Citizenship

The BVA processes different procedures in consultation with the Federal Foreign Office's missions abroad. The individuals' often tragic backgrounds have to be treated individually and with respect.

The BVA carries out specific procedures to determine whether or not applicants with German ancestors, many of which live in Eastern Europe, are still German citizens.

Victims of the Nazi regime who were illegitimately deprived of their citizenship between 1933 and 1945 are entitled to ‘renaturalization’.

Germans living abroad usually lose their German citizenship on becoming foreign nationals unless they have applied at the BVA for a permission to retain German citizenship.

Another task refers to young people who are nationals of Germany and another country and must declare, upon reaching 18 years of age, which citizenship they want to keep (‘opting procedure’). The BVA is the competent authority for such youngsters living abroad.

The Federal Expellees Act is the basis for the recognition of people as ethnic German resettlers. The BVA decides upon the admission of ethnic German resettlers and places them in the federal states.