4 Key Benefits of German Dual Citizenship

Thinking about applying for German dual citizenship? It can be a lengthy process but the rewards can be massive.

So, what are the benefits of German dual citizenship and how can you go about securing dual citizenship? Let’s dive in and find out more.

How do you become a dual citizen in Germany?

First things first, before we go into the benefits of having dual citizenship in Germany, you need to find out if you’re eligible to start with. 

Realistically there are four ways that you can gain dual citizenship in Germany:

  1. By birth
  2. By ancestry
  3. By naturalization
  4. Through retaining your initial German citizenship while applying for another country’s citizenship.

If you don’t fall into one of these categories, then you’re not going to be able to get German dual citizenship. Some avenues are a lot easier than others, so let’s dive deeper into each track. 

Dual Citizenship by birth

If you were either born in Germany or have one or more German parents, you can be eligible for dual citizenship in Germany. Again, there are four ways in which you might be eligible for German dual citizenship by birth, with their specific criteria.

a person putting the baby on the scale
  1. If one of your parents is German and the other is foreign, and you were born in Germany, you can automatically keep both citizenship.
  2. If you’re born in Germany and your parents have multiple nationalities, including German citizenship, you can keep all of them.
  3. If you’re born in Germany but neither of your parents is German, you can get dual citizenship if at least one of your parents has lived in Germany for eight years or more and have a permanent residence card. 
  4. If you’re born overseas to at least one German parent, you can get dual citizenship if you have personally lived in Germany for at least eight years and attended school in Germany for at least six years. 

It’s worth mentioning that these all depend on the other citizenship that you’re combining your German citizenship with. Some countries don’t allow dual citizenship, so if you belong to one of those nations, you’re out of luck. You’ll either have to renounce one citizenship or stick with what you’ve got!

Dual Citizenship through ancestry

Okay, so this can get complicated. Due to the complex rules around German citizenship in the last 100 years or so, it can take some investigating to see if you’re eligible for dual citizenship through your ancestors. 

woman and children sitting

Criteria that you’re going to need to consider include:

  • Whether or not your ancestor was born out of wedlock
  • When they were born
  • Whether it was the mother or father who held German nationality
  • Whether they could’ve been stripped of their nationality during WWII

Yep, it can get complicated, so make sure you have documentation like birth and marriage records ready to see if you’re actually eligible for German citizenship through your ancestors. 

When applying, you’ll need a big list of documentation which includes:

  • A completed application form
  • Birth certificates
  • Death certificates
  • Marriage certificates
  • A family book showing the links or family tree
  • Any certification that shows a change in name – this might be due to marriage, moving overseas and Anglicizing names, etc. 
  • A valid passport
  • ID documents
  • Any other documentation that supports your application

The more you know about your family history, the easier this process is. If you’re not close with your German relatives or they’ve passed on, you can always use immigration law services to help find out if you’re eligible, or you can use family tree websites like Ancestry.com to help you figure out where your German connections lie. 

Is it possible to get dual citizenship by naturalization in Germany?

Yes, it’s definitely possible to get German dual citizenship by naturalization, but it’s only used in specific cases. 

people standing in front of a building

Naturalization is the process where you’ve lived in Germany for at least eight years, have a permanent residence card, know German to a B1 level, and have enough money to support yourself and your dependents. If you take an integration course, which is all about German culture and lifestyle, this timeline gets reduced to six years. 

There’s got to be something about Germany and rules that come in fours because again, there are four ways to be eligible for German dual citizenship by naturalization:

  1. If your other nationality won’t allow you to renounce your citizenship in order to get full German citizenship but does allow dual citizenship.
  2. If you’re a refugee with a specific refugee status in Germany.
  3. If giving up your other nationality will lead to financial difficulty, loss of business, etc. For example, if it means you can’t run your business or will be subject to a ton of extra tax, you can keep both citizenships.
  4. If your original nationality is within the EU, part of the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland. 

Again, this assumes that your original country allows dual citizenship in the first place, otherwise, you might have to renounce your original nationality to gain German citizenship.

How do I get German dual citizenship while living overseas?

If you’re already a German citizen and you want to add another nationality to your roster, you’re going to need a retention permit from the German government. This will then allow you to add another nationality if your new nationality allows dual citizenship.

Essentially, a retention permit is an application that rationalizes why you need another nationality or a second passport to enhance your life. Dual citizenship isn’t something that’s easily given, so you need to set out a clear argument and have a concrete case so that the German government has no choice but to say yes!

The common reasons used for retention permits include scholarships or bursaries in other countries to further studies or research, tax breaks, or economic benefits like business grants. Basically, it needs to show that you’re going to improve your life in this new country, and you can’t get these kinds of opportunities back in Germany. 

At the same time, you also need to reiterate your connection to Germany. The German government needs reassurance that you’re not completely cutting ties with Germany and still taking advantage of the benefits of German citizenship. Proof of German ties can be relatives that still live in Germany, friends, property, businesses that you’ve set up there, or anything like that. 

Process-wise, it’s pretty straightforward to apply for a retention permit. You download the application form from the German Federal Office website, fill it in, and start to get your documents and rationales together.

The list of documents is nowhere near as big as other dual citizenship applications. You just need:

  • The completed application form
  • Passport and ID
  • A residence permit or card from your new country if issued
  • Your rationale of why you need dual citizenship and how it will benefit you
  • Proof of ties to Germany

Once you have all of this, you’ll need to submit it to your local German authority office in your new country. After this, it’ll be reviewed and you’ll either receive the certificate at your local German office, or you’ll receive a rejection notice.

Rejection notices normally happen either because the benefits weren’t clear enough, your ties to Germany weren’t strong enough, or your new country doesn’t allow dual nationalities. It’s always worth checking if your new country actually accepts dual nationalities before you go through the headache of applying!

If you’re approved for a retention permit, you’ll have to pay 255 Euros for the certificate, so factor this into your budgeting decision before you apply.

The benefits of having German dual citizenship

Okay, now you know if you’re eligible for German dual citizenship and the different ways in which you can apply, let’s get into the many benefits of having dual citizenship in Germany. 

1. Visaless Travel

First of all, you’ll have access to 180 different countries without needing a visa. This is a huge bonus, especially if your other nationality doesn’t have as many visa-free travel agreements.

Passport privilege is a real thing and if you don’t have it, it can be super expensive to travel to other countries with all the visa and paperwork needed, honestly, it means you have to plan any vacation months in advance to allow bureaucracy to do its thing. The German passport is one of the most powerful ones in the world, so this is a massive bonus straight off the bat.

2. EU Access

Secondly, if you’re a German dual citizen, you’ll have access to the EU (European Union). This is made up of 27 member states all around Europe which have freedom of movement. This means that you can live, study, and work legally in any of these countries.

So, if you want to live and work in Italy but aren’t eligible for a visa with your original country, but you are eligible for German citizenship, you can get your German dual citizenship and then use that to live and work in Italy without a ton of paperwork or hassle.

3. Business Owning Perks

With dual nationality, you can also open businesses in both countries, which can come in handy for tax purposes, taking advantage of new business grants, or just accessing new markets and areas around the world.

It’s also great if you want to start two separate businesses and still want to benefit from first-time business grants and bursaries.  

4. Consular Protection

Finally, you’ll have consular protection from two separate nations. Hopefully, you’ll never need it, but if you’re traveling overseas and there’s a problem, like a pandemic, war, or natural disaster, you have two different ways of getting support and help.

They can also help if you have your passport stolen or with any bureaucratic issues. It’s a big bonus because not every country has a consulate or embassy in every country or major city, so it definitely gives you options.

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