German/American Dual Citizenship?

Question

I was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on a US military base, when I was born I received dual citizenship, I am currently back in the states now and was wondering if I still had my German Citizenship... I haven't been there for roughly 15 years, but I am interested in moving there myself here soon...

Answer 1

no, you can have only German or American citzenship!

http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_775.html#cit

Answer 2

You still have your citizenship.

German dual citizenship is a bit "complicated".

You can have it through various means and sometimes
you have to chose between either of them and sometimes
not.

If you're born german (have a german mother or
father) your dual citizenship is generally accepted
and unquestioned. Also if you already own citizen-
ship. There was a recent change in laws a few years
back but that only affects new citizenships. In that
case you have to drop your current citizenship unless
you're younger than 18. In that case you get a temporary
dual citizenship until you're 18. Then you have to chose.

If you're applying and you're a political refugee you also
don't have to chose. Or if choosing would raise unacceptable
problems with your old. I.e. if you're older and losing your
citizenship would also mean to lose your pensions.

Generally there's only either german or foreign citizenship.
But there're quite a few exceptions from that rule.

Answer 3

The answer is it depends. I was born in Germany in 1961 on the US Army base in Heidelberg. Both my parents were American citizens. I had dual citizenship that automatically lapsed when I turned 18.

In 1987, I was stationed in Germany, and my daughter was born in a German hospital; my wife is American - my daughter did NOT receive German citizenship; she does have a German birth certificate, but it says that she's a foreigner that was born on German soil. Mine says I'm German.

German law obviously changed at some point in this area - since I'm not an expert on German citizenship laws, I can't provide any more detail than that, and can only speak to my own specific situation.

Answer 4

The §17 StAG (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz) contains the regulation how and when you will loose the german citizenship:

Die Staatsangehörigkeit geht verloren

1. durch Entlassung (§§ 18 bis 24),
By discharge

2. durch den Erwerb einer ausländischen Staatsangehörigkeit (§ 25),
By acquiring a foreign citizenship

3. durch Verzicht (§ 26),
By relinquishment

4. durch Annahme als Kind durch einen Ausländer (§ 27),
by being adopted by a foreigner

5. durch Eintritt in die Streitkräfte oder einen vergleichbaren bewaffneten Verband eines ausländischen Staates (§ 28) oder
By joining the military forces of a foreign country

6. durch Erklärung (§ 29).
by declaration

Basically you do not loose the german citizenship, if you got the foreign citizanship due to birth (like in your case, because your parents are american). So you still should have it, unless your father or mother has requested to give it away or unless you joint the military.

Just phone the next embassy or consulate and ask them how to get a german passport. If you are older than 18 yrs., you can request it on your own, since the legal age in Germany is 18. If you are younger than 18 ask your parents to do that on your behalf.

Answer 5

Germany, I believe will acknowledge dual citizenship, but the united states will not. To the united states government you are an american citizen and not a german citizen. You should talk to somebody who works for the german government because if they acknowlege dual citizenship you have no problem (because you were born in germany), but if Germany will not acknowledge a dual citizenship you will have to give up your citizenship to the united states, to become a german. I have a cousin who was born in Britian on a US military base, and to the US government he is an Americian and that is all, but to the British government he is both a Brit and an American.

Answer 6

Do you have a german mother/father? My one daughter was born in Augsburg in the Army hospital. Since her father is American and I'm German, she automatically is German and American. I got her a german passport as soon as possible. If she would decide to work on a Military post as a Local National, she in not permitted to do so. The Americans see only one citizenship and theat is the american one. If you have/had a german passport I don't see why not.

Answer 7

I have lost my birth certificate. I was born in Germany in 1961. Do not know her name nor father nor town. I was adopted from a pen in Germany by American Military Family. Moved to New York in 1961. Had Birth Certificate, but ex-wife threw it away 5 years ago. Adoptive parents are dead. now cannot review driver's license in Florida because I do not have a birth certificate. Do you know of any federal or state laws that would allow me to petition court to let me create a new birth certificate. Have looked for 5 years. Spent thousands of dollars. Cannot find where my original BC is in Germany.

Answer 8

I hope this helps you out, because it did for me and I recieved my german citizenship and passport, now I have both. But if you need more info just go to the link below. But some of it you would need to know German just to translate it.

Question 1
I have received dual citizenship by birth and have not acquired any other citizenship voluntarily since my birth. Do I have to choose between the two citizenships at the age of 18?

German law, in general, does not oblige you to choose between the two citizenships at the age of 18.



Question 2
How do I obtain German citizenship ?

- by birth to a German parent
Laws regarding citizenship have been changed several times over the last decades. Whether or not a person has acquired German citizenship may therefore depend on the person's date of birth:

If you were born before January 1, 1975:

- If your parents were married at the time of your birth you acquired German citizenship if your father was German; you did not acquire German citizenship if only your mother was German (unless you would otherwise have been stateless).
- If your parents were not married at the time of your birth you acquired German citizenship if your mother was German; you did not acquire German citizenship if only your father was German.

If you were born on or after January 1, 1975:

If your parents were married at the time of your birth you acquired German citizenship if at least one parent was German.
If your parents were not married at the time of your birth you acquired German citizenship if your mother was German; you did not acquire German citizenship if only your father was German. However: a person born out of wedlock on or after July 1, 1993 can acquire German citizenship if only the father is German and if the father acknowledges paternity.


-by birth in Germany
If you were born after December 31, 1999 to foreign parents in Germany.
One of the parents must have been a legal resident in Germany for at least eight years at the time of your birth.
In addition, at least one parent must have an unlimited residence permit ("unbefristete Aufenthaltserlaubnis") or a residence entitlement ("Aufenthaltsberechtigung") at the time of your birth
If you obtain another citizenship by birth, you have to give up one citizenship between ages 18 and 23.

Please note:
Most US military personnel are in Germany for a period considerably shorter than 8 years; they neither have residence permits nor entitlements because of bilateral agreements.
In most cases therefore children born to US military personnel do not have the right to German citizenship (unless they had a German parent at the time of their birth)



- by adoption
If you were adopted by at least one German citizen on or after January 1, 1977, you are a German citizen. If the adoption happened outside Germany, it has to meet certain requirements (please call the competent German Mission in the US for further information).



- by naturalization
Naturalizations of people with permanent residence outside Germany are rare. Applicants have to meet a host of requirements; you typically have to give up your present citizenship(s) in order to become a German citizen, fluency in the German language is another precondition - for more information, contact the competent German Mission in the US.

Answer 9

same situation as you...you can go there and live...you were born there...just go to a rathaus and find out more...i went back to germany 2 years ago...got a job, lived and even got kindergeld...and i only have an american passport....plus your birth certificate says where you were born...might be on basebut still in germany