Dual Citizenship
(Doppelte Staatsbürgerschaft philippinisch-deutsch)
The law modernizing the German Nationality Law (Modernisierung des Staatsangehörigkeitsrechts, StARModG), which will allow German nationals to hold dual or multiple citizenships, will take effect on 27 June 2024, or three (3) months after it was passed by the German Bundestag and published in the Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) on 26 March 2024. The Embassy requests that application for reacquisition of Philippine citizenship for former Filipinos be deferred until the law takes effect.
Currently, Germany allows dual citizenship in the following cases:
- Those born in Germany after 01 January 2000 to parents who, upon said birth, a) were both foreigners and b) one parent has stayed in Germany legally for 8 years, and c) the child has grown up in Germany, can now opt for both German citizenship and the citizenship of their parent’s country when they turn twenty one (21).
- The same exemption from the obligation to choose is applicable to those children of foreign parents who were born in Germany between 01 January 1990 and 31 December 1999 and were naturalized, becoming German citizens in the year 2000.
- Those children born of mixed marriages (e.g. Filipino-German) are entitled to both citizenships (dual citizenship) by reason of blood.
- Children born in the Philippines who were naturalized by adoption of German citizens.
Note: Former Filipinos who have been naturalized citizens of Germany may apply but they may be required to renounce their current citizenship in the absence of the relevant dual citizenship law in the host country.
To apply for dual citizenship, please refer to the procedure depending on circumstances below:
- Dual citizenship by birth. If your case falls on items 1 to 3 above, and you do not have an existing Birth Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), you must file a Report of Birth (ROB) at the Embassy/Consulate with jurisdiction over your place of birth.
- You may file your ROB application at the Philippine Embassy if you were born in the following German States: Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommen, Saxony, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Schleswig-Holstein. Complete information on the requirements and procedure are posted here: http://philippine-embassy.de/report-of-birth.
- If you were born in Germany outside the above-mentioned States, please file your Report of Birth at the Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt (www.frankfurtpcg.de).
- Dual citizenship by choice. If your case falls on item 4 above, or you were born in the Philippines and/or have an existing Birth Certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and were naturalized as a foreign citizen, you must first file a petition for recognition of your adoption in the Philippines. Once this has been completed, you may follow the procedure and requirements on reacquisition/retention of Philippine citizenship at http://philippine-embassy.de/reacquisition-retention-of-philippine-citizenship.