this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2026
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34
60 years without a German passport: “I just feel written off” (www.morgenpost.de)
submitted 1 day ago by Pip@feddit.org to c/europe@feddit.org
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[–] Waldelfe@feddit.org 28 points 1 day ago (4 children)

"—and is still waiting for dual citizenship"

Aaand you can stop reading here.

Dual citizenship isn't a thing (anymore) in Germany. That is to say, you can only get it if you can prove, that it's almost impossible to give up your original citizenship. That isn't the case for US Americans.

"Barbara W. does not want to have to choose. She wants German citizenship—without giving up her American one."

Yeah, well, but then she just can't have German citizenship. Yes it sucks, yes it would be nice if dual citizenship was easier, but this is the law currently. Dual citizenship is the exception in Germany. If she wants German citizenship, she has to give up the American one.

Besides, her reason is a bit weird. She wants to keep her American citizenship in memory of her father. I mean, for me citizenship is mostly bureaucracy and if you live in a country for years what good is it to also keep your old citizenship? Staying a citizen of a country you haven't lived in for decades seems unnecessary.

[–] Melchior@feddit.org 3 points 8 hours ago

That is wrong. Since June 2024 dual citizenship is allowed without any sort of permit.

The issue here seems to be that Berlin is really slow anyway. At the same time there is a massive growth in naturalization in Germany in the last couple years. The biggest reason for that are the refugees Germany took in about a decade ago, which have lived long enough in Germany to be able to apply for citizenship now. They have nearly tripled compared to a decade earlier.

So when you then get unlucky and the bureaucrats fuck up the application, you can get stuck for a long time.

[–] HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 3 points 9 hours ago

That is to say, you can only get it if you can prove, that it’s almost impossible to give up your original citizenship.

Or are a citizen of another EU member state.

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 7 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

keeping US citizenship abroad is very expensive I hear. They want your taxes

[–] UnityDevice@lemmy.zip 1 points 8 hours ago

Iirc they only want the difference in tax if you're in a country where you're paying less. I'm guessing in most (all?) EU countries you'd pay more, so you wouldn't need to pay anything. It seems quite sensible.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 14 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Staying a citizen of a country you haven’t lived in for decades seems unnecessary

Until the current country turns fascist and it's nice to have a second option.

[–] HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org 6 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

So nice that, as EU citizens, we do have 27 options.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 2 points 8 hours ago

Until the EU takes over. Hungary is the benchmark. It also doesn't help to be in another EU country if the EU sanctions the bank accounts.

[–] Nomad@infosec.pub 17 points 1 day ago

Dual citizenship has just been relaxed massively. If your original state does not require you to give up citizenship, Germany won't force you. Source: have 3 family members living in the us with dual citizenship.