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Search for documents proving entitlement to German citizenship
Deutsches Staatsbürgerschaftsverfahren – Acquire German citizenship by ancestors
If you have ancestors who migrated from Germany to, let’s say, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, Mexico or the US, it is perhaps possible to receive German citizenship, even if you simultaneously possess US, Brazilian or South African citizenship.
German nationality law is based on the ius sanguinis (right of blood) und can be, depending on the individual conditions, transferred to following generations, hence as well to you. German nationality law is therefore also known as “Abstammungsprinzip”, the German term for the ancient Latin principle of ius sanguinis.
The procedures regarding the distribution of German citizenship are supervised by the German Federal Office of Administration. In order to apply for German citizenship you are obliged to file an application that is to ascertain German citizenship.
During this process you have to submit all necessary documents, that are needed to determine if your application for German citizenship is valid. You hand in the documents at the diplomatic mission of your country.
The mission will transfer the documents to German agencies who thereafter will examine if you are to be granted German citizenship.
In case your application is approved you will receive a Certificate of Citizenship. The Certificate of Citizenship is valid indefinitely, starting in August of 2007.
Upon receiving the Certificate of Citizenship you can apply for a German passport. The German passport grants you visa-free access to all countries of the European Union.
Just in case you are missing documents that prove German heritage, we can help finding documents of one of your ancestors in Germany or abroad. We have access to national and international archives (f.e. in Poland, Austria, Switzerland and many more). Thus we are able to check if there are documents of one of your ancestors, which confirm that said ancestor had been in possession of German citizenship before his or her emigration from Germany.
In the following we list important or helpful documents that will help you obtain German citizenship:
- registration certificates
- certificates of family origin
- certificates of citizenship
- excerpts from lists of citizens
- documents of military service
- certificate of appointment in case your ancestor was a civil servant
- certificates that document the permission to keep German citizenship
- passport documents
Whether a claim to German citizenship exists, we can not determine.
Please check in advance with the German embassy or consulate in your country which documents you need for the application.
Please note that we cannot give any information as to whether you are entitled to the German citizenship. This is sovereign information and can only be given bindingly by the German embassy or consulate in your country.
We charge you 478 USD for our comprehensive search service regarding the required document containing the important proof to citizenship.
For shipping via courier delivery we charge 45 USD – 72 USD depending on the recipient country.
Please note that the search fee also includes the expenses for the archives, so there are no additional fees for archives.
Please be aware that we retain 328 USD regardless of whether the search in the involved archives has been successful or not. If it turns out that the search does not produce any evidence of nationality, we will refund you $ 150.
Please contact us at citizenship@germany-service.com!
Some advantages of German citizenship are:
- Freedom to travel: As a German citizen, you can travel to many countries without a visa and stay there longer than a tourist.
- Protection of the state: As a German citizen, you enjoy the protection of the German state, even abroad.
- Participation in society: you have the right to vote in elections and hold political office.
- Social benefits: As a German citizen, you can benefit from social services such as health insurance, unemployment benefits and pension insurance.
- Educational Opportunities: As a German citizen, you have access to the country’s educational institutions and can pursue a German education.
- Job opportunities: As a German citizen, you have a wider range of job opportunities and can easily find work in Germany.
