If you live in the United Kingdom, hold British (or another) citizenship in addition to German citizenship, and for certain reasons wish to renounce your German citizenship, you will need to file an application with the Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt) in Cologne. Please submit your application via the German mission responsible for your area.

As the citizenship authority responsible for Germans living abroad, the Federal Office of Administration will decide whether your application can be granted and, if so, will issue a certificate of renunciation. The renunciation is effective from the date you receive the certificate from the Embassy or Consulate General.

Applying via the German missions in the United Kingdom

To apply for the certificate of renunciation, you will need the following documents:

• two printouts of the application form, fully filled in and signed
• 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 are all that is needed in the first instance. Please send your complete set of application documents by post to:

German Embassy

Legal and Consular Section
23 Belgrave Square
London SW1X 8PZ

or to:

German Consulate General

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 documents are required while your application is being processed, we will get in touch with you. Otherwise we will only be in touch once the outcome of your application has been decided.

Please bear in mind that the processing of applications in Germany usually takes more than six months.

Therefore, please kindly note that we are not able to answer enquiries about the status of your application in the first six months following the submission of your application.

If you have a specific question, you are welcome to contact the relevant German mission (London or Edinburgh) using the contact form.