Having a baby in Germany? You'll wanna know the costs
Are you or your partner expecting? While this is meant to be a very exciting time in your life, sometimes medical expenses and navigating public or private...
Germany is a wonderful place to make a home, and is well known for having welcomed many migrants in recent years. However, its citizenship laws are actually some of the strictest in Europe, with tough rules especially for those from outside the EU. Read on to find out about how dual nationality works in Germany.
It depends. If you’re a national in another EU country or Switzerland, you can. If you’re a national of any other country, you’ll probably have to renounce your first nationality in order to become a German citizen.
Whether you’re after dual citizenship or sole German citizenship, you’ll need to meet various criteria, including having lived in Germany for 8 years or more.
The situation is different if you have a connection to Germany by birth. People who have a German parent or were born in the country to foreign parents may be eligible for dual German citizenship after all.
You can be a dual national with Germany if you’re a resident of an EU country or Switzerland. At the time of writing, the UK is still an EU country and new rules for after Brexit haven’t been agreed.
Dual citizenship with other countries is possible only for people with a birthplace or parental connection to Germany - otherwise, it’s not allowed.
Without a connection to Germany by birthplace or parentage, people from countries other than those listed above won’t be able to get dual German citizenship.
Certain countries - such as India and Japan - still don’t allow for dual citizenship even for people with a connection to the country by birth.
Just because you can’t get dual German citizenship doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t become a German citizen. But unless you’re from the EU or Switzerland, you’ll need to give up your other citizenship in order to do so. Read more about how to obtain German citizenship.
Technically, multiple nationality is possible, but the rules are very restrictive, as outlined above. So it’s unlikely, but legal in some cases.
You lose your German citizenship automatically if you receive foreign nationality of any country outside the EU and Switzerland. You also lose it if, as a German citizen, you enter another country’s army, unless you have permission.
If you’re not currently a German citizen but would like to become one, the only option is to do so via naturalization. To qualify, you need:
As explained above, you’ll also need to give up your current citizenship, unless you’re from the EU or Switzerland.
If you meet those criteria, these are the steps to take:
If you discount the 8 years you need to have lived in Germany before you can apply, the process can still take months as your application has to be formally approved after you’ve submitted it. So you should allow yourself as much time as possible.
Even within the EU, countries have differing rules about dual citizenship and retaining or rescinding nationalities. Outside the EU, it’s even more complex. So you should check very carefully with both Germany and your current country of nationality.
It’s complicated enough to spend time in several countries. If you often need to send money from one country to another, a borderless multi-currency account from Wise can make this process far easier, and likely cheaper, than if you rely on banks. You can send and receive transfers across borders quickly and online, and using the mid-market rate - that’s the same rate the banks use to trade between themselves. And there’s only one small, transparent fee - so you could save a lot compared to making the transfer with your bank.
With a borderless account you get local account details for euros, US dollars, British pounds and Australian dollars, and you can hold and transfer money in dozens of currencies including those 4. And consumer debit cards are coming from early 2018, to make the accounts even easier to use.
Whether you end up applying for dual citizenship or not, good luck exploring your options. And if you do ever find yourself splitting time between countries don’t forget that Wise offers a cheap and easy option to help transfer your money.
This publication is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content in this publication. The information in this publication does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its affiliates. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
Are you or your partner expecting? While this is meant to be a very exciting time in your life, sometimes medical expenses and navigating public or private...
Germany is so much more than sausages and beer. The country boasts incredibly low unemployment, a high quality of life, and a wonderful mix of history,...
Holidays in Germany are celebrated differently than in many parts of the world. Germans take their holidays very seriously, with celebrations that are steeped...
Germany is already home to a healthy expat community and a thriving tourism industry. People from all over the world regularly visit or relocate to Germany,...
If you’re moving to Germany, one of the first things you’ll have to consider is how you’ll get around. While local trips are often taken by bicycle or on...
Germany isn’t all Currywurst and Lederhosen. It’s also strict financial administration, and unexpected taxes. Which means that if you’re moving to Germany, it...