Keeping German Citizenship When You Naturalise Abroad (Beibehaltung)

Historically, a German who voluntarily acquired another citizenship on application lost their German citizenship automatically — unless they first obtained a retention permit (a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung). Since Germany’s 27 June 2024 reform broadly permits multiple citizenship, that automatic loss no longer applies to naturalisations from that date, so retention permits are largely no longer needed.

What a retention permit was for

Under the pre-2024 law, a German adult who applied for and received another citizenship generally lost German citizenship at the moment of the foreign naturalisation. To keep both, they had to apply in advance for a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung — a retention permit — and receive it before naturalising elsewhere.

What the 2024 reform changed

The modernisation of nationality law that came into force on 27 June 2024 broadly permits multiple citizenship. Acquiring another citizenship no longer costs you your German one, and naturalising as German no longer requires giving up your existing nationality. For events from that date, a retention permit is generally unnecessary.

Why the old rule still matters

If an ancestor — or you — naturalised in another country before 27 June 2024 without holding a retention permit, German citizenship may have been lost at that point. That historic loss can break a descent line, so it is exactly the kind of event to check when tracing whether citizenship passed down to you.

If citizenship was lost this way

A break caused by an old foreign naturalisation is not always the end of the story: restoration and declaration routes, or a fresh application, may reopen it depending on the facts. Establish the date and the paperwork first — that determines which option applies.