Some people who do not speak German as their native language but have German ancestry are nonetheless considered citizens of Germany. However, there have been significant updates to German nationality rules. Determining if you are a naturalized German citizen depends on whether or not your parents or ancestors met the requirements for German citizenship. Check out Germany citizenship by descent.
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To What Extent Do I Have German Citizenship Through My Ancestry?
Looking into your ancestry will help you learn if you’re qualified for German citizenship. So have a go at getting some info about the following:
In your Family Tree, who Lived in Germany?
If you know the year of your ancestor’s birth, you can also research the nationality laws that were in effect back then.
Imagine that in the 1960s, your German grandparents emigrated to the United States, where your mother was born. Your mother (having been born to two German nationals) would have been legally entitled to German citizenship and might have passed it on to you. You may be eligible for dual citizenship with Germany even though you were born in the United States to American parents.
How Can I Find Out If My German Ancestors Really Existed?
It cannot be easy to make sense of Germany’s nationality requirements. Three primary considerations are used to establish a person’s right to citizenship in Germany:
No matter if kids were conceived in or outside of wedlock.
The day and year they entered the world.
Which one of the Parents is a Native German Speaker?
Find out if your family can inherit German citizenship by reading about the situations in which one of your ancestors was eligible.
If They Were Conceived Naturally
There are certain circumstances in which a kid born outside of marriage would not be deemed a citizen of Germany, even if they were born in Germany.
Having at least one German parent, they were born after January 1, 1975. Which of the parents spoke German has no bearing on the matter.
They Had a German Father And Were Born Before January 1, 1975.
Before 1975, children of German mothers who had fathers who were not German were not eligible for German citizenship. A kid was only granted German citizenship if they were at risk of becoming a stateless person without it. This is another way to get german citizenship by descent.
If they did not result from a marital union, A child born outside of marriage is eligible for German citizenship under the following conditions:
After January 1, 1914, their mother was considered German, and they were supposed to be German citizens.
They Were Born To a German Parent On Or After July 1, 1993.
Before 1993, children born to unmarried parents in Germany were only granted citizenship if the mother was a German national. However, the ability for a single German parent to pass on his citizenship to his children was expanded in 1993.