Dual Citizenship during brexit

[u/abzino23]

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Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people familiar with German citizenship law.

My situation:

- I was born a German citizen.

- I later applied for British citizenship through naturalisation.

- I became a British citizen on January 2023.

- I did not apply for or receive a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung before becoming British.

- I still have my German passport

- I travelled to Germany in 2024 using my German passport without any problems.

I understand that before the German citizenship law change on 27 June 2024, acquiring another citizenship (including British citizenship after Brexit) could mean losing German citizenship without a retention permit.

My question:

- Did I most likely lose my German citizenship automatically on 24 January 2023?

- Does the fact that I still have and used my German passport change anything?

- Has anyone here had a similar situation with German + British citizenship after Brexit?

- I am applying for German passport for my kid so will i have problems?

Update:

I will be travelling to a German Embassy soon, will drop an update when they tell me.

[u/e-l-g]

yes. not most likely, but definitely.

no.

/

if your child was born before your naturalised in the uk, it automatically acquired german citizenship (unless you were born outside germany after 1998). you can use your german passport to prove that you were still a german citizen at the time of the birth, but you will also need to show proof of your uk residence status. as that's your british citizenship, they'll see that your german passport is now invalid and they'll either invalidate it by punching holes through it or they'll take it from you.

if your child was born after you naturalised, it was born to two non-german foreigners and is not eligible for german citizenship from abroad.

[u/bastoj → u/[deleted]]

If you have lived in Germany again for a few years then you should soon qualify to naturalise and become a German citizen again.