Determining German citizenship

German citizenship is mainly acquired and passed on through descent from a German parent. The parent had to be a German citizen at the time of the child's birth. Children born to former German citizens do not acquire the German citizenship.

For children born before January 1st, 1975 to parents who were married to each other at the time of the birth, it was mandatory that the father was a German citizen at the time of the child's birth in order for the child to acquire the German citizenship.

If you were born before January 1st, 1975 to parents who were married to each other at the time of the birth, and your mother was a German citizen, you may be able to apply for German Citizenship. Please find more information on this topic, the so-called “Acquisition by declaration” here.

Persons who were born in Germany before the year 2000 to non-German parents did not obtain German citizenship at the time of their birth and are not eligible for a German passport. Currently, only children born in or after the year 2000 to long-term residents of Germany could or can under certain circumstances receive the German citizenship.

Until 27 June, 2024, the German rules on citizenship were based on the principle of avoiding dual citizenship. If a German citizen acquired another citizenship without prior written authorisation at his own request (so-called “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung”), he automatically lost his German citizenship.This rule did not apply to Germans who received the other citizenship by law (e.g. children born in Namibia to parents that hold German citizenship at the time of the birth of the child), or who applied for and received a citizenship of a member state of the European Union or Switzerland after August of 2007.

As of 27 June 2024, German nationals may apply for any foreign nationality without relinquishing their German nationality. It is therefore no longer necessary to seek permission to retain a nationality. The Act’s provisions are not retroactive regarding events prior to 27 June 2024. Previous provisions related to acquisition and relinquishment continue to apply to such “legacy” cases.

Am I entitled to a German passport?

German passports are issued only to German citizens. To determine whether or not you might be eligible for a German passport, research in your family history may be necessary.

Application for the establishment of German citizenship

For applicants living abroad, the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne, Germany, is the competent authority to deal with citizenship matters. The Federal Office of Administration (BVA) carries out specific procedures to determine whether or not applicants are German citizens.

It ascertains when and by what means you have become a German national and whether or not you have lost your German citizenship. Many events in the applicants’ and their ancestors’ lives can be significant for the acquisition or loss of the German citizenship, including personal and family events (e.g. birth, marriage, or adoption) and/or political, legal developments (such as collective naturalizations during World War II or the acquisition of a foreign nationality).
Applicants whose German citizenship has been established are issued a certificate of nationality. It can also be established that you are not a German citizen. In such cases, a so-called negative certificate is issued.

Please note that the whole application process must be conducted in German.

The German Embassy Windhoek forwards the application to the BVA for processing. Communication from the BVA will usually be forwarded to the applicant by the German Embassy Windhoek.

Application procedure

Usually, applications for establishment of the German citizenship are very complex and need many supporting documents. To make sure that you have all documents with you when you come to the Embassy or send it, we recommend to contact the Consular Section beforehand and present your case via e-mail: Contact the German Embassy Windhoek

For all application documents and further information, please visit the website of the Federal Office of Administration (“Feststellungsverfahren”).

Applications can be sent directly to the Federal Office of Administration or can be handed in at the German Embassy Windhoek. If you wish to submit the documents at the Embassy, we kindly ask you to book an appointment: How to book an appointment with the Consular Section - Auswärtiges Amt)

Please bring all original documents with you to your appointment at the Embassy - if you do not wish to send the originals, the Embassy will make certified copies for a fee (fees apply: Fees and processing times for consular services - Federal Foreign Office). The presentation of Namibian legalisations/certified copies by the Namibian police or similar will not be accepted by the Federal Office of Administration.

Processing time

The processing time is in average 2 to 3 years. Please understand, that due to the complexity of the matter, BVA may ask for additional information or documents at any point during the process.

Online application

You are also free to submit the application directly to the Federal Office of Administration - this is now possible online with an ID card with online function.