Citizens of EU countries are allowed to have dual citizenship
As Deutsche Welle notes, there are states that do not want to lose their citizens. For example, Iran. According to the civil code of this country, it is almost impossible to renounce Iranian citizenship. And its acquisition in many cases does not depend on a person's will: anyone whose father is an Iranian citizen is automatically considered to have Iranian citizenship. And it does not matter where this person was born and where he lives – in Iran or not.
A separate paragraph in the code prescribes rules for women – it is even more difficult for them to renounce Iranian citizenship, because a woman must have the same citizenship as her husband. And if an Iranian living in Germany acquires German citizenship, in almost all cases he also retains Iranian citizenship. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, in 2018, 3,080 Iranians received German citizenship, and none of them had to surrender their Iranian passport.
But Iran is far from the only state that prevents renunciation of its citizenship. There are about 40 of them. Among them are countries from which such behavior would seem unexpected – for example, Argentina. In 2018, all 155 Argentines who acquired German citizenship also kept their Argentine passports. Other states with the strictest rules regarding acquisition and renunciation of citizenship include Afghanistan, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Syria.
Descent or Place of Birth
There are two basic principles that determine the right to citizenship. In the United States, for example, the territorial principle, known as Jus soli (Latin for "right of the soil"), is adopted: all children born on the territory of this state have the right to American citizenship. Germany and China adhere to a different principle. Both states operate on the basis of Jus sanguinis (Latin for "right of blood"), which takes into account the child's descent. Thus, German citizenship is acquired not by those born on the territory of one of the 16 federal states, but by those who have at least one parent with German citizenship.
But in Germany, in addition to this, there is a naturalization procedure – foreign citizens can obtain German citizenship. Dual citizenship is also allowed – with restrictions. In China, it would be extremely difficult for an ethnic non-Chinese to obtain citizenship, and dual citizenship is legally prohibited in the PRC.
If a citizen of the Russian Federation who meets the criteria to start the naturalization procedure wants to obtain German citizenship, he must, as a rule, renounce Russian citizenship beforehand – having two passports is now not allowed. But those who already have dual German-Russian citizenship can keep it.
European Passport Paradise
Since 2007, Germany has allowed citizens of EU countries, as well as Switzerland, to obtain German citizenship while retaining their previous citizenship. In other European states, such dual European citizenship is also legalized – either fully or with restrictions.
According to the 2011 census, almost 4.3 million people living in Germany have another citizenship besides German. 690,000 German citizens have a Polish passport, 570,000 a Russian one, and 530,000 a Turkish one. The figures are based on data from regional civil registration offices. But many people do not report their second citizenship, so the statistics may be inaccurate.
Choice Between Two Citizenships
Until 2014, children of foreign parents born and raised in Germany had to choose within five years after reaching adulthood which citizenship they preferred to keep – that of their parents or that of the country of residence.
Since the end of 2014, young people who have lived in Germany for at least eight years by the age of 21 or have attended a German school for six years no longer have to choose a citizenship. Nor is it required for those who have completed school or vocational training in Germany. In all such cases, retaining two citizenships is permitted.
Israeli-Palestinian Peculiarities
The complex relations between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority have given rise to many specific features regarding citizenship. One of them concerns Germany.
Thus, Palestinians who have acquired German citizenship and are simultaneously registered in the Palestinian registry or have a Palestinian identification number (ID) are prohibited from entering Israel. Meanwhile, all other German citizens can enter Israel without a visa. Entry to the West Bank is accessible to such Palestinians with German citizenship only through Jordan.
In Israel itself, there is another unusual rule regarding citizenship. In 1950, two years after the establishment of the State of Israel, a decision was made that wherever Jews live, they all have the right to emigrate to Israel and obtain Israeli citizenship. This law still allows Jews who are persecuted, no matter in which country, to become citizens of Israel and live in safety. Recently, amid the increased number of anti-Semitic incidents in France, many French Jews have taken advantage of this opportunity.