Loss of citizenship by acquiring a foreign nationality

The most common reason for losing one’s German citizenship used to be the fact of having applied for and acquired a foreign nationality. By contrast, automatic acquisition of a foreign nationality by birth does not generally affect one’s German citizenship. Detailed information on this can be found in the information sheet provided by the Federal Office of Administration (see below).

As of 28 August 2007, a German does not lose their German citizenship if they acquire the citizenship of an EU member state or Switzerland after that date. Hence, naturalisation as a British national between 28 August 2007 and 31 December 2020 did not have any effect on a person’s continued German citizenship.
However, if you were naturalised as a British national before 28 August 2007, you would normally have lost your German citizenship when you acquired British citizenship.

The same applies to the period from 1 January 2021 to 26 June 2024.

Following a change in German citizenship law, as of 27 June 2024 the acquisition of a foreign, including British citizenship (from that date) no longer causes you to lose your German citizenship – and it is no longer necessary to apply for permission to retain your German nationality!

Information sheet produced by the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne

Loss of citizenship by legitimation

The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, in its judgment of 29 November 2006, decided with retroactive effect from 1 April 1953 that the legal provisions on the loss of German citizenship following legitimation by a foreigner were no longer applicable. This means children born out of wedlock to a German mother who were legitimised by a foreigner after 31 March 1953 did not lose their German citizenship.

Judgment of 29 November 2006 of the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig

Loss of citizenship by marriage

German women who married a foreign citizen before 23 May 1949 lost their German citizenship, even if that left them stateless. They can be re-naturalised in some cases.

For further information, please contact the German Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh using the contact form if necessary.

German women who married a foreign citizen between 23 May 1949 and 31 March 1953 lost their German citizenship except when this would leave them stateless. As of 1 April 1953, marrying a foreigner no longer causes you to lose your citizenship.

Since 1 January 1949, under British citizenship law, a person no longer automatically acquires British citizenship when they marry a British national. Therefore, since 23 May 1949, no-one has automatically lost their German citizenship by marrying a British national.

Loss of citizenship by adoption

Since 1 January 1977, a child can lose their German citizenship if they are adopted by foreign parents. Children who were adopted by foreign nationals before that date did not normally lose their German citizenship.

For further information, please contact the German Embassy or the Consulate General using the contact form.

Loss of citizenship through voluntary military service

Since 1 January 2000, voluntarily enlisting in the armed forces of another country without the prior permission of the Federal Ministry of Defence generally constitutes grounds for the loss of German citizenship.

The procedure was simplified for certain countries when the German Act Amending Military Law (Wehrrechtsänderungsgesetz) came into force on 1 July 2011.

Under this Act, this permission is automatically given to those who are also a citizen of

• an EU member state
• an EFTA member state
• a NATO member state, or
• any state listed in section 41 (1) of the German Ordinance Governing Residence (Aufenthaltsverordnung) (Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, United Kingdom, USA)

who enlist in the armed forces of that country.

Loss of citizenship by renunciation

A German national may renounce their German citizenship if they have more than one citizenship. The renunciation comes into effect on the date you receive the certificate of renunciation. Details of the process can be found here.

Loss of citizenship by permanent residence abroad before 1914

Until 1914, a German citizen who had their permanent residence abroad for more than 10 years automatically lost their German citizenship unless they had themselves added to the German consulate’s consular register (Konsulatsmatrikel). This reason for loss of citizenship will be a key factor for you if you wish to claim entitlement to German citizenship based on an ancestor who emigrated before 1904. If this is the case, they would have automatically lost their German citizenship after 10 years abroad and therefore could not have passed it on to the next generation.

Other reasons for loss of citizenship

Special rules apply for victims of persecution by the Nazi regime who were deprived of their German citizenship on political, racial or religious grounds between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945. In some circumstances these people and their descendants are entitled to be naturalised under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law.

Naturalisation under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law

Renunciation of German citizenship

If for some reason you wish to renounce your German citizenship, you will need to file an application for renunciation.

If you live in the United Kingdom, have British (or another) citizenship in addition to your German citizenship, and for some reason wish to renounce your German citizenship, you will need to file a declaration of renunciation with the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne. Please submit your application via the German mission responsible for your area.

The Federal Office of Administration, as the citizenship authority for Germans living abroad, decides whether your application can be granted and, if applicable, issues a certificate of renunciation. The renunciation comes into effect on the date the certificate is personally delivered to you by the Embassy or the Consulate General.

Applying via the German missions in the United Kingdom

When applying for a certificate of renunciation you will need the following documents:

• fully filled out and signed application form in duplicate
• a copy of your German identity document
• a copy of your foreign identity document
• proof of address, e.g. utility bill

Plain copies of the documents will do. Please send us your complete application documentation by post to:

German Embassy
Legal and Consular Section
23 Belgrave Square
London, SW1X 8PZ

or:

Consulate General Edinburgh
Legal and Consular Section
16 Eglinton Crescent
Edinburgh, EH12 5DG

You will receive confirmation of receipt from us once your application has been forwarded to the Federal Office of Administration. If additional information or documentation is required during processing, we will actively get in touch with you. Otherwise we will only be in touch once the final outcome of your application is known.

Please bear in mind that the process in Germany usually takes more than six months.

If you have any questions about your specific case you are welcome to contact the German mission concerned (London or Edinburgh) using the contact form.

Contact form

If after reading the information on our website you still have questions about German citizenship, please answer the following questions by email via our contact form (select the topic: Citizenship enquiries).

1. When and where were you born?
2. What was the nationality of your parents at the time of your birth? Have your parents ever had or do they still have a German passport?
3. Were your parents married to each other at the time of your birth? If applicable, when and where did your parents get married? If not, has your father acknowledged paternity?
4. When and where were your parents born?
5. What was the nationality of your parents when they were born?
6. Have your parents ever acquired British (or a different) citizenship? If so, when?
7. What nationality (nationalities) did your grandparents have at the time your parents were born?
8. Were your grandparents married to each other at the time your mother/your father was born? When and where did they get married?
9. Have you, your parents or your grandparents ever applied for British (or a different) citizenship? If so, please state who was naturalised, and when, and which family members may have been included in the (parents’) application.
10. Have you, your parents or your grandparents ever performed military service in a country other than Germany? If so, when?
11. Are you or was one of your ancestors adopted? If so, who and when?