Citizenship; application for determination of German citizenship

As a rule, the authorities in Germany only need a valid passport or identity card to verify German citizenship. In cases of doubt, it can be determined with binding effect whether German citizenship exists.

Upon application, Germans receive a citizenship card as proof of German citizenship.

Foreigners can apply for a negative certificate to prove that they do not have German citizenship.

Please give priority to using the online service offered to "Determine the existence or non-existence of German citizenship".

You will find the following documents among the forms:
- Application for a citizenship card.
- Application for naturalization.

• Certificate of citizenship: Possession of German citizenship and proof of an interest in a decision on the merits
• Negative certificate: Non-possession of German citizenship

• Documents or other evidence of the acquisition or possession of German citizenship such as:
  • Naturalization certificates
  • Certificates/certificates of acquisition of German citizenship by declaration or option
  • Certificate according to § 15 Federal Expellees Act
  • Appointment certificates for civil servants
  • Determination notices on the acquisition of citizenship through service in the former German Armed Forces and other comparable organizations
  • Documents on membership of the group of persons to whom collective naturalization applied
  • Expellee ID cards, ethnic list ID cards, certificates of ethnicity or other documents on German ethnicity
  • Proof of (former) right of origin, citizenship or residence in the territories concerned, certificates of waiver of the right of renunciation
  • Documents on possession of German citizenship or previous legal status as a German or on treatment as a German
  • Citizenship cards, certificates of origin, certificates/ID cards on legal status as a German
  • Passports, identity cards and other identification documents (including old ones)
  • Extracts from (former) family registers, citizen lists, citizen directories
  • Documents relating to military service or employment as a civil servant
  • Registration confirmations; certificates of authorization to retain German citizenship, expellee ID cards, (old) refugee ID cards, registration certificates as a single copy
  • Other possible documents
• If necessary, the following additional documents may also be required:
  • Documents on the non-acquisition of another nationality (certificate of non-acquisition)
  • Proof of acquisition/possession of other nationalities
  • Name change documents/certificates
  • Civil partnership certificate
  • Approval of the Federal Ministry of Defense or Federal Office of Defense Administration for service in the foreign army
  • Custody documents (for applications from persons under the age of 16)
• Further documents will be requested by the competent authority if required.

• In addition to the information on your ancestry
  • Proof of acquisition and possession of foreign citizenship
  • Proof of loss of German citizenship
  • Proof of military service abroad

regularly required.

• Further documents will be requested by the competent authority if required.

• Application for the issue of a nationality card
• Application for naturalization

The fee for a certificate of citizenship or a negative certificate is 51.00 EUR. Rejection is also subject to a fee.

• General administrative regulation on documents in citizenship matters (StAUrkVwV)
• Ordinance on the competence of the nationality authorities
• § Section 30 of the Citizenship Act (StAG)

An appeal against a negative decision by the authority can be brought before the competent administrative court.

The application for a certificate of citizenship / negative certificate must be submitted to the citizenship authority (district administrative authority).

The application for a certificate of citizenship/negative certificate must include the applicant's personal details and documents or other evidence that can be used to prove possession or non-possession of German citizenship.

The application can already be submitted to many authorities online or alternatively in paper form.

The processing time can take several months. It is significantly influenced by the extent to which you support the citizenship authority within the scope of your duty to cooperate and the validity of the enclosed documents. Considerable delays may occur if inquiries have to be made in old registers.

• Naturalization; application for the granting of German citizenship to foreigners entitled to naturalization (naturalization claim)
• Citizenship; application to renounce German citizenship
• Naturalization; application for the granting of German citizenship to foreigners without a claim to naturalization (discretionary naturalization)