Beibehaltung der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit Genehmigung vor Erwerb der ausländischen Staatsangehörigkeit

§ Section 25 (2) (StAG)

According to Section 25 (1) of the Citizenship Act (StAG), a German citizen automatically loses their German citizenship if they acquire a foreign citizenship on their own initiative. Automatically, this means that the loss of German citizenship occurs solely and directly through the acceptance of the other citizenship. When this is determined by the competent authority and you are notified in writing depends on when the authority learns of this. The written notification does not constitute the loss.

Note: If you acquire citizenship of a member state of the European Union or Switzerland, you will not lose your German citizenship. You will not lose your German citizenship if you have received a retention permit in accordance with Section 25 (2) of the Citizenship Act (StAG) before acquiring the other foreign citizenship.

The granting of a retention permit requires a decision in which the public and private interests must be weighed up. This decision is called a discretionary decision. The retention permit can be granted if public or private interests justify the acquisition of foreign citizenship and the continuation of German citizenship and there are no overriding public interests that conflict with the granting of the permit. The private interests in acquiring foreign citizenship and retaining German citizenship may include the fact that the applicant is seeking to acquire foreign citizenship in order to avoid significant disadvantages for themselves that go beyond the mere loss of citizenship rights. These significant disadvantages may, for example, be of an economic or pecuniary nature. The disadvantages must not merely lie in losing the civic rights associated with German citizenship in the event of naturalization in another country. Mere disadvantages in visa-free international travel due to the loss of the German passport do not generally constitute a particularly difficult situation. The following applies to minors: If both parents wish to apply for foreign citizenship for themselves and their child with joint parental custody, the child is automatically at risk of losing German citizenship. To avoid this, a retention permit is required before acquiring the other citizenship.

Minors from the age of 16 submit their own application for a retention permit.

• Valid passport/identity card/citizenship card as proof of German citizenship
• Current registration certificate
• Documents explaining the reasons for acquiring foreign citizenship
• Documents explaining the reasons for the continued existence of German citizenship

For minors before the age of 16:

• Proof of custody (custody decree)
• In the case of joint parental custody, declaration of consent from the other parent with custody rights

• You have German citizenship.
• You would like to acquire a foreign nationality.
• You wish to retain your German citizenship.

For minors under the age of 16, you must provide

• Proof of power of representation

You or your legal representative must submit the application in person.

The competent authority will check the requirements and make a discretionary decision.

The retention permit is issued in the form of a certificate. The validity of the retention permit is limited to two years.

If foreign citizenship is acquired after this period has expired, German citizenship is lost.

Once the procedure has been completed, the decision is communicated to the registration authority. The decision is also forwarded to the Register of Decisions on Nationality Matters (EStA), which is kept at the Federal Office of Administration.

If you have any questions about your other nationality, please contact the diplomatic mission or consular post responsible for you.

If you acquire another nationality (other than EU or Swiss) and wish to retain your German nationality, this requires the approval of the German nationality authorities. You must have received permission to retain your German citizenship before acquiring the other citizenship.

The following requirements must be met:

• You have submitted an application. This application must state the reasons for acquiring the foreign nationality and the reasons for retaining German nationality.

The granting of a retention permit requires a discretionary decision. This means that, in principle, there is no entitlement to the granting of a permit. Rather, each individual case must be justified. The competent authority then decides on a case-by-case basis after weighing up the pros and cons. Both public and private interests must be weighed up, i.e. the state's interest in clear nationality on the one hand and the individual interest of the applicant in retaining German citizenship on the other.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the district governments are responsible for issuing a retention permit. If the retention permit is granted, you will receive a certificate.

The retention permit is limited to two years. The other nationality must be assumed within this period. If the other nationality is only accepted after the period has expired, the German nationality is lost.

Special rules deviating from this apply to minors.

Forms: can be obtained from the district government responsible for your place of residence