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German citizenship

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22.11.2023 Page

Citizenship: Frequently Asked Questions

How does a child of German parents living abroad get German citizenship? What are the consequences of German citizens acqiring British citizenship? You can find the answers in this FAQ.

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Acquiring German citizenship

Comprehensive information on acquiring German citizenship

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Non-acquisition of German nationality for children born abroad to German parents

Information on non-acquisition of German nationality for children born abroad to German parents (section 4 (4), first and third sentences, of the Nationality Act).

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Loss of German citizenship

Information on different cases of the loss of German citizenship

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Retention of German citizenship upon naturalisation in another country

Change in German citizenship law concerning applying for permission to retain German nationality in the case of persons living abroad

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Acquisition of German citizenship by declaration (new provision of 20 August 2021)

On 20 August 2021 some amendments to the German Nationality Act (“Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz” or “STaG”) came into force. Among other things, the new Act provides a ten-year period during which German citizenship may be acquired by way of simple declaration.

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Naturalisation of victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants

Victims of persecution by the Nazi regime who were forcibly deprived of their German nationality and their descendants can now be renaturalised in Germany.

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Discretionary naturalisation (including renaturalisation of former German citizens)

In exceptional cases, foreign nationals may be naturalised under Section 14 of the Nationality Act and former Germans under Section 13 of the Nationality Act if specific criteria are met, even if they are living abroad.

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Confirmation of German citizenship/ Application for a certificate of nationality

In cases where it is unclear whether you possess German nationality, or if a German authority has asked you to provide proof of nationality (e.g. in connection with being appointed as a civil servant), you may need to apply for a certificate of nationality.

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Confirmation of non-possession of German citizenship

The purpose of this process is to obtain confirmation that you do not possess German citizenship. You may need to apply for this, for example, if you need to prove to the authorities in your native country or to a German authority that you do not possess German citizenship.

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Renunciation of German citizenship

If you hold dual citizenship (German and at least one other citizenship) you can renounce your German citizenship by declaration.

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