moved to Germany because the required integration into German society will be much easier to prove.
Please also note that Germany will ask you to give up your Canadian citizenship.
Hi Andreas,
How will I get my citizenship? My father is a German Citizen (he is officially residing in Switzerland). My mother is Filipina. They have never been married. I was born 1984 in the Philippines. My father acknowledged me in my birth certificate but both of them forgot to bring me to the German Embassy (I do not know if this is needed). Now, I have been to the German Embassy twice last 2005 – 2006 — asking about my German citizenship as my father told me to get it in the embassy. I have never been to Germany. How can I get my German citizenship? Do I need a DNA test for this?
Thanks a lot.
Please feel free to contact me at moser@moser-law.com to schedule a consultation. You will probably have read that I charge a flat fee of 150 EUR for this.
Ben 1996.yılında alman vatandaşı oldum.aynı gün Türk vatandaşlığına müracat ettim ve 1998 yılında Türk vatandaşı olmuşum.1997 den bu güne kadar Türkiyede çalışıyorum ve 2006 Alman pasaportum,un günü bitti.bende yenilemek için o zanam müracat etmedim.1997,den beride Almanyaya gitmedim.ben müracat etsem yeni pasaporT alabilirmiyim.Alman konsolosluğundan.saygılarımla.
I will be able to answer this once I will have learnt Turkish.
My mother was born in Germany in 1947. Her father was Ukrainian and her mother German. They were married at the time. Since immigrating to Canada in 1948, both parents became citizens of Canada. My mother is trying to establish which citizenship she has. She has never been naturalized as a Canadian and now is unable to collect her pension until she can prove her current citizenship and then apply for Canadian Citizenship. Is she German or Ukranian?
My mother asserts that her father worked for the German Army during WWII. Does this prove that he actually had German citizenship?
No. First of all, a mother’s assertion is of course no legal method of proof. Second, non-Germans could and did serve in the Wehrmacht and the SS in World War II, some of them voluntarily, some of them forcefully recruited.
My mother was born in Germany in 1947. Her father was Ukrainian and her mother German. They were married at the time. Does this make her Ukrainian by descent or German by birth?
Dear Andreas, I have one question for you:
I was born in Serbia in 1992. At the time of my birth, my mother was Serbian citizen and my father was citizen of Montenegro. Few months after my birth my parents divorced and my father moved to live in Germany, where he currently lives. In 2002 he became German citizen by naturalization.
I live in Serbia , and I am Serbian citizen. Can i get German citizenship because my father is German citizen, who lives in Germany ?
Thanks a lot !
No, unfortunately not. The citizenship that your parents had at the time of your birth determines your citizenship.
Of course you could apply for German citizenship through naturalization, but you would need to meet the same requirements as anyone else, especially the language and integration requirement.
Hi Andreas,
My mother is Italian, but my father was born in Germany. They both moved to Canada in the 1950s, giving up their respective citizenships to become Canadian citizens. They then gave birth to me in Canada. Is there any chance of me being able to obtain dual german/canadian citizenship through my father? My father still has his German birth certificate.
Thanks,
Alex
No, because your father had already given up/lost his German citizenship when you were born.
That’s what I thought, and thanks for the quick response! Would it make a difference if my father re-applied for german citizenship now (which would be dual german/canadian), and THEN I applied for mine? Or am I completely out of luck?
Whatever your father does now (and Germany would require him to give up his Canadian citizenship if he wants to apply for German citizenship) does not change the fact that when you were born, both of your parents were Canadian citizens only. Whatever happened before or after your birth is not relevant in the eyes of ius sanguinis.
Hi! I have been living in Germany since 2001 – present under dependent status (and excluding 6 month periods of university study in the states during four years. but always came ‘home’ to Germany during breaks) as part of the SOFA Agreement for US Govt family members in Germany. As of a year or so I have become self sponsored as part of my job and no longer held a dependent status. I hold dual citizenship: panama from my mother and USA from my father; but my mothers father was German and his father settled in panama two generations ago. I am interested in applying for German citizenship as due to my leght of stay here from childhood- now it’s become home to me. I am currently dating a german and could see myself settling down here in the future. Out of all the aforementioned scenarios which would serve as most beneficial in order to follow the correct procedure to apply for citizenship? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
You may qualify for naturalization, depending on your language skills, but you would need to be prepared to give up your two existing citizenships of Panama and the US in order to obtain German citizenship.
Hello. Excellent site. I was born in Canada in 1965. My grandfather and grandmother were German citizens and that automatically made my father German and therefore myself. I applied for German citizenship through my father/grandfather and received my German citizenship 5 years ago. I am now a permanent resident of Slovakia using my German passport. My mother is a Slovak citizen. I was told by Slovak immigration that by living in Slovakia just 2 years, mastering the basics of the language that I would get Slovakian citizenship as my mother was considered a Czechoslovakian at the time of my birth. (§ 7 ods. 2 písm. j) z.c. 40/1993 Z. z. o štátnom občianstve SR.)
My question. If I apply and take Slovak citizenship by descent through my mother, must I give up my German citizenship? (I know if Slovak citizenship was through naturalization, I would have to give up German citizenship) Isn’t citizenship by descent my right as blood to be a dual German/Slovak? (Canadian by birth). Therefore keeping both German and Slovak passports? Thank you and love your website!
I found my answer:
Die Slowakei gehört zur EU, da braucht man keine Beibehaltungsgenehmigung, §25 Absatz 1 Satz 2 StAG.
So it seems German citizens can take other EU citizenship keine Beibehaltungsgenehmigung. So yes, you can be dual!
Hope this helps others!
im british and work and live in germany… i would love a German passport and dual citizenship… where and how do i APPLY?
Thank you for your info.
I have a question though, my father studied and lived and worked in germany between 1975-1988 , and he didnt get the citizenship, can he now as for it ?
and one more question, my current Citizineship now is Jordanian, and i want to work in germany, but im not allowed to leave my country without the German work-Visa, and i cant get a Visa unless i have Job contract, then how im suppose to get a job contract if im not even allowed to come to germany, ? or should i come with a Visitor-Visa and when i get accepted in a work there change the Visa to work ?
thank you
Hi Andreas,
Its really great to see that you are so knowledgeable about the German Laws.
I do have a situation here .
My wife and my son is a Hungarian Citizen (EU) My wife living in Germany since 2010, presently self employed… , My son was born in Hungary 2012, presently Hungarian Citizen (EU) living in Germany after his birth . I am an Indian citizen living and working legally with a 5 years residence permit as a family member of a EU citizen .
My question is how can my wife apply and receive German citizenship…
I would be highly oblige if you could answer my questions .
regards
Your wife can apply with the local municipality where she lives. She will need to prove fluency in German, but as an Hungarian citizen she can keep her prior citizenship.
hi andreas,
this is my current status..i was born and raised in the Philippines..my mom is a filipina and my dad is german..but he didnt actually acknowledged me at birth.but then the past few years,he did.can i acquire german citizenship though im already 26 years old?read that its only up until you’re 23.is it still possible?any suggestions?
Please see these FAQ about my fees for a personal consultation.
Hello Andreas,
My father is German and I was born in Canada where I still live. He still has his German passport and never gave up his citizenship. Unfortunately I am not in contact with him anymore but would love to be able to obtain a German passport. Who should I contact to pursue this?
Thanks in advance.
You can either contact the closest German General Consulate or file your application with the Bundesverwaltungsamt in Germany.
my Pakistani daughter is married to a french national who is living and working in Germany (Schwandorf). She has given birth to a female baby. Baby has now become one year plus of age. Which documents will be required for registering legally for baby and her mother now. After which they could easily travel from Germany to Pakistan..?? kindly give me guidelines in detail on my email address
What a coincidence: I grew up only 30 km away from Schwandorf and went to Law School close to there (Regensburg).
Please see these FAQ about my fees for a personal consultation.
Hi. I’m 15 years old and have both UK and USA passports. My grandfather was a german citizen who fled germany to england in the late 1930s because he was jewish. My father does not have a german passport because my grandfather didn’t pass on his citizenship to him. I have lived in germany for 18 months with in the past 8 years, and went to grundschule all the time that i was living there. I speak close to fluent german, and last year i took an IGCSE in german and recieved an A* grade. Thanks to your post i now know that germans who had to give up their citizenship because of the nazi regime, and their descendants, are able to apply for their citizenship to be re-instated. I was wondering if i would be able to apply for german citizenship based on these terms, as I am would love to live in Germany possibly as a student and further on in the future. Anything you can tell me would be very useful!
Hi,
Just wondering if I am a dual citizen.
I was born in Australia in 1989.
My Father was (and still is) a German citizen at the time of my birth.
I know I am eligible to become a German citizen but i’m hesitant to give up my Australian passport as I don’t plan on living in Germany permanently but only for a short amount of time at the moment.
Thanks!
Natalie
i m an indian. If i marry to a german girl wil it be sufficient to get citizenship of germany.
That should be answered in the FAQ above.
Hi I’m srilankan, I get asylum visa (convention of 26 July 1951) in November 2012 in Germany.
This is 3 years resident permit .when I can apply for the German citizenship?
Please can you explain the the Practices for that..
Hi.
I need some infomation. Me (south african) and my wife (german have decided to get divorced after 1 1/2 years of marraige. We both live in Germany and we have a baby.
When we get divorced, does it mean that I have to leave the country?
Can I get a visa to stay in germany to be with my child?
I hope someone can help ke please
I hope aomeone can please
I need advice on how to proceed. My son would like to know if he can claim German citizenship.
His father was born in 1949 in Kassell, Germany, possibly in a DP camp, though his birth certificate does not say so. He has health records from the Ludwigsburg resettlement camp (1951) prior to his parents and sister were emigrated to the US in 1952..
He was born to a woman from Stuttgart and a man who was a slave laborer from Hungary. Both of these people have since died. There is no family record that they were married in 1949 and the birth certificate lists them with different last names. When they arrived in the US, they presented themselves as a married couple however. Of note, the surviving family believes that the father had been married with a family in Hungary before being kidnapped for slave labor.
After the family was resettled in the US, the parents became naturalized citizens and my husband was included as part of a family package kind of arrangement. He was only 10 at the time, so not legally free to choose.
The few documents we obtained from Bad Arolsen are inconsistent with each other and do not match the original documents that we already have.
What more do we need to have for documents and how can we obtain them?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Hi I am Indian, deputed by an IT company on a project to Germany and work here. I am now 3 months pregnant. I want to know if my child will automatically obtain a german passport by virtue of being born here in Germany? Both me and my husband are Indians.
Any authentic information you can provide will help me immensely.
That should be answered by no. 4 of the above FAQ.
Could a foreign student currently studying in Germany with a good command of German qualify for the citizenship process? Please take note that this foreign student is bound to enter a prestigious career field.
Of course you can. But your chances will be higher if you don’t claim to be more “prestigious” than others. Let the facts speak, and the immigration authorities will evaluate them. Prestige does not play a role in that evaluation.
Born before 1975, ONLY through your father’s side can you be granted German citizen by blood.
I have been through the process and thank goodness I was born pre-1975.
Post 1975 laws changed to mother/father’s side.
Hi,
Thank you for your post its really helpful, but I have a question regarding answer 3, that can adult be adopted? if yes, then is eligible to claim citizenship? Adult aged 21. Thank you.
Adults can be adopted in Germany, but under stricter requirements than those for minors (§ 1767 BGB). This does not confer German citizenship on the adoptee. The adoptee has to take the normal route of naturalisation.
I was born in Germany on the 21st July 1988,my parents brought me to Ghana when i was 1 yr. Old. Is there any chance for Me to get a German passport or citizenship?
What citizenship did your parents have at the time of your birth? That’s the most relevant piece of information.
My parents were Ghanaians at that time
Then # 4 of the above FAQ states that you did not receive German citizenship at the time of your birth.
Your only chance is naturalization, the requirements for which are outlined above.
Hi Andreas,
Thank you for such an informative website. My Father was born as a German citizen in Germany in 1944, and both parents were German citizens. His mother left Germany several years later with him (age 7), to the US, where he eventually gained US citizenship. Both he and I would like to reacquire German passports and citizenship if possible, to move back in the future. But can we do this while retaining US citizenship dual status? Must he apply before I can apply, or would I simply need to furnish his necessary documents when I go about applying? Thank you very much.
When your father received his US citizenship, he automatically lost his German citizenship (§ 25 I StAG). If that was before you were born, then he could not have passed it on to you at the time of your birth.
Hi Andreas,
I’m a German/American from birth. Born in Germany (US Air Force Base) and have a US Certificate of Birth Abroad. I grew up in Germany, as a German with German and American passport. Since moved to the US and German passport expired. Go today to get it renewed. They now ask me for proof of my fathers citizenship. (he has passed away). What?? My passport is not proof of citizenship? I got the last one from the same consulate that is now turning me down. Yes, it expired – that does not mean it was not valid in the past.
What can I do? Even worse – when researching German citizenship for my son they make it very clear that a German birth certificate is not needed to get a German passport for a dual citizen… So he to will run into problems in 20 years when he needs a new passport and I’m not around?
So what? I need to keep my dead fathers passport? Not sure I have it. What if I loose it – do I loose my citizenship? Then my son needs my fathers passport and my passport and so on down the line? What kind of craziness is this? I’m German and it is very strange when people start looking at you like you may not be, all be it in a very polite and friendly way.
I agree with you that this is absolutely crazy. And I bet if you go to a different Consulate or you go there again in 2 months, you will get a different answer.
But still the best thing is to get some records of your father. You can contact the “Einwohnermeldeamt” of the city where he was last registered in Germany. They will have his data, including his citizenship.
Hi Andreas,
Such an extremely explanatory website. Thank you so much in advance.
However, my case has just gotten a little complicated and I would please like your expertise on this if you could.
I am a brazilian national, living in Hamburg for just over a year, where I am married to a German citizen for almost 2 years and we have our son who is also German and is now 6 years old.
I am here on a spouse visa, not yet the permanent one, giving I am still going to school to learn the language, therefore, not quite meeting the requirements to obtain one just it.
Things went downhill when me and my wife started having marital issues, which sadly now came down to me being almost thrown out of the flat we 3 live in.
However, I don’t know where to go to. Is there anything I could do to stay in the country for my kid?
And, what If due to the circumstances I get to fly back home and my current visa comes to expire next year? Do I have any chances of making an appeal to apply for a German passport in Brazil then? Would our son, my impediment to stay in the country, even though I wanted to and the knowledge of the language I will then have, work in my favour?
Once again, thank you so very much Andreas.
I appreciate any help I can get.
Take care!
Hello Rapha,
you can change your spouse visa to a parent visa, as long as you retain at least shared custody of your son (§ 28 I Nr. 3 AufenthG). This will give you the right to a residence permit in Germany until your son will turn 18, by which time you will easily have qualified for the German citizenship.
All the best!
Hi,
My Wifes Grandmother was born in Germany and currently lives in the USA (She has a valid German passport), none of her parents ever applied for a German citizenship but my wife is interested in obtaining a German citizenship, is she eligible to do so without her parents being German and if yes how does she go about it?
Thank you so much in advance.
Dear Sir
I have interest to study in Germany. I have read that we need 8 years residence in Germany. I would like to ask about the residence period. If I continue the master and Ph. D in Germany will I than I return to my country, will I get German citizenship? I would like to ask also about the ordinary residence in Germany. Should we have to residence continuously and consecutive in Germany??
Dear Mr. Moser,
My great grandparents were German. They moved to Canada but I do not know if they still had German citizenship when my Grandfather was born. I might not otherwise be able to apply because of my age, 66. The older I get the more like a German I feel, however. I do not speak good German yet but I have done very well in my language courses. I am sure that I could fit in there. In fact, when I traveled there people always thought I was German until they found out otherwise. That was interesting. Any suggestions?
You follow your grandfather. Seeing your age, he was a German citizen to his death.
You just prove your grandfather was born in Germany and you get your citizenship within 6 months. I was born in Canada as was my father and they ONLY looked at where my grandfather was born (Germany)
Viel Gluck! Remember through descent and NOT naturalization
hello im filipina and i have a German boyfriend.Im confused for the requirements needed before getting married in the Philippines because some say i need to send documents e.g. NSO birth certificate,Cenomar and my photocopy of my passport.Do i need to have a red ribbon of the following documents .please i need your help sir.thank u so much and godbless
1. I don’t see how this is connected to the topic of this post.
2. I am not a lawyer in the Philippines.
Hi there.
Brainteaser for you. I am a Canadian-American citizen, born Canadian, naturalized American a couple of years ago. My mother is a Canadian-German citizen (born on a third continent) with a long expired German passport/ID (and she was also German at the time of my birth in the ’80s). If I were to give up my US citizenship (of which Canada and certainly Germany have yet no knowledge) would I possibly be able to claim German citizenship? Or would I likely hit obstructions?
If you received German citizenship at birth, you lost it by getting naturalized in the US.
Thus your only route is naturalization in Germany, for which you would need to be fluent in German, live in Germany and give up your Canadian citizenship.
I need help with this. I was born in Germany in 1998 and now I live in the US and have a citizenship here. I am wanting to know if I’ll be able to go back and live in Germany?
What citizenship did you have before moving to the US and how did you obtain US citizenship? If you used to be German, did you (or your parents) ask Germany for permission to keep your German citizenship despite applying for the US citizenship?
My parents were immigrants to Germany for 7 years and I was born there. My parents moved to the US when I was at a young age. We are here for 13 years so far and when my parents took the citizenship test, they passed. This meant I was a US citizen because I was at a young age. Our whole family is still in Germany and we want to go back and live there. What can we do?
If you had German citizenship (which I don’t know), you would have lost it through the naturalisation in the US.
That means you will need a visa for a long-term stay in Germany or you will need to apply for German citizenship (and give up US citizenship) in return.
Because you mention that your parents immigrated to Germany, you might however also have the citizenship of their home country (which you haven’t mentioned).
Hi Andreas,
I’m a highly-qualified non-EU German resident. I’ve been in Germany for more than 2 years and I’m working as a university lecturer. Do I have a better chance to have my citizinship early? what do you advise me ?
many thanks.
How good is your German? Did you complete the integration course?
Thx for ur reply !
I’m almost fluent but I didn’t take the exam yet (plan to do it in a short time). If I take this B1 & integration exams, how easy would be my citizinship? by the way, my wife already did both exams here with distinction one month ago.
Excellent, that sounds very good! Most immigration authorities insist on at least 3 years of residence, so I think it’s better to use the remaining year to prepare to the application by creating additional evidence for your integration (at university, in charities, cultural events, sports clubs, politics and so on). As there is no statutory minimum residence, you can apply before, but most likely your application will just sit on somebody’s desk until the 3 years are over, so it’s smarter to file the application then, with boosted grounds to support it.
But it sounds like you are both on a very good track!
Thx again Andreas for your prompt and helpful reply! All the best.
how easy would it be for ex Germans to regain citizenship? i have been living overseas since I was 6 and consider myself to be German even though i also love being an Aussie. would be nice if they recognised dual nationalities as this is something i would like to have.
You’d have to go through the normal naturalisation process, which is rather easy if you speak German fluently and can show that you are integrated in Germany.
This information comes too late for you, but it is important to remember that retaining German citizenship is possible when you apply for a second citizenship. You just need to get the German permit to maintain German citizenship BEFORE you get that of another country.
My great grandfather emigrated from Germany in 1880. He became a citizen of another country in 1895.. My grandfather was born in 1893, my father in 1919, and myself in 1955. My grandfather and father never took any actions re naturalization, and lived the citizenship of the country where they were born. I though left the country of my birth in 1995 and became a citizen of another country in 1999.
I assume that I might have had conferred German citizenship on me when was born through ius sanguinis, although I was completely unaware of this possibility until I came across your website today!
Have I lost the prospect of acquiring German nationality? If so, is there a possibility to restore it?
Could you specify the countries involved?
Yes certainly. My great grandfather emigrated from Germany to the now defunct South African Republic – it became part of the Union of South Africa in 1910. I was born in South Africa, but became a Canadian citizen in 1999.
I wish I knew about this prospect many years ago, as I have visited Germany many times and I do speak German.
Thank you.
Unfortunately, even if you had German citizenship by birth, you lost it by applying for and receiving Canadian citizenship (§ 25 I StAG). I had to ask for the countries involved, because when you apply for the citizenship of another EU country, you can keep German citizenship.
Now your only chance would be naturalization in Germany, for which you would be required to give up your Canadian citizenship.
Hello.
You stated: “I had to ask for the countries involved, because when you apply for the citizenship of another EU country, you can keep German citizenship.”,
I have understood that this is correct and I would ask you, must you apply for permission from the German Govt before receiving another EU citizenship or is this permission document not required?
Vielen Dank.
You don’t need any permission in that case. It is stated in the Citizenship Act itself: § 25 I 2 StAG.
hello sir..
my grandfather is german/filipino his father is german and his mother is filipino.. he died already and as her granddaughter i wanna ask if we could claim as german ancestor.. correct me if im wrong..
Hi Andreas!
I am Australian,28 years old, and currently reside in Germany. I married a German citizen in Australia in July 2010, and after a year of marriage we moved to Berlin on a marriage visa. We have now been married over two and a half years, and unfortunately we have mutually decided to get a divorce. I am and have been employed full time as a chef for the duration of my stay here, and hold a work permit until 2015. I wish to remain in Germany thereafter, so my questions are as follows.
After the divorce is processed, am I eligible for residency, based on a three year marriage, and two years of residency in Germany?
Do I need to seek sponsorship from my workplace?
Is there a third visa related option?
Thanks for your time!
Hello Nolan,
only if you have been married and living together for 3 years in Germany could you get a marriage-independent residence permit, and even then for only 1 additional year (§ 31 AufenthG).
In your case you would therefore either need to pretend that you are still living together, or take the risk of not notifying the authorities or change your residence permit type to either a work-based residence permit or a student residence permit.
Right. Thanks! So with a work based residence permit do I need to seek exclusive sponsorship from one place of employment, or will that enable me to possibly relocate and work and live in different places around germany? Is there a set time duration for that permit?
Thanks again!
As this is the page about citizenship law and I like to keep things in order, I would rather not get into residence permits on this page. Citizenship law is already confusing enough for most people.
But I will be happy to put up a similar list of FAQ about visas, residence permits and immigration to Germany if you mail me one of the books from my wishlist.
Is it true that my fiance, who has been living in Spain for 8years and is due for a spanish passport in 1,5 years, can get a german passport through the birth of our child but only if I deliver in germany(am a german)?
Please let me know, where I can get more information about this or fill me in,when you know more.
Thank you……
I think that should be answered by the above FAQ.
hallo Andreas,
thank you for your reply. Unfortunatly, I can not find an answer among the FAQs.
Please let me know, where I can get information to this…..
Thank you and best regards…
gabby
I’ll be happy to answer your question in detail then after receiving one of the books from my wishlist. Thank you very much in advance!