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German citizenship
Regaining citizenship
Please note: I recommend first reading my Blog regarding the recent legislative developments in Germany to Reform the citizenship Law (www.doppeltestaatsbuergerschaft.com.au/blog).
Naturalisation of former Germans from abroad
On 27. Juni 2024 the Law to Reform the German Citizenship Act (Gesetzes zur Modernisierung des Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetzes or StARModG) came into force. Among other changes the new Law abolished the requirement to apply for a permit to retain german citizenship prior to applying and being granted a foreign citizenship (§ 25 StAG of the previous version of the citizenship Act).
Some Germans who have applied for and already accepted the Australian Citizenship prior to this Law coming into force without observing the procedure to retain the German citizenship may have made the experience that they have lost their German citizenship. According to the German Citizenship Act (StAG) as it was in force prior to the Reform (please see my Blog regarding the Reform of the Act, www.doppeltestaatsbuergerschaft.com.au/blog), the following applied: Anyone who applied for a foreign citizenship and acquired it before receiving a retention permit from the Federal Administrative Office, generally lost the German citizenship (§ 25 StAG of the previous version of the citizenship Act).
If you want to receive your german citizenship again after you have lost it, you must now submit an application for naturalisation or re-naturalization. Germans who live in Australia or abroad come across the problem that naturalisation normally requires permanent residency in Germany. In the case of naturalisation from abroad, the Federal Administration Office (Bundesverwaltungsamt) therefore checks in principle whether there is a public interest in naturalising the applicant again. In principle, this only applies in special cases.
Facilitated re-naturalization since 01.01.2000
However, in practice, the restrictive application of this procedure for naturalising former Germans from abroad has changed in favour of the applicant, provided that German citizenship has been lost since 01.01.2000. After that, former Germans can also be naturalised again from abroad under eased conditions. In this case, they must justify that they would have been granted authorisation to retain German citizenship if they had applied in time and that they still have the ties to Germany necessary for granting a retention permit (according to the previous version of the Law). If and how the Reform of the german citizenship Law will effect this practice is still to be seen.
The application must be submitted - as in the retention procedure - via the responsible diplomatic mission. If necessary, you should inquire with the competent authority about further requirements of the procedure.
Naturalisation of former Germans from abroad
On 27. Juni 2024 the Law to Reform the German Citizenship Act (Gesetzes zur Modernisierung des Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetzes or StARModG) came into force. Among other changes the new Law abolished the requirement to apply for a permit to retain german citizenship prior to applying and being granted a foreign citizenship (§ 25 StAG of the previous version of the citizenship Act).
Some Germans who have applied for and already accepted the Australian Citizenship prior to this Law coming into force without observing the procedure to retain the German citizenship may have made the experience that they have lost their German citizenship. According to the German Citizenship Act (StAG) as it was in force prior to the Reform (please see my Blog regarding the Reform of the Act, www.doppeltestaatsbuergerschaft.com.au/blog), the following applied: Anyone who applied for a foreign citizenship and acquired it before receiving a retention permit from the Federal Administrative Office, generally lost the German citizenship (§ 25 StAG of the previous version of the citizenship Act).
If you want to receive your german citizenship again after you have lost it, you must now submit an application for naturalisation or re-naturalization. Germans who live in Australia or abroad come across the problem that naturalisation normally requires permanent residency in Germany. In the case of naturalisation from abroad, the Federal Administration Office (Bundesverwaltungsamt) therefore checks in principle whether there is a public interest in naturalising the applicant again. In principle, this only applies in special cases.
Facilitated re-naturalization since 01.01.2000
However, in practice, the restrictive application of this procedure for naturalising former Germans from abroad has changed in favour of the applicant, provided that German citizenship has been lost since 01.01.2000. After that, former Germans can also be naturalised again from abroad under eased conditions. In this case, they must justify that they would have been granted authorisation to retain German citizenship if they had applied in time and that they still have the ties to Germany necessary for granting a retention permit (according to the previous version of the Law). If and how the Reform of the german citizenship Law will effect this practice is still to be seen.
The application must be submitted - as in the retention procedure - via the responsible diplomatic mission. If necessary, you should inquire with the competent authority about further requirements of the procedure.