Germany tends to be quite conservative and traditional when it comes to citizenship issues. So, up until 2024, the country had completely different rules. There was a time when one could only get a German passport if he or she gaves up all other citizenships. Yes, it was a real thing.
It was also the case that one had to live in Germany for eight years to get citizenship. Now it’s only five (or three if the person speak German at a C1 level, take part in social activities, volunteer work or join associations and unions).
Did you know that Germany used to only accept Swiss citizenship? Anything else was off-limits.
Anyways, read on and we’ll tell you more about dual citizenship in Germany. We’ll look at the specifics and give a quick summary.
Features of dual citizenship in Germany
While there are still a few details to consider when it comes to obtaining dual citizenship in Germany (we’ve covered these in more detail right above), everything else is pretty straightforward.
It’s also worth noting that Germany doesn’t have a citizenship program for investment like you see in places like Cyprus or Turkey. In those countries, an investor just has to put a certain amount of money into the state. Secondly, Germany is very careful about whether you can support yourself: the benefits here are now very limited, and they are only given if you really need them. If it turns out that you don’t have enough money to live on, you might be refused citizenship. Thirdly, it’s a big plus if you don’t have a criminal record. If you’ve committed a non-serious crime, say, 10, 15, or even 20 years ago (or more, sure do) you might be able to get a pass. But if it’s something more serious and the punishment is still recent, you’re unlikely to be able to get citizenship.
Dual citizenship in Germany comes with the following benefits:
- It lets you live, work, study, and travel in Germany and other EU countries.
- You can start your own business, set up a company, or invest in Germany without any restrictions.
- If your work takes you abroad a lot, a German passport will make it much easier to travel internationally. You can visit more than 190 countries without a visa and use German consular services worldwide.
- Another big plus of being a German citizen is that you can study without having to pay exorbitant tuition fees.
If you already have German citizenship but want another one, you’ll need to get the government’s approval. To do this, you’ll need to submit an application explaining why you need it.
You’ll also need to submit documents like a residence card from another country (if you have one), proof that getting the second citizenship will be beneficial for you, and proof that you still have strong ties to Germany: a business here or a family members.
If your application is approved, you’ll get a certificate confirming your right to dual citizenship. The federal agency will send it to a representative office overseas, which will be in the country where you’ll get your new passport.
Oh, and you’ll also have to pay the state fee. That is, a German one.
Conclusions
Having German citizenship is a big advantage of course.
It lets you enjoy the benefits of Germany and the European Union as a whole.
It’s even better if you have dual citizenship.
And it’s also great that the government recently updated its stance and now allows to receive it with a minimum number of restrictions!
Oh, we almost forgot to mention that some groups of people have the right to get dual German citizenship more easily. As an example, this right is granted to guest workers (Ehemalige Gastarbeiter), former contract workers (Ehemalige Vertragsarbeiter) and people who are over the age of 67. Specifically, these three groups don’t even have to demonstrate German language skills or pass the citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest). That said, they still have to be able to communicate in German at least on everyday topics. They’ll also need to show they know the local rules and regulations and are happy to stick to the country’s customs.
