Session on Dual Citizenship with the German Consulate 2015

The question, how can I become Canadian without losing my German citizenship, torments Germans old and young.  The active participation of 160 people confirmed the importance of the dual citizenship seminar.

We are grateful for Mr. Nickel of the German Consulate for his expertise, the participants for their questions and donations and the volunteers from the Martin Luther Church for the informative event seamlessly executed.

-Iris Schweiger, by email, April 19, 2015

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Martin Luther Church in Etobicoke is hosting an FAQ session, Saturday April 18th, on the topic of dual citizenship. A representative of the German Consulate will be speaking about the process of obtaining a permission to retain German citizenship while applying for Canadian citizenship. The lecture will be followed by a session where you can as questions. In addition, you will get the opportunity to talk with people who have already successfully gone through the process.

The German Law on Nationality and Citizenship is rather complex and has undergone many changes in the past. While the German rules on citizenship are based on the principle of avoiding dual citizenship, the law now provides for some exceptions to this principle.

German citizens who wish to retain their German citizenship while applying for Canadian citizenship must obtain a permission to retain the German citizenship.

Would you like to apply for a “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung“ to keep your German citizenship status or do you know someone who needs help with this application?

Saturday April 18, 2:30 – 4:00 pm
Martin Luther Lutheran Church
2379 Lake Shore Blvd West, Toronto

Please let the church office know if you will be attending, churchoffice@martinluther.ca (416) 251-8293

For more information, see German Citizenship Law and Dual Citizenship:
http://www.canada.diplo.de/Vertretung/kanada/en/02/citizenship/dual__citizenship.html

The German law on citizenship mandates that German citizens who voluntarily apply for and accept the Canadian citizenship will automatically lose the German citizenship if they have not been granted a permission to retain the German citizenship prior to becoming Canadian. This “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung” is granted by the competent authority in Germany on an individual basis. To obtain the permission, you must prove that you still have substantial ties to Germany and are in a personal situation in which the obtention of the dual German Canadian citizenship would be beneficial to you and/or avoid individual detriments. Please note that applications have to be submitted to the German Foreign Mission and that proficiency in German is mandatory.

More information on the “Beibehaltungsgenehmigung” (in German language only):

http://www.canada.diplo.de/Vertretung/kanada/de/02/staatsangehoerigkeit/beibehaltung.html