Citizenship card

The possession of German citizenship is proven in a binding manner for all authorities by means of a citizenship card, which is issued by the citizenship authority on application as part of a special assessment procedure.

The citizenship authority is the district committee in the districts and the magistrate in the district-free cities.

For the determination of the existence of German citizenship, it is necessary, but also sufficient, if it can be proven with sufficient probability by documents, extracts from the population registers or other written evidence that you have acquired German citizenship and have not lost it again.

The following documents may be useful:

• Documents on parentage and civil status:
  Birth or parentage certificates, marriage certificates, copies / extracts from the family book
• Documents on the acquisition of German citizenship:
  Naturalisation certificates, award certificates, admission certificates, certificates / documents on the acquisition of German citizenship by declaration or option, certificates of appointment to civil servants, declaratory decisions on the acquisition of citizenship through service in the former German Wehrmacht and other associations
• Documents relating to membership of the group of persons to whom collective naturalisation extended:
  Expellee identity cards, ethnic German repatriation certificates (according to § 15 para. 1 and 2 BVFG), Volksliste cards, Volkstumsbescheinigungen or other documents about German ethnicity, proof of (former) home law, citizenship or residence in the areas concerned, certificates of waiver of the right of waiver
• Documents on the acquisition of legal status as a German without German citizenship:
  Expellee identity cards, ethnic German repatriation certificates (according to § 15 para. 1 and 2 BVFG), (old) refugee identity cards, registration forms, registration confirmations or registration certificates
• Documents concerning the possession of German citizenship or legal status as a German:
  Proof of nationality, certificate of origin, documents / identity cards on the legal status as a German, passports, identity cards and other identity documents (including old ones), extracts from (former) family registers, citizen lists or citizen registers, documents on military service or activity as a civil servant, registration confirmations, registration certificates, documents on the authorization to retain German citizenship

Bring what you have, the citizenship authority will help you with the sighting.

A citizenship card can only be issued if the existence of German citizenship has been established. To this end, the nationality authority shall examine

• whether and by what means you acquired German citizenship,
• whether and by what means you have lost your German citizenship again.

In addition to your personal information, information about the persons from whom you derive your nationality is therefore also required. Please seek advice from the authorities.

The fee for the proof of nationality is 25.00 euros.