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Retaining German Citizenship
Until 27th June 2024 German citizenship was lost upon acquisition of a foreign citizenship without holding a valid letter of retention “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung”.
Until the 27th June 2024 it was necessary to hold a valid letter of retention “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung” in order not to lose German citizenship when acquiring a foreign citizenship. Further nformation can be found on our German language website
Additional content
Read here about the different ways of becoming a German citizen automatically.
You wish to establish the fact that you are German? Or you need to apply for a certificate confirming and proving that you are a German citizen? Read here about what a certificate of Citizenship is and how to apply.
Certificate of Citizenship - Determination of German Citizenship
Read about the different reasons for loss of German citizenship.
You are not a German citizen automatically but wish to become German?
Almost always, naturalisation requires the candidate to be residing in Germany. Naturalisation from abroad is possible in only a very few exceptional cases, about which you can read here.
