# German Passport



## dennisthebmwguy (Apr 9, 2015)

Wanting to get German Passport for my wife. She worries that she would have to give up her home country passport. Online info is hard to put together. Anyone have experience like this?


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## James3214 (Jun 25, 2009)

Why does she want a German passport? Surely she just needs a partner visa to stay in Germany?

I assume she is a US citizen?


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## dennisthebmwguy (Apr 9, 2015)

We have a permanent visa, but if we want to move elsewhere in EU our permanent residence visa's do not apply. I am US and she is RussFed.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Last I knew, the Germans still require you to renounce your prior nationality if you take German nationality - except if your prior nationality is an EU one. (In which case you wouldn't need to take German nationality at all.) There are a couple of other exceptions - the main one being if your wife can prove she is "ethnically German."

OTOH, if you renounce your US citizenship to take German nationality, you're off the hook for US taxes! (Think through the various "side effects" before going that route.)
Cheers,
Bev


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## dennisthebmwguy (Apr 9, 2015)

i have read these things. if there is a 'financial burden' of giving up non-eu nationality (her pension from Rusfed) then perhaps she may not have to. i don't want to give up my US because of my VA benefits, but i do understand the tax issue. thanks


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## Wegwerfen (Apr 10, 2015)

The "financial burden" clause is in the Nationality Law (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz or StAG) § 12 Satz 1 Nr. 5. However, the burden itself isn't defined there. For that, you have to go to the administrative regulations (Verwaltungsvorschrift or VwV) to the StAG. There, it's defined very clearly in 12.1.2.5:

"Wirtschaftliche oder vermögensrechtliche Nachteile sind in der Regel erheblich, wenn sie ein durchschnittliches Bruttojahreseinkommen des Einbürgerungsbewerbers übersteigen; wirtschaftliche Nachteile unter 10 000,00 Euro sind in der Regel unerheblich."

My personal translation (I am not a certified translator or a lawyer): *"Economic disadvantages are typically substantial when they exceed one year of the naturalization applicant's average gross income; economic disadvantages under 10,000 Euro are usually not substantial."*

So if you can prove that her loss of pension, property, accounts, and inheritance rights will be at least a year's income, and at least 10k, you can apply for this exception. Otherwise, applicants must renounce or relinquish their first citizenship.

To see if any other exceptions apply to you, that's all in StAG § 12. I apologize that I can't post these links (because I am a new user), but Google will do the trick. Good luck!


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## dennisthebmwguy (Apr 9, 2015)

thanks so much! actually it helps alot. that is the confusion with all the laws and net. perhaps we will contact a lawyer near us for help. I am sure it is possible to do ourselves, but in getting our permanent visa's it was always back and forth, bring this, show that, do it again (3 times). I just want to get it all done the first time. Cheers, d


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