Am I German?
(© photothek / Ute Grabowski)
Determining German citizenship
If you are Canadian citizen and would like to find out if you are eligible to apply for a German passport, there are some basic principles of the German law of citizenship that you should familiarize yourself with first:
German citizenship is mainly acquired and passed on through descent from a German parent. The parent has to be German citizen at the time of the birth of the child. Children who are born to former German citizens do not acquire the German citizenship. In addition, for children born before January 1st, 1975 to parents who were married to each other at the time of the birth, it was mandatory that the father was a German citizen in order for the child to acquire the German citizenship.
Persons who were born in Germany before the year 2000 to non-German parents did not obtain German citizenship at the time of their birth and are not eligible for a German passport. Currently, only children born in or after the year 2000 to long-term residents of Germany could or can under certain circumstances receive the German citizenship.
The German rules on citizenship are based on the principle of avoiding dual citizenship. This means that a German citizen who voluntarily applies for and accepts a foreign nationality on principle loses the German nationality automatically. This rule does not apply to Germans who receive the other citizenship by law (e.g. children born in Canada to parents that hold German citizenship at the time of the birth of the child may be dual citizens by law), or who applied for and received a citizenship of a member state of the European Union or Switzerland after August of 2007.
Am I entitled to a German passport?
German passports are only issued to German citizens. To determine whether or not you are eligible for a German passport, research in your family history may be necessary. If you are not sure whether or not you are entitled to a German passport and would like to find out more, please answer the following questions and have the answers ready before contacting your competent German Foreign Missions. You can facilitate the process if you provide as much detail as possible and submit the information in writing.
1. What is your exact date of birth and where were you born?
2. Which citizenship(s) did your father and mother hold at the time of your birth?
3. Were your parents married to each other at the time of your birth? If applicable: When and where did your parents get married?
4. Please provide the date of birth and place of birth for both your mother and father.
5. Which citizenship(s) did your father and your mother hold at the time of their birth?
6. When did they apply for and receive the Canadian (or any other) citizenship, if they ever did so?
7. Which citizenship did (all) your grandparents hold at the time of your parent's birth?
8. Were your grandparents married to each other at the time of your father's/your mother's birth? If applicable: when and where did your grandparents get married?
9. When did your grandparents apply for the Canadian (or any other) citizenship, if they ever did so?
10. Did you, your parents or your grandparents ever apply for the Canadian (or any other) citizenship? If applicable, please explain in more detail when and by whom the application was submitted and whom of your ancestors was included.
11. Did your or your parents or grandparents ever join the armed forces of any other country than Germany voluntarily?
