How hard is it to get German citizenship?

[Anonymous]

I am looking into different avenues for citizenship. DH was born to a mom who was burn under nazi germany. Left after the war. Could he get citizenship for himself and our kids through that line?

I am looking at getting citizenship through the country where I was born. However I would have to renounce my American citizenship if I did that.

Not sure if I could get my kids citizenship through my country but will also look at that.

However husband and wife would have different citizenship. Good or bad?

[Anonymous]

The last time I checked, the parent had to still be a German citizen at the time of the birth. My DH similarly had parents born in Germany but they became US citizens before he was born, and I guess gave up their German citizenship.

[Anonymous]

Your DH must extremely old if he was born in Nazi occupied Germany. I think it is a little late to be trying to mover to Germany.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your DH must extremely old if he was born in Nazi occupied Germany. I think it is a little late to be trying to mover to Germany.

OP - I didn't say my DH was born in Nazi occupied Germany. I said his mom was.

[Anonymous]

Look for German genealogy sites. They might have information on obtaining citizenship.

[Anonymous]

There are also many subreddits for this. I would post in one of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The last time I checked, the parent had to still be a German citizen at the time of the birth. My DH similarly had parents born in Germany but they became US citizens before he was born, and I guess gave up their German citizenship.

I don't think this is entirely true if you are Jewish. There are special rules for that. I know someone whose grandmother was Jewish and whose father (her son) was born during Nazi Germany. They moved to the US post war. He is applying for citizenship and seems to think he will get it. But there are some intricate rules about which dates, etc. It'a pretty case by case.

So OP yes your husband might have a shot at German citizenship and if so your kids would too.

I would not give up your American citizenship

[Anonymous]

What would you do with the citizenship, OP? I hope you are very interested in learning German. Good luck! I wish I were in your position.

[Anonymous]

And this is why you don't ask these questions of strangers on the internet - you get random people guessing at answers. Just go do research and stop being lazy. Ten minutes of research could get you this answer and it would actually be accurate.

[Anonymous]

Was your DH’s mother still a German citizen when your DH was born? That’s the key question. And as PP stated, if your DH’s mother was Jewish, there could be more flexibility.

My spouse was born in the US while his parents were German citizens. It was very easy for my spouse and our children to get German passports as a result. We live in Germany now; as the spouse of a citizen I have a residence card and can legally work. Once my German is good enough, I’ll apply for citizenship too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last time I checked, the parent had to still be a German citizen at the time of the birth. My DH similarly had parents born in Germany but they became US citizens before he was born, and I guess gave up their German citizenship.

I don't think this is entirely true if you are Jewish. There are special rules for that. I know someone whose grandmother was Jewish and whose father (her son) was born during Nazi Germany. They moved to the US post war. He is applying for citizenship and seems to think he will get it. But there are some intricate rules about which dates, etc. It'a pretty case by case.

So OP yes your husband might have a shot at German citizenship and if so your kids would too.

I would not give up your American citizenship

Any German citizen (and their descendants) who was persecuted by the Nazis has a claim to German citizenship. Austria has a similar path. Definitely check the subreddits, they are very helpful and full of information. The rules for persecutees (who needn't be Jewish) are completely separate from the ordinary rules for citizenship by descent, so make sure you are researching the correct path for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last time I checked, the parent had to still be a German citizen at the time of the birth. My DH similarly had parents born in Germany but they became US citizens before he was born, and I guess gave up their German citizenship.

I don't think this is entirely true if you are Jewish. There are special rules for that. I know someone whose grandmother was Jewish and whose father (her son) was born during Nazi Germany. They moved to the US post war. He is applying for citizenship and seems to think he will get it. But there are some intricate rules about which dates, etc. It'a pretty case by case.

So OP yes your husband might have a shot at German citizenship and if so your kids would too.

I would not give up your American citizenship

Any German citizen (and their descendants) who was persecuted by the Nazis has a claim to German citizenship. Austria has a similar path. Definitely check the subreddits, they are very helpful and full of information. The rules for persecutees (who needn't be Jewish) are completely separate from the ordinary rules for citizenship by descent, so make sure you are researching the correct path for you.

DP. I feel like OP would have mentioned her MIL being in a persecuted group if it was the case? Jews were stripped of their citizenship in 1935. Two-thirds then emigrated. Of the remainder, 84% were exterminated either in camps or by the Einsatzgruppen. There are very few plausible avenues where the young child of parents in a persecuted group would have survived the entire war and left Germany only afterwards, sans a very intense story of being hidden or living under pretexts that OP should be privy to and would have presumably included in her post.

[Anonymous]

I visited Germany for the first time a few months ago and spent close to ten days there. I loved all the cities/towns we went to and started daydreaming about moving there and looking online to see what daily life was like, what kind of jobs were available, etc. (I have no realistic avenue to do this and it is obviously unrealistic but it was fun to look into).

Anyway, many people online who do live there were complaining about the same issues we face here (high cost of living, can’t buy a house, lack of jobs, extremist views)…reminded me that the grass isn’t always greener.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The last time I checked, the parent had to still be a German citizen at the time of the birth. My DH similarly had parents born in Germany but they became US citizens before he was born, and I guess gave up their German citizenship.

I don't think this is entirely true if you are Jewish. There are special rules for that. I know someone whose grandmother was Jewish and whose father (her son) was born during Nazi Germany. They moved to the US post war. He is applying for citizenship and seems to think he will get it. But there are some intricate rules about which dates, etc. It'a pretty case by case.

So OP yes your husband might have a shot at German citizenship and if so your kids would too.

I would not give up your American citizenship

Any German citizen (and their descendants) who was persecuted by the Nazis has a claim to German citizenship. Austria has a similar path. Definitely check the subreddits, they are very helpful and full of information. The rules for persecutees (who needn't be Jewish) are completely separate from the ordinary rules for citizenship by descent, so make sure you are researching the correct path for you.

DP. I feel like OP would have mentioned her MIL being in a persecuted group if it was the case? Jews were stripped of their citizenship in 1935. Two-thirds then emigrated. Of the remainder, 84% were exterminated either in camps or by the Einsatzgruppen. There are very few plausible avenues where the young child of parents in a persecuted group would have survived the entire war and left Germany only afterwards, sans a very intense story of being hidden or living under pretexts that OP should be privy to and would have presumably included in her post.

I don’t know OP’s history, and many people are reading this for whom the information may be relevant. For Germany, the law restores citizenship to victims of Nazi persecution between 1933-1945. Victims didn’t have to die, they may have fled or been deported. It’s not limited to Jews or camp survivors and their descendants. For Austria, the time is 1933-1955, and for an idea of the scope you can see direct from the Austrian government below. I don’t know why you’re so fussed about people having access to this information.

https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/austrian-consulate-general-new-york/service-for-citizens/citizenship-for-persecuted-persons-and-their-direct-descendants

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am looking into different avenues for citizenship. DH was born to a mom who was burn under nazi germany. Left after the war. Could he get citizenship for himself and our kids through that line?

I am looking at getting citizenship through the country where I was born. However I would have to renounce my American citizenship if I did that.

Not sure if I could get my kids citizenship through my country but will also look at that.

However husband and wife would have different citizenship. Good or bad?

“Burned under nazi germany” is a terrible way to phrase this. If she was Jewish and a German citizen your husband and children can get citizenship. This doesn’t extend to the spouse.