If you willingly applied for a foreign citizenship and obtained it before the most recent change of the German nationality law, entered into force on June 27, 2024, your German citizenship was automatically lost. Loss of German citizenship could be avoided by obtaining a retention permit (“Beibehaltungsgenehmigung”). If you obtained a foreign citizenship without an application for naturalization, you remained a German citizen.
By voluntarily entering into the armed forces or other armed units of a country whose citizenship you also posess
In principle, voluntary entry into the armed forces of a foreign country of which the person entering the armed forces is a citizen has constituted grounds for the loss of German citizenship since January 1, 2000 without the prior consent of the Federal Ministry of Defence.
As of July 6, 2011, the procedure was simplified for certain countries. Accordingly, prior consent is now deemed to have been granted for Germans who are also nationals of
- Member States of the European Union (EU),
- Member States of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA),
- member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or
- countries on the list of countries pursuant to Section 41 (1) of the Residence Ordinance (§ 41 Abs. 1 AufenthV)
and have joined the armed forces of one of these countries. The USA is also covered by this regulation. A separate application is therefore no longer necessary. Consent is deemed to have been granted. However, entry must not have taken place before July 6, 2011 in order to be able to invoke this blanket consent.
By renunciation (if you hold dual citizenship)
If you are holding dual citizenship (German and at least one other citizenship), you can renounce the German citizenship by declaration.
By adoption
If you are adopted by a non-German and are no longer considered to be legally related to your German parent(s), you lose German citizenship if the adoption automatically makes you a citizen of your adopted parents' country.
Please Note: Although the information on this website has been prepared with utmost care, we cannot accept any responsibility for inaccuracies contained herein.
