Dual Citizenship

[Stef.]

Most of you probably know this, but for some, this might be helpful to know:

Some countries do not allow dual citizenships, so you will lose your citizenship when you have applied successfully for the Canadian one.

Other countries do not have issues with dual citizenships at all.

And lastly, there are countries such as e.g. Germany, where you have to apply FIRST at the German embassy for permission to keep your German citizenship BEFORE you apply for the Canadian one.

The reason why I am writing this is, that I met somebody at the German consulate in Vancouver who was not aware of this and he was shocked when he wanted to pick up his Canadian passport, to find out that he had to first hand in his Germans passport to the consulate, before he would receive the Canadian one.

In other words: he did not have the permission from the German government to keep his Germans passport and therefore lost his German citizenship.

Beware: the application for this special permission does take at least three months and is not just a formality but rather a complicated process.

Stef.

 

[alphazip]

I understand that Germany generally does not permit dual citizenship, but please explain why a Canadian citizen would have to turn in a foreign passport to receive a Canadian one. Canada certainly doesn't require this.

 

[Stef.]

I cannot explain this, but the guy at the German consulate told me he was asked to turn in his German passport.

I do not know at which point I will have to show the certificate that I have received from the German embassy that allows me to keep both passports. Once my citizenship application for Canada was hopefully successful I will let you know.

Nevertheless, the point is that at least for Germany, you will have to apply for this permit first- something that some people might not know.

 

[links18]

The scenario as described by the OP would violate all manner of Canadian law.

 

[alphazip]

I'm sure that what the person meant is that when he informed the German consulate that he had become a Canadian citizen, he was told that he had lost his German citizenship and to turn in his German passport. You won't ever have to show your permission slip to Canadian authorities. The matter of your German citizenship is between you and Germany. Canada doesn't care.

 

[walktheline]

According to German law, one must apply for permission from German authority to maintain German citizenship before acquiring Canadian citizenship, otherwise they will automatically lose their German citizenship. But I'm curious to know what's the criteria to grant such permission?

But I doubt anyone would let German citizenship automatically lost in order to acquire Canadian citizenship. If the permission is granted, then it's good for them to have dual citizenship. But if the permission is rejected and one must choose one citizenship I would no doubt to keep Germany citizenship and give up Canadian citizenship simply because Germany citizenship is a constitutional right protected by European Convention while Canadian citizenship is only a statutory right which s not that sacred and can be easily abused by government (German know best about how citizenship law can be abused by government through history). Not to mention German passport also is much more valuable than Canadian passport, such as freedom of movement to 32 countries and has highest number of visa free countries to travel.

 

[alphazip]

walktheline wrote: "But I doubt anyone would let German citizenship automatically lost in order to acquire Canadian citizenship."

Really? You don't believe that any Germans have given up German citizenship in favour of Canadian? The 2006 Canadian census put the number of Canadians with German ancestry at 3,179,425, so I think there must have been a few who preferred Canada to Germany.

 

[Bs65]

According to German law, one must apply for permission from German authority to maintain German citizenship before acquiring Canadian citizenship, otherwise they will automatically lose their German citizenship. But I'm curious to know what's the criteria to grant such permission?

But I doubt anyone would let German citizenship automatically lost in order to acquire Canadian citizenship. If the permission is granted, then it's good for them to have dual citizenship. But if the permission is rejected and one must choose one citizenship I would no doubt to keep Germany citizenship and give up Canadian citizenship simply because Germany citizenship is a constitutional right protected by European Convention while Canadian citizenship is only a statutory right which s not that sacred and can be easily abused by government (German know best about how citizenship law can be abused by government through history). Not to mention German passport also is much more valuable than Canadian passport, such as freedom of movement to 32 countries and has highest number of visa free countries to travel.

Ultimately I guess a personal choice regardless of which citizenship gives someone different rights or not . Depends if someone wants to remain a PR renewing their card every 5 years, having to maintain residency obligations and whilst they have residency rights only by taking citizenship are they really showing total commitment to the country plus of course they can then vote

 

[Leon]

As others have said, Canada doesn't care how many passports you have but your home country might so check with your home country before you apply.

I remember some guy on here saying that it's not a given that Germany will grant you the right to keep German citizenship if you take Canadian. He had some circumstances that they would allow him but they did not allow his wife. For persons going the other way, that is being naturalized in Germany, they almost always have to give up their home country citizenship. Children are exempted if they are born with both.

I also very much doubt that the Canadian passport office told him to hand in his German passport unless they are doing the policing for Germany now. More likely, he wanted to renew his German passport and they checked if he had become Canadian in the meantime in which case they would have refused and asked for his still valid German passport to be returned to them.

There are all kinds of reasons why someone would prefer living in one country over another. Canada and Germany are both good. I have known many Germans coming to Canada on work permits and some decided to stay while others returned. There are also Canadians who immigrate to Germany I'm sure.

Some people choose to keep their home country passport if they can't have both and live in Canada for decades as a PR. There's nothing wrong with that but keep in mind that a PR doesn't guarantee that you and your family can stay forever. If one of your family were to commit a crime, they could lose their PR and get deported. Same if they leave Canada for too long.

 

[Stef.]

Again...this post was not meant for what is better or when or how you lose your German citizenship, but much more meant as a warning to keep this in mind.

I have applied for this permission and it is not easy to get it as the Germans generally do not approve of dual citizenship.

You have to argue your case, in particular the point why you NEED a Canadian passport and what it is that you cannot do with being a permanent resident. Also the reasons must be particularly applying to you and not generally.

For instance, easier traveling to tge US would not count as this applies to all.

Good reasons are: you have a job offer in Canada that is only available to Canadian citizen; you are politically active and want to take on a position where you have to be Canadian...

All your arguments need proof. The Germans do deny those applications regularly.

I can only repeat, the guy at the consulate had to hand in his German passport. Who made him do that, I do not know and it is beside the point.

 

[walktheline]

I can only repeat, the guy at the consulate had to hand in his German passport. Who made him do that, I do not know and it is beside the point.

I guess that guy didn't know about the German law and acquired Canadian citizenship without realizing he already lost his German citizenship automatically and only found out when he needed some German citizen services at the consulate. I wonder if there are any warning words about this on the notes page of German passport? I know many passports clearly write what will happen if holders acquire other citizenship on their notes pages. How can he make such silly mistake?

Feel so sorry for that guy if it was not his intention to lose German citizenship. He could have kept all German and EU rights and benefits while also living in Canada as PR. Now if the only way to resume German citizenship is to renounce Canadian citizenship, he would also lose Canadian PR. Either way, he is in a lose-lose situation, is doomed and has no way back.

 

[Stef.]

Yes, that was stupid, but as said it is one thing that one could miss easily. It says nothing about it in my passport. If I did not come across this situation I could have missed it easily...

 

[walktheline]

Yes, that was stupid, but as said it is one thing that one could miss easily. It says nothing about it in my passport. If I did not come across this situation I could have missed it easily...

That is very odd. As result of making such mistake is very serious, I'm so surprised there are no warning words on German passport. I know on British passport's notes page, it clearly says dual citizenship is recognized, but the holder won't be protected against the other country, and the obligations under the other country (such as military service) can not be exempted.

 

[alphazip]

Citizenship is an important matter. Anyone who doesn't look into the ramifications of taking another citizenship (at minimum, a simple Google search: "countries that don't allow dual citizenship") is making a big mistake. If a person doesn't know how to search online, visit a library. That's what reference librarians do, find out the answers to questions.

 

[links18]

But I doubt anyone would let German citizenship automatically lost in order to acquire Canadian citizenship. If the permission is granted, then it's good for them to have dual citizenship. But if the permission is rejected and one must choose one citizenship I would no doubt to keep Germany citizenship and give up Canadian citizenship simply because Germany citizenship is a constitutional right protected by European Convention while Canadian citizenship is only a statutory right which s not that sacred and can be easily abused by government (German know best about how citizenship law can be abused by government through history).

While I agree with your sentiment that Canadian political elites of both governing parties have been far too flippant about citizenship rights recently, I wouldn't readily concede the point that Canadian citizenship is only a statutory right and not a constitutional one. Many aspects of C-24 were clearly unconstitutional and probably would have been found as such if they were in front of the Supreme Court. But at the end of the day, there are no guarantees in life: The European Union and all its guarantees are not written in stone either....see Brexit.