If you've been here between 5 and 8 years, you automatically acquire the right of permanent residence. Under German law, dual citizenship may be granted to citizens of EU states, the EEA and Switzerland, refugees, children born to a German parent abroad, and children born after 2001 in Germany to non-German parents.
Both the United States and Germany recognize the concept of multiple nationality. A child born to an American parent and a German parent acquires both American and German citizenship at birth, regardless of place of birth. American-German dual nationals may owe taxes in both countries.
Documents required for German citizenship application
- Your passport and / or identity card (not a driving licence)
- Your birth certificate.
- Your marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Proof of financial stability (e.g. bank statements)
- Proof of language proficiency.
- Pass certificate for the naturalisation test.
A person with German citizenship can receive a German passport which entitles the holder to:
- travel without a visa to 177 countries.
- live, work, and study inexpensively in Germany.
- live, work, or study in the UK or other EU or EEA countries, with very few restrictions.
- assistance from an excellent consular service.
If you are a German citizen living abroad and you would like to apply for a German passport, you can do this at the German mission in your country of residence. You are required to make an appointment in advance, fill in a passport application form and then attend the appointment with all your required documents.
between two and three years
German citizenship acquired through birth in GermanySince 2000, children born in Germany to foreign parents acquire German citizenship at birth in addition to the foreign citizenship of their parents, on the principle of jus soli (Latin for "right of the territory").
One of the easiest ways to acquire dual citizenship is by descent. Many countries let you claim citizenship if your parents, grandparents or — in some cases — great grandparents were born in said country. There are other avenues to dual citizenship too, with some of the most popular being investment and naturalization.
Children born to German and US citizens acquire both citizenships at birth. For naturalized Germans, in this case, US citizens who have become German due to the process of naturalization, they do have to give up their US citizenship to become a citizen of Germany and thus acquire a German passport.
You get the permanent EU Residence permit, if you:
- have legally lived in Germany for at least five years.
- can support yourself and your family members to make a living.
- have a sufficient command of German and basic knowledge of the legal and social system and way of life in Germany.
Italy, Ireland, Poland, and Hungary – the easiest through ancestry. These four countries all have generous and flexible approaches to citizenship by descent. If you have ancestors from any of these countries in the family tree, then it is worth some more digging.
Countries that allow Dual Citizenship
| Albania | Benin | Peru |
|---|
| Australia | Costa Rica | Slovenia |
| Barbados | Croatia* | South Africa |
| Bangladesh | Cyprus | South Korea* |
| Belgium | Czech Republic | Spain |
Germany's passport dominates the Passport Index by Arton Capital at the moment. Due to current COVID-19 travel restrictions, Germany tops Arton Capital's Passport Index with visa-free access to 134 destinations.
Under German law, a person may not have more than one citizenship unless he/she was born with both. There are, however, exceptions in special hardship situations. While Germany recognizes the concept of dual nationality, for most purposes it considers a dual national in Germany a German citizen only.
Some people feel it's not worth studying in Germany because their universities are not highly ranked like those in the US and UK. In Germany, if you go to a public university, you'll receive a quality, rigorous, and affordable education, no matter what the national or international rankings may say.
German is a nationality. Yes, Germans are undoubtedly an ethnicity, but being German as a nationality is completely separate from being ethnically German. About 20% of Germany's population are not ethnically German, but they can definitely be German as a national identity.
If you think you are in labour, you need to go to your chosen hospital. Call ahead to let them know you're coming, and bring your Mutterpass. You will be examined to make sure you are actually in labour and, if so, you will be checked into a birthing room (Kreißsaal).
The average cost of a move from the United States to Germany is $4,450.
