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Possible to gain German citizenship?
Greetings forum,
I have contradicting info about gaining German citizenship - and am wondering if someone here can lend some clarity.
I was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1962 to an American father and German mother. I have a German birth certificate and had lived in Germany for most of my childhood, then moving with my family to the US in my early teens. I now reside in the US.
What are my chances for gaining German citizenship? Will I have to relinquish US citizenship in doing so?
Thanking you in advance.
1 Comments
Greetings dear @Esteban! And thank you for your question!
Because you were born in 1962, whether you automatically received German citizenship from your German mother depends on the legal situation at that time + whether your parents were married. It wasn’t always automatic before 1975.
You can read about general rules on citizenship by descent here, special regulation for people born to German mothers before 1975 here, and new rules on dual citizenship after the 2024 law reform (dual citizenship is now generally allowed) here.
The best way to get a definitive answer in my opinion would be to contact the German Consulate responsible for your region and ask directly about your specific birth year situation + descent rules. Here is the list of German missions in the States!
Let me know if you have more questions!