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| German Citizenship (Staatsbuergerschaft) |
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From this page you can:
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Start your application process for Naturalization |
| 2. |
Apply
to claim your German citizenship by birth or adoption
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| 3. |
Start your application process for Reinstatement
of German citizenship |
German
citizenship is based on two principles namely
"Jus Sanguinis" ("principle of descent") and "Jus
Soli" ("principle of birthplace"). You may acquire
German citizenship by one the following ways:
| 1. |
Naturalization |
| 2. |
Birth
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| 3. |
Adoption
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| 4. |
Declaration |
| 5. |
Recovery of lost citizenship |
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| 1. German
Citizenship by Naturalization |
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You
may be naturalized as a German if: |
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- You lived legally in Germany for at least 8 years
and possess the appropriate Residence Permit
Note: Foreigners who have successfully
completed an integration course are eligible for
naturalization after 7 years
- You are a spouse or registered same-sex partner
of a German citizen
Note: Citizenship will be granted
after 3 years of legal residence in Germany. You
must have been married or in a registered partnership
for at least 2 years at the time of application
- You are a former German who is ordinarily resident
abroad or are a descendant of a former German or
are adopted by a former German
- Upon naturalization, foreign nationals must
give up their previous citizenship
Note: In certain cases or for
certain groups of persons, however, multiple
nationality may be considered
- Spouses who are not yet eligible for naturalization
and minor children may apply for naturalization
along with their eligible spouse or parent
- Special rules apply to persons with special
status (displaced foreigners and stateless persons)
- Discretionary naturalization rests not on
entitlement derived from law but on a decision
made at the legal discretion of the relevant
authority
Note: Persons who wish to be
naturalized but are not yet legally eligible
to do so may become naturalized citizens at
the discretion of the authorities, under certain
circumstances
Apply for German Citizenship by
Naturalization
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| 2. German
Citizenship by Birth |
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You are a German by birth if: |
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- At
least one of your parents is a German citizen
Note: If only your father is a German
citizen and is not married to your mother, legal proof
or recognition of paternity is required prior to the
your 23rd birthday
- You are born in Germany to non-German parents
Note: You shall acquire German
citizenship by birth in the domestic territory if
one parent has legally been normally resident in
the domestic territory for eight years and possesses
a right of residence or has possessed for three
years a residence permit for an unlimited period
- If you are a foundling i.e. an abandoned child
found within Germany, you are considered a child
of a German parent until proved otherwise
Apply
for German Citizenship by Birth
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| 3. German
Citizenship by Adoption |
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You may be granted German Citizenship if: |
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- You
are a child adopted by a German citizen, as long
as the application for adoption was submitted before
your 18th birthday. The acquisition of citizenship
shall extend to your descendants
Apply for German Citizenship by Adoption
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| 4. German
Citizenship by Declaration |
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may acquire German citizenship by declaration
if: |
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- You
are born before 1 July 1993 to a German father who
was not married to the your non-German mother; and
the declaration is made before your 23rd birthday
provided you have legal proof or recognition of
paternity and have legally resided in Germany for
at least 3 years
Apply for German Citizenship by Declaration
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| 5. Reinstatement
of German Citizenship |
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German citizens can reacquire their German citizenship
when: |
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- They
are admitted into Germany as ethnic German repatriates,
they are automatically granted German citizenship
when they are issued a repatriates certificate.
Note: The same applies to spouses
married to an ethnic German repatriate for at least
three years before leaving the area subject to expulsion,
and to children and grandchildren of ethnic German
repatriates
- They were deprived of their citizenship by the
Nazi regime between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945
on political, racial or religious grounds.
Note: They may have their German
citizenship restored upon application or residence
in Germany. The same applies to their children and
grandchildren
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