Is it possible to obtain a German passport / right of residency if one's
grandparents were born in Germany? If so, what is the process? Does it matter if one of the grandparents became a US citizen (after my mother was born)?

Thanks for your help.

e_cruze

You should probably contact your closest German consulate for all details, but both my grandparents were born in Germany, and I think the answer is definitely no regarding citizenship. At least one of your parents (depending on whether they were married or not) must be German, not just grandparents, as I understand it. There are some exceptions if your grandparents emigrated due to persecution during WWII, so if that is the case, you should contact them for more details.

I don't know that much about residency, except if you intend to stay longer than 3 months, you need a visa or residence permit. I don't think you have any entitlement to one just because your grandparents were German, but if you have a job offer or can prove means of support, I think you can get one.

e_cruze

I echo Christina's advice - you should contact your local German consulate or embassy, but I can give you some more info:

- your MOTHER has German citizenship if at the time of her birth, your grandfather hadn't yet been naturalized a US citizen. German citizenship is inherited (and until quite recently only from the father's side).

- IF your mother has German citizenship, you are also a German citizen by birth only if you are quite young, since until recently (sometime in the late 70s / early 80s) citizenship could only be passed on by a child's father.

Hope this helps,
Andre

"your MOTHER has German citizenship if at the time of her birth, your grandfather hadn't yet been naturalized a US citizen. German citizenship is inherited (and until quite recently only from the father's side)."
Is this true with any other European countries like UK?

Even if the father is German, it's no guarantee. My husband's father is German, but my husband is not entitled to a German passport. The rules are compliated, depends on where the father was living, etc. I don't think having German grandparents helps you in any way.

BTilke: was your father-in-law a German citizen at the time of your husband's birth? If so, I am truly surprised that your husband isn't entitled to a German passport.

StephenG: sorry, I have no knowledge of UK citizenship laws. As Christina suggested to e_cruze, you should contact a UK consulate or embassy.

Hope this helps,
Andre

Yes, Andre, he was.

There is no automatic citizenship by descent from a British grandparent. If you have a grandparent born in Ireland (North or South), you can be eligible for Irish citizenship by having your name entered on foreign birth register in Dublin or Irish consulate. For British citizenship, unless you were born in UK, one of your parents (married to each other) has to be a British citizen at the time of your birth. If you were born after 1.1.83, a different rule applies. Your parent has to be British 'otherwise than by descent', i.e. born, adopted or naturalised in UK, and being born in UK doesn't confer automatic citizenship unless one of your parents was British or settled there.

Check this out...
http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch...formation.html

Alec. I was born in Canada in 1951, my mother was a british citizen, never became a canadian citizen but when I was 15 she became a american citizen.
Father was canadian. Just want to get a UK/EU passport.

StephenG:

There's little point giving tiny ("my mother was a UK citizen" You mean she renounced it, or she's dead? Was she born here, or did her parent migrate to Canada?) quantities of information on a public forum and expecting people to tell you your citizenship. UK citizenship law is very complex.

Incidentally, if you don't qualify for UK citizenship, you may qualify for a UK Ancestry Visa, if you're a Commonwealth citizen. This gives you the right to live and work in the UK (though NOT elsewhere in the EU) for a few years, and then virtually guarantees UK citizenship (with the right to work throughout the EU) at the end of that time.

If you live in Canada, call the High Commission who'll refer you on. Or follow the links on the IND site (www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk)

Stephen G
It appears you are not eligible for British citizenship. British mothers could not pass on her nationality before the passing of British Nationality Act 1981. There was a concession made for those born between 7 Feb 1961 and 1 Jan 1981, when the 1981 Act came into force. As you were born before those dates, it seems you are not a British citizen.
Check with British Embassy in Washington by calling the Passport Office directly (202) 588 7800 between 9am and 4.00pm EST.

Just to correct an error above: it should read 'between 7 Feb 1961 and 1 Jan 1983, when the 1981 Act came into force."

Please do keep in mind that citizenship carries responsibilities, too. In Germany, one of them is for example conscription for males. Before you consider citizenship, you should really inform youself about the consequences.

Hans: at 53 in august conscription sounds like not a worry.
Flanneruk: you really remind of my mother with your tact. Anyway she was born in Crewe and married a french canadian in the RAF. Came to Canada and I was born in Montreal. She hated Quebec and when I was 9 left my father and took me and my 3 brothers to england, only 2 months until my dad called and said we could move to California where I live yo this day.
My parents both became citizen when i was 15. The fact they never paid for papers for their children did help keep from going to Vietnam in 1970.