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Germany's 2024 Dual Citizenship Reform

Since June 27, 2024, Germany permits dual citizenship. German citizens may now naturalize in foreign countries without automatically losing their German citizenship under §25 StAG. For US-based descent applicants: you can keep your US passport.

This page is informational, not legal advice. The 2024 reform is significant but does NOT retroactively undo historical §25 losses. Consult a licensed German citizenship attorney for guidance on whether the reform affects your specific family history.

What the StARModG did

On June 26, 2024, the German Federal President signed the Staatsangehörigkeitsrechts-Modernisierungsgesetz (StARModG, “Act to Modernize Citizenship Law”). The law entered into force on June 27, 2024. The central change for German nationals living abroad: §25 StAG — the provision that automatically stripped German citizenship on voluntary acquisition of a foreign citizenship — no longer triggers automatic loss.

Before the reform, German citizens who wished to naturalize in another country (for example, apply for US citizenship) had to apply for a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung (retention permit) from the German government in advance. Without one, the moment they took the US oath of allegiance, German citizenship was lost by operation of law. The Beibehaltungsgenehmigung process was slow, discretionary, and not widely used — most German-Americans who naturalized in the US simply lost German citizenship without realizing it.

After the reform, the Beibehaltungsgenehmigung requirement has been repealed for most cases. A German citizen can now naturalize in another country and keep German citizenship by default. The 2024 reform also shortened residence requirements for foreigners naturalizing into Germany, but that aspect is outside the scope of descent claims.

What changed for descent applicants

You can keep your US passport

Once your §4 StAG Feststellung, §5 declaration, or Art. 116(2) restitution is approved, you hold dual citizenship with no requirement to renounce your US citizenship. This is the single biggest change for Americans considering a descent claim.

Future US naturalization does not cost German citizenship

If you or your children are already German citizens (by descent or by birth in Germany), any subsequent naturalization you or they pursue elsewhere no longer triggers automatic §25 loss.

No more Beibehaltungsgenehmigung process for most cases

The retention-permit process that previously gated foreign naturalization without losing German citizenship has been largely repealed. Narrow exceptions may remain for specific public-office or military-service contexts — consult a licensed attorney if those apply.

What the reform does NOT do

The 2024 reform is NOT retroactive.

If your ancestor naturalized in a foreign country before June 27, 2024 without obtaining a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung, they lost German citizenship at the moment of that naturalization under the rules then in force. The 2024 reform does not un-break chains that broke in the past.

The practical consequence for descent: if your grandfather naturalized as a US citizen in 1950, that chain was broken in 1950 and remains broken today. Your §4 path through that ancestor is still closed. You may still have eligibility through §5 StAG or Art. 116(2), but that is a separate analysis.

The reform matters prospectively: it makes claiming German citizenship more attractive for descendants who do have an intact chain, because there is no longer a trade-off with their US citizenship. It does not expand who is eligible — that remains a matter of historical §4/§5/Art. 116(2) rules.

Common questions about the reform

If my grandfather lost German citizenship by naturalizing in 1955, does the 2024 reform restore it?

No. Your grandfather's loss occurred in 1955 under the rules in force at that time. The 2024 reform is not retroactive. However, the chain may be restored through a different mechanism — for example, §5 StAG if a gender-based rule also applies, or Art. 116(2) if the naturalization followed Nazi-era persecution.

I'm a US citizen applying for German citizenship by descent. Do I have to give up my US citizenship?

No. The 2024 reform permits dual citizenship without restriction. You can receive your Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis and apply for a German passport while keeping your US passport.

I received a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung in 2020 and naturalized as a US citizen in 2021. Is my German citizenship intact?

Yes. A Beibehaltungsgenehmigung obtained in advance protected you under the pre-reform rules, and the 2024 reform does not disturb that protection. Your German citizenship continued uninterrupted.

I'm already a German citizen and considering US naturalization in 2027. Will I keep German citizenship?

Yes. After June 27, 2024, voluntary naturalization in another country no longer triggers automatic §25 loss. No Beibehaltungsgenehmigung is required. Narrow exceptions for specific public-office or military contexts may still apply — confirm with a licensed attorney before naturalizing.

Primary sources

Check whether your chain is intact

The 2024 reform changed the future, not the past. Our free eligibility check walks through your family's historical naturalizations and tells you whether §4, §5, or Art. 116(2) may apply.

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Not legal advice. The StARModG is a significant but carefully scoped reform. Consult a licensed German citizenship attorney before relying on this summary for any specific decision.