Germans who become naturalized citizens in Namibia or another country lose their German citizenship unless they have received a retention permit prior to naturalization. For this reason, the request to retain German citizenship needs to be made before requesting naturalization in another country.

If you live in Namibia and want to apply for permission to retain German citizenship, you can submit your application at the German Embassy Windhoek. The Embassy will forward the application to the Federal Office of Administration in Germany. In your application, you will have to demonstrate that you still have close ties to Germany. Please note, that the whole application procedure needs to be conducted in German language. Forms and further information are available in German language on the Embassy's website: Beibehaltungsgenehmigung

Please note that all information on this page refers to German Citizenship Law. If and under which conditions Namibian Law allows double citizenship can be determined only by the competent Namibian authorities.