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I have already applied for naturalization. Can I still get dual citizenship?

The question of dual citizenship depends on the legal situation at the time you receive your naturalization certificate. If you meet all the requirements, you will initially only receive an assurance of naturalization from the authorities, in which you will be asked to renounce your previous citizenship.

This assurance of naturalization is usually valid for two years. As the new law comes into force on June 27, 2024, you can then be naturalized without having to give up your previous citizenship.

Further FAQs on the topic:

The Act on the Modernization of Citizenship Law was passed by the Bundestag at the end of January 2024 and has also passed the Bundesrat. It came into force on June 27, 2024, three months after it was promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette. Since this date, everyone has had the option of dual citizenship under German law.

In principle, yes. Since German law is to permit multiple nationality in the future, there is nothing to prevent this from the German side. However, the decisive factor is the law of the state whose citizenship one wishes to regain.

Yes, at least as far as German citizenship law is concerned. In principle, dual citizenship has been open to all foreigners, regardless of their country of origin, since June 27, 2024. However, there may be laws in the country of origin that stipulate the loss of citizenship in the event that a citizen is granted citizenship of another country. Such laws exist in countries such as China, Austria, Lithuania, Estonia and the Netherlands. In any case, we advise you to obtain information in the country of your previous citizenship.

The new law on citizenship comes into force on 27 June 2024, but the processing time for an application for naturalization is usually around 12 months. The decisive factor for your application is the legal situation at the time when the authorities make a decision. It is very likely that this will not be until after June 27. This means that you can, in principle, submit an application for naturalization now, which will then be decided according to the new legal situation. If a decision is made on your application before June 27, 2024, you will first be asked to provide proof that you have been released from your existing citizenship. If you do not do this by June 27, you will be able to benefit from the new law after this date and retain your citizenship.

However, this varies from authority to authority and also depends on how long you have been in Germany. Our lawyers will be happy to advise you on your personal situation.

Whether you can get back your old citizenship, which you gave up for naturalization, depends on on the Rright of your originstaates from. According to German law, from June 27, 2024, when the the new Citizenship Act comes into force, there will be nothing to stop it.

The modernized Citizenship Act (StAG) came into force on 27 June 2024. Since this date, the new legal situation has applied, according to which renunciation of current citizenship is no longer required for naturalization in Germany. In principle, the new legal situation applies to you if you are issued a naturalization certificate after 27 June 2024.

Before the naturalization certificate is issued, you will first receive an assurance of naturalization, which is usually valid for 2 years. Before 27 June, when the assurance of naturalization was issued, you were asked to submit proof that you had renounced your current citizenship so that the naturalization certificate could then be issued. You had time to do this as long as the assurance of naturalization was valid.

If you have received an assurance of naturalization before 27 June 2024, you should ask for a date to be set after this date to receive your naturalization certificate without renouncing your current citizenship. Our lawyers will be happy to advise you on this.

The Bundestag has passed the law on the modernization of citizenship law. When it comes into force on 27 June 2024, naturalization will be possible even if you want to keep your old citizenship. However, the law of the country of origin must also allow dual citizenship.

If you want to check whether your naturalization application would be successful, you can do our naturalization check. However, this check only gives you a first overview. If you still have detailed questions or are unsure, then it is best to contact our lawyers.

To the naturalization check

Strictly speaking, the forthcoming law on citizenship will not allow dual citizenship, but will lift the general ban on multiple citizenship. If this ban is lifted, it will also be possible under German law to have more than two nationalities. Multiple citizenship will then be possible without further ado.

However, if you wish to obtain dual citizenship, this must also be in accordance with the nationality law of your country of origin be possible. Some countries stipulate that your citizenship is automatically lost if you are naturalized in another country.

These countries are in particular:

  • Ethiopia
  • Bhutan
  • China
  • Ivory Coast (Cote d' Ivoire)
  • Guinea
  • Honduras, if Honduran citizenship was acquired through naturalization
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • Cameroon
  • Kazakhstan
  • Comoros, if the person concerned has reached the age of 21.
  • Congo, Democratic Republic (COD)
  • Cuba
  • Libya
  • Madagascar
  • Mauritania
  • Micronesia
  • Monaco
  • Myanmar
  • Namibia
  • Nepal
  • Papua New Guinea, if the person concerned has reached the age of 18
  • São Tomé and Príncipe
  • Senegal
  • Zimbabwe, if the person concerned has reached the age of 21 (is of legal age)
  • Sri Lanka
  • South Africa, if the person concerned has reached the age of 18
  • South Korea (Republic of Korea)
  • Suriname
  • Tanzania, if the person concerned has reached the age of 18
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago

According to the legal situation before June 27, 2024, you generally lost your German citizenship if you naturalized in another country. This could only be prevented by obtaining a retention permit. Since the new Citizenship Act came into force on June 27, 2024, this is no longer the case. Germany now generally allows multiple nationalities. You can find more information on this on the website of the Federal Office of Administration.

YesThe new law does not change the rules for the naturalization test. However, as before, you do not have to take the test if you are at least a German school-leaving qualification (qualificationRealschule, Abitur etc.)a completed vocational training with a grade in the subject of social studies or a degree in the fields of law and social sciences, social sciences or politics naor politics.

Since June 27, 2024, when the new Citizenship Act came into force, children born in Germany to foreign parents automatically receive German citizenship if one parent has been living legally in Germany for more than five years and has an unlimited right of residence. For children born before June 27, 2024, this period is still eight years according to the old legal situation.

The new Naturalization Act (Act on the Modernization of Citizenship Law) comes into force on June 27, 2024 in force, three months after its promulgation in the Federal Law Gazette. From then on dual citizenship in principle under German law possible for all, and will in particular the minimum period of residence to five years to five years. You can read more about the details of the new law here.

According to the new Citizenship Act, since June 27, 2024, anyone who wants to be naturalized in Germany can now retain their previous citizenship under German law.

However, the country of origin must also allow dual citizenship. In some countries, such as Austria, China, India and South Korea, citizenship is automatically lost if you naturalize in another country.

A detailed list of countries with which dual citizenship is not possible can be found here.

Tip: Before starting the naturalization process, always check whether the previous citizenship may be retained under foreign law. You can inquire about this at foreign missions, for example. German lawyers are generally unable to provide information on foreign legal issues.

Since the new law on citizenship came into force on June 27, 2024, the minimum period of residence in Germany is now only five years. It can be shortened to up to three years in cases of particularly good integration.

We have explained this in detail in our article on naturalization.

Alternatively, you can complete our Naturalization Check.

To the naturalization check

It usually takes up to 12 months for a decision to be made on an application for naturalization. The new Naturalization Act has also been in force since 27 June 2024. It is therefore to be expected that the number of naturalization applications will increase significantly. As a result, processing times are also likely to increase by several months. If the authorities do not make a decision on your application for too long, it may be advisable to file an action for failure to act. Our lawyers will be happy to advise you on this.

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