# Hello- new to the forum.... early stages of a possible move !



## day1982 (Jul 29, 2014)

Hi everyone

First of all a bit of background.... I am half German and spent most of my childhood in many parts of Germany due to my dad being in the British Army. The German side of my family is mostly based in and around Osnabruck. 

I went through the English school system but am fluent in German, and can also read German. My writing is a little bit rusty at the moment.

My husband, daughter (3) and I visit my family at least twice a year. I have lived in the UK for some 14 years now in the south east.

The more we visit the more we grow to love Germany and the way of life over there.

My husband has now mentioned that he would quite happily over there. However he does not speak German at this moment in time.....

So...... now it could all begin... and want a bit more info....

I am a Town Planner- I have a degree in Geography and a Masters in Town Planning and have 10 years experience.

My husband is a police officer- with a lot of specific skills.

So do you think that I could get a job over there? I assume it would be much much harder for my husband until he learns the language more??

Also I currently only have a UK passport- I haven't had a german one since I was 12. Can I easily apply for a german passport? I have a german birth certificate too.
Thank you for any advice.


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## beppi (Jun 10, 2013)

My feeling is that you, as a town planner with fluent language skills, will have good chances of finding work. As UK citizen, you can settle and work in Germany freely - but of course it would be good to find out if you are still German citizen (having or not having a passport is immaterial to this!). Did your parents renounce your German citizenship when you got the UK one at 12 years old? (If so, you cannot easily get it back.)
Your husband should start learning German ASAP, especially if he intends to remain police officer - public servants without language skills are probably unheard of.


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

beppi said:


> My feeling is that you, as a town planner with fluent language skills, will have good chances of finding work. As UK citizen, you can settle and work in Germany freely - but of course it would be good to find out if you are still German citizen (having or not having a passport is immaterial to this!). Did your parents renounce your German citizenship when you got the UK one at 12 years old? (If so, you cannot easily get it back.)
> Your husband should start learning German ASAP, especially if he intends to remain police officer - public servants without language skills are probably unheard of.


If he wants to be a police officer in Germany he needs fluent German - he would not get through the tests that need to be cleared before he even gets to the sport test or the interview stage. I am not sure whether his qualification would translate into the German system at all.

Also, how old is he? There are age limits for entry into police service in Germany. This is usually 29 years or - if a lot of other requirements are met and only in years when the police is specifically hiring older applicants - 39 years. Requirements can differ slightly from Bundesland to Bundesland.


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## Tellus (Nov 24, 2013)

As far as I understand are you a natural-born German, because of your german birth certificate.
Ask the German Embassy or Consulate for passports etc.

For your husband it will be essential to learn German - no chance for a police officer without knowledge of law and justice, he can 't read it in german...
Even if he want a job in security services he needs fluent German. Bilingualism is a big pro...give him a kick.


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## beppi (Jun 10, 2013)

Tellus said:


> As far as I understand are you a natural-born German, because of your german birth certificate.


This is patently nonsense!
All babies born in Germany get a German birth certificate - that doesn't say anything about citizenship!
Even if the OP was a citizen by birth, it does not mean she still is - normally the German citizenship is revoked when one acquires another nationality (here: UK).


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

beppi said:


> This is patently nonsense!
> All babies born in Germany get a German birth certificate - that doesn't say anything about citizenship!
> Even if the OP was a citizen by birth, it does not mean she still is - normally the German citizenship is revoked when one acquires another nationality (here: UK).


She did not 'acquire' another nationality, since her father is British, so she was born a dual national. Dual nationality is accepted in this case under German law. (And since 2007 dual nationality is also okay when acquiring an EU nationality.)


So, most probably, unless something else happened that we don't know about, she's still German. Not having renewed her passport should not matter.


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## day1982 (Jul 29, 2014)

Hi 

Thanks for all the very helpful responses.

Just to clarify my mum is german by birth and my dad is british. 

Not aware that I gave up my citizenship at any point.

My husband is 36. So he might need to do a career change which isn't so bad if I can get a well paid job.

Does anyone know the Osnabruch area? That's were we are likely to settle down as my family all live there.

Thanks

Tracy


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## Ann65 (Aug 7, 2014)

ALKB said:


> She did not 'acquire' another nationality, since her father is British, so she was born a dual national. Dual nationality is accepted in this case under German law. (And since 2007 dual nationality is also okay when acquiring an EU nationality.)
> 
> 
> So, most probably, unless something else happened that we don't know about, she's still German. Not having renewed her passport should not matter.


Sorry to bulge in..she can only hold one passport even if she is of dual citizenship. Either UK or German butnot both1 It doesnt matter which passport, the german citizenship does not allow you to keep two passports give one up and get a german passport only.


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## Ann65 (Aug 7, 2014)

*Any ideas*

Hi there,
I have lived in Calgary for 3 years. I have now been living in Germany since my 20`s (moved here in 1985) and I also work here I am fluent and german oral and written. I am in the airline industry and I am wanting to go back to Canada and live there for good as I firmly believe my daughter (9 yrs old) have a more qualitative life over there than here in Germany. What are the pros and cons by your experience. Any advice would help. Thanks.


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## beppi (Jun 10, 2013)

Ann65 said:


> Sorry to bulge in..she can only hold one passport even if she is of dual citizenship. Either UK or German butnot both1 It doesnt matter which passport, the german citizenship does not allow you to keep two passports give one up and get a german passport only.


This is patently nonsense!
There is no law against having two passports, only against having two nationalities in certain cases. If this doesn't apply in OP's case, two nationalities AND two passports are o.k.


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## Ann65 (Aug 7, 2014)

I had to renounce my other passport to keep the German passport. Check it again with the German " buerger buero" in your german hometown  .. Just saying by experience


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## beppi (Jun 10, 2013)

You cannot renounce a passport!
You had to renounce your other citizenship (or nationality) to get the German one. This is a normal requirement by the German authorities.
Usually, without a country's citizenship you also cannot have the country's passport (exceptions are refugees, stateless persons and political asylum, who might in some cases get a passport without citizenship) - so you had to give that back as part of the renunciation.
But if somebody has double citizenship (which is common and allowed in many countries), then you can very well have two passports (or more - I know somebody who has four).


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## ALKB (Jan 20, 2012)

Ann65 said:


> I had to renounce my other passport to keep the German passport. Check it again with the German " buerger buero" in your german hometown  .. Just saying by experience


Renouncing your original (non-EEA) citizenship is part of the naturalisation process in Germany.

The OP was born a dual national, she was not naturalised, so as long as both Germany and the other country allow dual nationality in case of being born to parents of different nationality, it's fine. 

For instance, my daughter was born a dual national and Germany would have been okay with that but my husband's home country requires her to decide for one nationality at age 21.

Since 2007, EEA nationals also do not need to renounce their nationality if they acquire German nationality by naturalisation, Germans also no longer lose their German nationality when acquiring an EEA nationality.

There are a multitude of rules regarding German nationality and cases can differ depending on whether parents were born in Germany or not, etc., etc.


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