If you used to hold German citizenship and lost it by acquiring a foreign citizenship or serving in the armed forces of another country, you can be naturalised if your naturalisation would be in the public interest (section 13 of the Nationality Act).

When assessing whether naturalisation would be in the public interest, the following minimum requirements apply: ability to support oneself, adequate command of the German language, very close ties with Germany, no criminal record.

The naturalisation criteria also depend on when you were naturalised:

You are not automatically entitled to restoration of citizenship. The decision on your application is at the discretion of the Federal Office of Administration.

To save you filing a naturalisation application with no prospect of success and for which fees will still be payable, it is advisable to make enquiries with the Federal Office of Administration as the competent citizenship authority, or with the German mission responsible for your area.

Applying via the German missions in the United Kingdom

Before applying for renaturalisation via the Embassy in London or the Consulate General in Edinburgh, please read the Federal Office of Administration guidance.

Please submit your application via the German mission responsible for your place of residence.

Please use the Federal Office of Administration application forms for your application.

Please note that the application forms must be filled in in German.

When applying for naturalisation you will need the following documents:

• Copy of your current foreign passport / identity document (pages with photograph and personal details)
• Your birth certificate / certificate of descent
• Your marriage certificate (if you are married)

Other documents required:

• Documentation of school-leaving (and degree) qualifications and employment history
• A detailed CV written by you in German
• Copy of foreign certificate of naturalisation
• Proof that you previously held German citizenship
• Evidence of your ties to Germany
• Evidence of your income or financial standing (proof of your ability to support yourself)
• Current police clearance certificate issued by your country of residence (original document, not a copy)
• If applicable, proof of what name you are using following a divorce

Please enclose authenticated copies of all supporting documents with the application. Please also enclose a complete set of unauthenticated copies of the application form and supporting documents. In addition, you need a certified German translation of any documents not in English, French or German. To have your copies authenticated, please book an appointment with our legalisation desk. You can then submit your complete application documentation at this appointment.

Alternatively, copies can be authenticated by a notary public or one of our Honorary Consuls. In this case please send us your complete application documentation by post. Please do not send us the originals of the supporting documents.

The postal address is:

German Embassy London
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 you have a query about your application, please always state the reference number indicated in this confirmation of receipt.

If additional information or documentation is required during processing, we will get in touch with you. Otherwise we will only be in touch once the final outcome of your application is known. Because processing in Germany is likely to take some time, we would ask you not to enquire about the progress of your application until at least 12 months have passed since receipt of the confirmation of receipt.

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?