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obtaining german citizenship
Hi there
My father was born in Germany back in 1946, after the war in a refugee camp. My grandfather was german and they remained there until 1949 I believe then migrated over to the US. My father and grandfather both being born there, does that give me right to apply for dual nationality?? I know longer speak with my father, and have a feeling I would have to get his naturalisation papers? |
You can get German citizenship based on your grandfather's status. Its a bit trickey, but usually the local consulate will help. Read the infopages of the Chicago consulate and you will know more: http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/u...tizenship.html
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Thanks
Would it matter if my father is now an American Citizen ( naturalised) |
Originally Posted by londonbound86
(Post 10590534)
Thanks
Would it matter if my father is now an American Citizen ( naturalised) In fact, the FAQ section of the Ottawa embassy's webpage confirms this: German passports are only issued to German citizens. Having German ancestors is unfortunately not enough to attain German citizenship. Rather, your father and/or mother have to have been German citizens at the time of your birth. If you were born before 1 January 1975 and your parents were married, you only attained German citizenship if your father was German at the time of your birth or if your parents submitted a declaration by 31 December 1977 stating they wanted German citizenship for their child. |
he did, but maintaned dual nationality.
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Originally Posted by londonbound86
(Post 10590907)
he did, but maintaned dual nationality.
How can German citizenship be lost? A German national who applies for and receives a foreign nationality (except the nationality of one of the EU Member States or Switzerland) loses his/her German nationality. The only way of preventing the loss of German citizenship is if the applicant obtained permission to retain the nationality by the German authorities prior to acquiring the foreign nationality. German nationals required to perform military service who voluntarily enter the forces or comparable armed groups of a country of which they are also a national without the consent of the district draft board lose their German nationality automatically. For further advice, please contact the competent German mission covering your place of residence. |
Originally Posted by londonbound86
(Post 10590907)
he did, but maintaned dual nationality.
Anyway you have to apply for dual citizenship and get the okay of the German authorities BEFORE you take on your new second citizenship. If you don't do this you will automatically loose your German citizenship and the German state is not very tolerant with people who try to get around the rule. There were example of Turkish citizens taking in the German citizenship and giving up there Turkish citizenship but the reapplied for a Turkish passport. When the German authorities found out about it they immediately canceled the German citizenship. |
Originally Posted by caspritz78
(Post 10591023)
The dual citizenship for German citizens taking on for example the US citizenship is I think a pretty new thing. Probably only a couple of years old, but I might be wrong.
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I actually just completed this process last week with the German consulate in NY. It took about a year from application to getting a passport, but it went smoothly. Was your father Jewish? If so, then you are allowed to keep you american citizenship under a special program for anyone who's citizenship was stripped by the Nazis. You should contact your local consulate; they are very helpful. Mainly, they needed paperwork from the US; they can find all the german documentation in their meticulous archives.
The german passport is much cooler than our humble american ones! ;) |
Originally Posted by caspritz78
(Post 10591023)
The dual citizenship for German citizens taking on for example the US citizenship is I think a pretty new thing. Probably only a couple of years old, but I might be wrong.
Anyway you have to apply for dual citizenship and get the okay of the German authorities BEFORE you take on your new second citizenship. If you don't do this you will automatically loose your German citizenship and the German state is not very tolerant with people who try to get around the rule. There were example of Turkish citizens taking in the German citizenship and giving up there Turkish citizenship but the reapplied for a Turkish passport. When the German authorities found out about it they immediately canceled the German citizenship. |
Originally Posted by BDL-FRA
(Post 10603217)
I work with someone who gained dual citizenship quite naturally. He was born in the US of German parents who were working there for a couple of years. The parents applied for and received the German passport for him. Years later, after they had returned to Germany, he wanted to go to school in the US, and realized that all he needed was his birth certificate. Since he was born in the US, he was automatically entitled to a US Passport. Walked into the embassy, and walked out with a passport a couple hours later.
If he applied for the US passport before 2000 he won't. If he applied for it after 2000, but without asking for permission from the German government, again - he won't. Unless, of course, he hides his US citizenship from the Germans - I know people who got away with this (and I also know someone who got away with it for many years but lost her German citizenship when they eventually found out) |
I miss the good old days when the ethnic German "resettlers" (Aussiedler) who settled in Eastern Europe in the 18th century could easily get citizenship.
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Originally Posted by BDL-FRA
(Post 10603217)
I work with someone who gained dual citizenship quite naturally. He was born in the US of German parents who were working there for a couple of years. The parents applied for and received the German passport for him. Years later, after they had returned to Germany, he wanted to go to school in the US, and realized that all he needed was his birth certificate. Since he was born in the US, he was automatically entitled to a US Passport. Walked into the embassy, and walked out with a passport a couple hours later.
Originally Posted by Aviatrix
If he applied for the US passport before 2000 he won't. If he applied for it after 2000, but without asking for permission from the German government, again - he won't.
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Originally Posted by Aviatrix
(Post 10608787)
OK, so he has a US passport now. The question is, will he get to keep the German one?
If he applied for the US passport before 2000 he won't. If he applied for it after 2000, but without asking for permission from the German government, again - he won't. Unless, of course, he hides his US citizenship from the Germans - I know people who got away with this (and I also know someone who got away with it for many years but lost her German citizenship when they eventually found out) |
Originally Posted by caspritz78
(Post 10608987)
...and the German law that gives you are German citizenship when your parents are German independent of where you are born.
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