zeroten

Hello everyone.

I'm a 48 year old British citizen living in the UK with my German wife and currently brushing up on my German language, culture and history.

I want to apply for dual British-German citizenship.

After hours scouring the internet I've found hundreds of sites telling me what the rules are, and that lots of Brits are doing it, but nothing about HOW & WHERE to apply!

Is there anyone out there who knows where I should be looking / has gone through this process that could point me in the right direction?

Many thanks in advance. Chris

mikelincs

Welcome to BE.

Please have a quick read of the site rules, beige bar at the top, and should you have any problems with the site then you should contact one of the moderators, names in bold at the bottom right of the forum page.

Applications for German citizenship have to be made via the German foreign Office or foreign mission if you are outside Germany.

German Missions in the United Kingdom - German Citizenship

mfesharne

Chris

I could easily be wrong but am guessing you're concerned about your right to reside in Europe after Brexit?

If that is the case then as Germany will still be in the EU your wife will still retain the right to live in the EU if she wants to & will also retain the right for you (and any children you might have) to live with her under the EU reunification of family so in those particular circumstances nothing will have changed.

dmu

Hi, you'd have to check further in mfesharne's link as to how to obtain German citizenship, as apparently it isn't possible by marriage any more.
For example, if your wife were French, you'd have to comply with the requirements of residence in France, it wouldn't work if your residence is in the UK. Those applying for German citizenship that you found on the internet are probably all residing in Germany?
I'm dual nationality (Anglo-French) by dint of marrying a Frenchman and living in France.
You'd have to check that you can have dual citizenship/nationality. I had a German friend who married a Frenchman in France and, contrary to Brits, if she wanted to become a French citizen, she would have had to give up her German nationality. This was last century and may not be applicable any more... Has your German wife become British by marriage and did she have to give up her German citizenship/nationality?
Sorry if I'm alternating nationality and citizenship, To me they are basically synonyms!

Assanah

Yes, but having your own right to live, work and retire in the whole of the EU unrestricted by the status of a marriage is something good to have. Furthermore, once the UK left the EU he will not be able to apply for German citizenship and retain his British citizenship. He will have to chose between the two citizenships.

Assanah

As far as I understood the links that I have quickly read the responsible authority will give you a consultation appointment and will then give you the Antragsformular that you will need to fill out. I think you will need to contact the Staatsangehörigkeitsbehörde /Ausländerbehörde of the city in which you are registered and ask for an appointment.

Moses2013

What I don't understand is that the OP is British and only married to a German. You need to have lived in Germany for 8 years or minimum 7.

Assanah

Oh sorry, I didn't read that. He lives in the UK so he won't be able to apply for German citizenship I guess.

Moses2013

Yep, if the only connection is the German Wife (I assume from reading?)
"I'm a 48 year old British citizen living in the UK with my German wife and currently brushing up on my German language, culture and history.

I want to apply for dual British-German citizenship."


Voraussetzungen zur Einbürgerung

Ist man nicht mit der Geburt Deutsche oder Deutscher, haben Personen einen Anspruch auf die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit, wenn sie die folgenden Voraussetzungen erfüllen:

• Sie verfügen über ein unbefristetes Aufenthaltsrecht in Deutschland
• Sie leben seit mindestens acht Jahren gewöhnlich und rechtmäßig in Deutschland
• Sie sichern für sich und ihre Familienangehörige ohne Sozialhilfe und Arbeitslosengeld den Lebensunterhalt
• Sie verfügen über ausreichende Deutschkenntnisse
• Sie haben einen Einbürgerungstest über die deutsche Rechts- und Gesellschaftsordnung bestanden
• Sie sind nicht wegen einer Straftat verurteilt
• Sie bekennen sich zum deutsche Grundgesetz
• Sie haben ihre alte Staatsangehörigkeit verloren oder geben sie auf

Thairetired2016

Your marriage does not entitle you to citizenship. You need to live there for some years. Investigate this step carefully. Grass is not greener with a German p.port. Look at e.g. German taxation!

Moses2013

Well, it's not bad to have a German passport and they only tax you if you are still registered (angemeldet)/ or working in the country. If you are working/living in Germany, they'll tax you regardless of nationality.



If the OP lives in Germany for the next 8 years, it might be something to consider in the future.

dmu

This is probably the only way - "usual and legal" residence, plus complying with all the other conditions...
If they decide to do so, and if I were his German wife, and did have to give up my nationality upon marriage, I'd be enquiring at the German Consulate as to how to get it back upon my return to Germany. (No problem if the Law has changed since my friend's time, and the OP's wife is dual Anglo-German nationality.)

Novocastrian

I thought a translation for our non-german speaking members might be useful.

MidAtlantic

The simple answer:

As others have explained you are not in a position to apply for German citizenship.

Even if you were, I believe that you cannot hold dual citizenship.

zeroten

Thanks everyone for your comments.

As I say, I have read around the rules and regs on this, and I know I can't automatically get dual citizenship just because my wife is German. I will need to have been resident in Germany for a certain number of years and I would also still need to take tests on German language and culture. My understanding is that having a German spouse would reduce the number of years I would need to be resident in Germany before applying.

Whatever the rules I won't have been living in Germany for the requisite number of years by the time Brexit happens so I guess I'm in the same boat as a lot of people - see what negotiations throw up regarding the matter and then probably end up having to decide whether to remain a UK citizen or apply for German citizenship and relinquish my UK citizenship as jont citizenship won't be possible.

I hasten to add (as you've probably guessed) I was not one of these <snip>who voted to leave the EU and am appalled at the way my country is heading.

Thanks all.