HAs anyone claimed German citizenship under the 2021 rules - was it easy? Any advice?

[londonmummy1966]

MIL was German and FIL was not so MIL had to give up her German citizenship on marriage. DH was born pre 1975 so it looks as if he is eligible to claim German citizenship under the 2021 changes and that my DC are also eligible. I suspect the siblings and their DC will also want to claim this. Has anyone been through the process - how complicated is it - we have everyone's birth certificates and MIL's marriage certificate but not her German passport - will the birth certificates be enough?

Are there any reasons not to claim citizenship - I can't think of any.

@Hergee if you click on that link the relevant section is: Acquisition of German citizenship by declaration

The Fourth Act Amending the Nationality Act, which entered into force on 20 August 2021, has created a ten-year right of declaration (Section 5 of the Nationality Act). It grants children born to a German parent after 23 May 1949 (entry into force of the Basic Law) who, under the version of the Reich and Nationality Act valid at the time of their birth, were excluded in a gender-discriminating manner from acquiring German citizenship by descent at birth have the option of obtaining German citizenship by making a simple declaration to the competent citizenship authority. The option of acquisition by declaration also applies to their descendants.

The group of persons affected includes

children born after 23 May 1949 to a German parent who did not acquire German nationality by birth (children born in wedlock prior to 1 January 1975 to a German mother and a foreign father or children born out of wedlock prior to 1 July 1993 to a German father and a foreign mother),
children born after 23 May 1949 to a mother who lost her German citizenship through marriage to a foreigner pursuant to Section 17 (6) of the Reich and Nationality Act (old version) before the birth of the child prior to 1 April 1953,
children born after 23 May 1949 who lost their German nationality acquired by birth through legitimisation effected by a foreigner and valid under German law pursuant to Section 17 (5) of the Reich and Nationality Act (old version) prior to 1 April 1953, and
descendants of the children in paragraphs 1 to 3

@Hegee that seems to directly contradict the info the German Embassy gave you!

@Thecatisboss enormous thanks for your added help with this. The 2021 long message (in german, below) from the german embassy led me to believe that there was no chance. It was a long message, and it stumped me at the time. I consulted my (bilingual) brother (himself married to a german) who said we weren’t eligible, but it seems he is/was wrong?

Since I do fulfil the listing you’ve provided. Plus, oddly, despite marriage, my mother never took a British passport.

Here’s what the embassy sent me in Nov 2021, in case your german is better than mine/if it helps others:

quoting

Thank you for your request.

Before taking up the point of your request may I kindly ask you to understand that I will respond in German which is the official language used by the public administration and courts in the Federal Republic of Germany. Thank you very much for your understanding.

Sie stammen von einer deutschen Mutter ab, die seit über 60 Jahren im Vereinigten Königreich lebt.
Daher bitten Sie um Auskunft, ob Sie neben der britischen auch die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit erhalten können.

Das Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat (BMI) kann Ihnen leider nicht helfen, weil es zwar für die Gesetzgebung, nicht aber für den Vollzug des Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetzes –StAG zuständig ist. Der Vollzug des Staatsangehörigkeitsrechts für im Ausland lebende Personen obliegt dem Bundesverwaltungsamt -BVA.

www.bva.bund.de/DE/Services/Buerger/Ausweis-Dokumente-Recht/Staatsangehoerigkeit/staatsangehoerigkeit_node.html 

Eine Beratung dahingehend, ob Sie in Ableitung Ihrer Mutter möglicherweise bereits im Besitz der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit sind, oder falls nicht auf, welche Möglichkeiten des Erwerbs der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit für Sie bestehen, erhalten Sie bei der zuständigen deutschen Auslandsvertretung (Botschaft, Generalkonsulat oder sonstige konsularische Stelle). Ich rege daher an, sich dorthin zu wenden und sich entsprechend beraten lassen.

Die Webseite der deutschen Auslandsvertretungen im Vereinigten Königreich mit umfangreichen Informationen zum deutschen Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht finden Sie unter folgenden Links:

uk.diplo.de/uk-de

uk.diplo.de/uk-de/02/staatsangehoerigkeit 

uk.diplo.de/uk-de/02/staatsangehoerigkeit/feststellung-staatsangehoerigkeit/2465678

uk.diplo.de/uk-de/02/staatsangehoerigkeit/staatsangehoerigkeit-durch-erklaerung/2472176

uk.diplo.de/uk-de/02/staatsangehoerigkeit/ermessenseinbuergerung/2465664 

uk.diplo.de/uk-de/02/staatsangehoerigkeit/staatsangehoerigkeitsrecht-faq/507032 

Weiterhin stellt das zuständige Bundesverwaltungsamt unter folgenden Links Informationen bereit:

www.bva.bund.de/DE/Services/Buerger/Ausweis-Dokumente-Recht/Staatsangehoerigkeit/Feststellung_Start/Feststellung1_node.html

www.bva.bund.de/DE/Services/Buerger/Ausweis-Dokumente-Recht/Staatsangehoerigkeit/Einbuergerung/Einbuergerung_node.html

www.bva.bund.de/DE/Services/Buerger/Ausweis-Dokumente-Recht/Staatsangehoerigkeit/Einbuergerung/EER/Einbuergerung_EER_node.html

Die Rechtsfolgen für die britische Staatsangehörigkeit hängen vom für Ihren Fall in Betracht kommenden Verfahren ab.

Es würde mich freuen, wenn Ihnen diese Hinweise weiterhelfen.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
im Auftrag

@Hergee my German isn't very good!

I think what the message says (and it is a bit of a guess) is that they aren't the correct department and to contact the German Embassy in the UK for help. Hopefully someone with better German than me will come along and help.

@Thecatisboss this is a message from the german embassy in the uk 😊

Actually sorry, I think you’re right. This is from a de. address, looking back.

@Hergee

I've now stuck the message in Google translator (but missed off the links):

They descend from a German mother who has lived in the UK for over 60 years. You are therefore asking for information as to whether you can obtain German citizenship in addition to British citizenship.

Unfortunately, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI) cannot help you because it is responsible for the legislation but not for the enforcement of the Nationality Act -StAG. The enforcement of citizenship law for persons living abroad is the responsibility of the Federal Office of Administration -BVA

You can get advice on whether you already have German citizenship derived from your mother, or if you do not know what options there are for you to acquire German citizenship, from the responsible German mission abroad (embassy, consulate general or other consular office). I therefore encourage you to go there and seek advice accordingly.

The website of the German diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom with extensive information on German citizenship law can be found under the following links

Furthermore, the competent Federal Office of Administration provides information under the following links:

The legal consequences for British citizenship depend on the procedure applicable to your case. I would be happy if these tips help you. Best regards on behalf

I have been through the process, the embassy came back that pre 1975 it only went down the maternal line. I was born in 1974 to a German mother who never became a British citizen.
No mention of the change of law???

Sorry mistake- only paternal line

Snap. But it seems desperately unfair, doesn’t it. I don’t know about you, but my 1940 born mother has a million psychological issues (she was a refugee into northern Germany in 1945). Having a german mother was NOT easy.

(Refugee from Silesia, which became Polish in 1945)

Yes I agree v unfair, life wasn’t easy for my late Mother either. I’m wondering if there is anything that can be done?

@Wildmoors this thread is giving me hope! With added thanks to @Thecatisboss