German Citizenship, Dual or Multiple Citizenship

Citizenship implies a mutual relationship between a person and a country. This especially close relationship establishes certain rights and duties. Having two or more nationalities (multiple citizenship) is a circumstance as old as citizenship itself. German law holds that multiple citizenship can arise in various situations:

by birth to multinational parents, with at least one parent a citizen of a country other than Germany, or
by birth to parents having a nationality which grants its citizenship by “inheritance” and the country of birth grants its citizenship by birth on its soil,
by adoption of a child by Germans, or
by marriage to a person whose country automatically grants its citizenship to a citizen’s spouse.

1.) Receiving German Citizenship by Birth to Non-German Parents

My husband and I do not have German citizenship. Recently I gave birth to our child here in Germany. Can he become a Germany national?

Until recently, children of foreigners did not automatically receive German citizenship. As of January 2000, children born in Germany to foreign parents will receive German citizenship if

one parent has his habitual and lawful residence in Germany for eight years, or
one parent has his habitual and lawful residence in Germany for seven years and has passed an integration course,
and this parent has either residence permit a settlement permission for three years (§4 III StAG).
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Neither my husband nor I have German citizenship. We fought through all the paperwork to get our child German citizenship. Now we want to know: How long he will keep his German citizenship without surrendering his Swedish citizenship. How long will he be able to have it?

Your child has automatically received German citizenship. Up to his 18^th birthday, neither you nor your son have to have any worries. By international conventions, Germany is obligated to reduce multiple citizenships. On his 18^th birthday, his city government will inform him that he has five years to decide whether or not to remain a German. He must make up his mind by his 23^rd birthday. This is a legal obligation, not a privilege. He will lose his German citizenship if he does not opt for German citizenship or prove that he has renounced his other citizenship.
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My son has lived here all of his life, but has often visited his native country. He wants to keep citizenships in both countries. Is that somehow possible?

That will be possible if he applies before his 21^st birthday to also keep his German citizenship. This is the so-called Beibehaltungsgenehmigung (permission to retain your second citizenship). You may maintain your other nationality if it is not possible to waive it, or if there are exceptional grounds for a multiple citizenship.
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That Beibehaltungsgenehmigung sounds intriguing. When will Germany accept a multiple citizenship if I want to take advantage of that retaining permission?

German law (Art. 24 StAG) allows multiple citizenship only under especially difficult conditions. You must show:

that the law of your home country does not provide for deprivation of citizenship,
or that you have applied at your country’s consulate for deprivation and your home country usually refuses to deprive citizenship,
or that your home country arbitrarily refuses to release you from your citizenship,
or that your home country does not process your request in a reasonable time after filing a complete and formally correct application,
or that you belong to a special group of persons, especially like political refugees (§60 AufenthG), and the requirement of deprivation of your citizenship would be an undue hardship,
or that your home country makes a dismissal subject to the fulfilling of your military service and you have obtained most of your school education in German schools and you have grown into German living conditions and into the age of draft,
or that you have not yet reached the age of maturity. In this case, Germany will grant you a binding promise of naturalization,

and that you have not been sentenced for a criminal offense.
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Is there a possibility for my small child to also obtain German citizenship according to the new law?

Yes, she has a chance. Generally, all children under ten can apply for German citizenship if they were born and have their habitual residence in Germany. But one of the parents must have maintained habitual and lawful residence in Germany for eight years and have a settlement permission for three years. If your child meets these conditions, she will have the option of keeping German citizenship until she turns 18.
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2.) Applying for German Citizenship (Naturalization)

What are the requirements for getting a German passport?

You have to

have been lawfully living and having your habitual residence for eight years here, or seven years after having passed an integration course,
pledge touphold the free, democratic system defined in the German constitution,
declare that you do not pursue and have not pursued any activities hostile to the German constitution,
be able to secure your living expenses, without welfare or unemployment compensation, unless you are not responsible for requiring that relief or if you are younger than 23,
have sufficient command of the German language,
have no serious criminal records,
prove the loss or surrender of any previous citizenship – unless you are exempted (e.g. if the second nationality is EU ).
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When do I have sufficient command of the German language? Do I have to speak almost as well as a German?

You have to prove your command of German in order to be naturalized. Be aware, even though you might fulfill every other condition, you will not be naturalized if you do not have sufficient German language skills. You can prove your command by having

obtained the certificate “German as a foreign language” (Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache [ZDaF])” or an equivalent diploma,
successfully visited a German school for four years,
achieved a Hauptschulabschluß (main upper primary school diploma) or an equivalent degree,
passed 9^th grade of a transmitting school (Realschule, Gymnasium, or Gesamtschule),
successfully studied at a Geman university, specialized institution of higher education, or successfully obtained a German vocational training, or
successfully passed a language course for German for mothers.

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I have just been granted German citizenship after living here for nine years. I married my wife two years ago, and now we also have a gorgeous daughter. What about my wife and child? Do they have to meet all the conditions?

No, your wife and daughter can be naturalized under fewer requirements. But they still have to meet all normal conditions, except for living in Germany for at least eight years. Children under 16 are exempt from making any pledges to German constitution or its democratic order.
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