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Residence Title for a Former German Citizen

GermanyLong-term residence

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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What exact status does accumulated residence lead to?

A former German receives a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis), an open-ended residence title, if, when German citizenship was lost, they had had their habitual residence in Germany as a German for five years.

See recorded sources

What qualifying residence period is required and when does the period begin?

Five years of habitual residence in Germany (settlement permit), or at least one year of habitual residence (residence permit instead), measured at the moment German citizenship was lost.

See recorded sources

Which types of residence count fully, partially or not at all where the official rules specify this?

Habitual residence in Germany counts. The rules also apply to a foreigner who, for reasons not attributable to them, had been treated as a German by German authorities.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The sources do not specify partial counting of any residence type.

What absence/continuity rules affect accumulation of the qualifying residence period?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the absence and continuity rules for the qualifying period.

What other major conditions apply, how is the status obtained, and what renewal, document-validity, retention or loss rules matter?

The application must be made within six months of learning of the loss of German citizenship; section 81(3) applies accordingly. Gainful employment is allowed during the application period and, once applied for, until the immigration authority decides. In special cases the title may be issued notwithstanding section 5. A former German living abroad can be granted a residence permit if they have sufficient German language skills.

See recorded sources

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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