Adventures with the German consulate — Part II

I’ve just been sent the formal requirements needed for me to obtain my German citizenship through my grandparents. I’ve passed the first test, so to speak, so the light at the end of the tunnel is definitely getting brighter. They’ve given me a list of six documents that I need to provide:

• my birth certificate
• the birth certificates of my mother and maternal grandparents
• either my Canadian passport or my valid BC driver’s license
• certified copies of all documents regarding the immigration to Canada of my maternal grandparents (provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada) OR the last German passport or German citizenship certificate issued to my maternal grandparents
• certificate (“Record Letter”) issed by CIC for verification of when my maternal grandparents applied for Canadian citizenship

Once I’ve obtained these documents, I have to apply for a Certificate of German Citizenship from the Bundesverwaltungsamt in Cologne. Unfortunately, the application form is only available in German so I will have to get it translated. There is also a 25 euro application fee. If my application is denied there is an additional 18.75 euro processing fee.

Overall, the consulate has been incredibly helpful in assisting me and answering my questions. The process isn’t nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. Though I’m not looking forward to the 2 to 4 year waiting time for my application to be processed in Germany!

Adventures with the German consulate — Part I

I got a response back from Anja at the German consulate in Vancouver. From what she’s telling me, it sounds like I should be able to get my German citizenship but it is a 2 to 4 year long process (!). I need to provide as many documents as I can to prove that my grandparents were in fact citizens of Germany, and then come in for an interview at the consulate. After that, my mother needs to apply for the issuance of a certificate for German citizenship for me before the consulate can issue my German passport. Apparently, this process can take up to four years to complete. Hopefully I will find out more information on Monday. I just hope I can find the documents the consulate needs. I’m not sure that my family even has my grandparents birth certificates, but I know they have their marriage certificate and I’m pretty sure they have their German passports lying around somewhere.

Whatever, this will all be worth it in the end. I mean, if I can get my citizenship, then I can live and work anywhere in the EU for the rest of my life. That would be incredible.

Obtaining German citizenship

I’ve restarted my quest to get my German citizenship in preparation for hopefully relocating to Europe next year. I’m not sure that I am allowed to get it. Everything I’ve been able to find online is conflicting — some sources say I should be able to get my citizenship without a problem, I just have to fill out a couple of forms and prove my German heritage. Other people say that it is absolutely impossible and I should give up trying.

See, the problem is that my parents were both born in Canada, so I am trying to claim citizenship through my grandparents (on my mom’s side). And since both of my grandparents are now dead, I don’t have very much information or any of their documents. I am pretty sure that my grandparents had both Canadian and German passports, which would mean that they would have had both Canadian and German citizenship. But my mom thinks that they gave up their German citizenship when they became Canadian citizens (apparently, at the time there was no such thing as dual citizenship). So now I’m confused.

Anyways, I sent a letter to the German consulate, hopefully they can help me figure this thing out.