German Citizenship for Iranian Citizens
What happens to your Iranian citizenship when you are naturalised in Germany, what the embassy in Berlin does for you, and how Iranian documents reach a German authority.
Can Iranians keep their citizenship when they become German?
Yes. Since 27 June 2024 Germany no longer requires you to give up your previous citizenship. The Iranian Embassy in Berlin treats Germans of Iranian origin as Iranian citizens: its passport guide contains a form for people who have taken German citizenship and want to remain Iranian citizens. The embassy also quotes article 988 of the Iranian Civil Code: Iranians can give up their nationality only if they are at least 25, have done their military service and the Council of Ministers permits it. The Auswärtiges Amt states that Iranian authorities treat German-Iranian dual nationals exclusively as Iranians: they can enter Iran only on their Iranian passport, and the German Embassy in Tehran cannot help them in an emergency. In 2025, 10,125 Iranian citizens were naturalised in Germany, the seventh-largest group.
Legal Basis
Law
Iranian Civil Code, art. 988 (as quoted by the Iranian Embassy Berlin)
Requirement
Iranian nationality can be given up only with the permission of the Council of Ministers and under further conditions
Official Source
View law textWhat Happens to Your Iranian Citizenship
| Question | What the official source says |
|---|---|
| Does Germany ask you to give it up? | No. Since 27 June 2024 naturalisation no longer requires giving up your previous citizenship (§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 StAG was repealed). |
| Does Iranian law end it? | Not according to the embassy. Under article 988 of the Civil Code, as quoted by the Iranian Embassy Berlin, Iranians can give up their nationality only if they are at least 25, the Council of Ministers permits it, they undertake to transfer their rights to immovable property in Iran to Iranian nationals within one year, and they have completed military service. The embassy treats Germans of Iranian origin as Iranian citizens. |
| How does the embassy treat German citizens of Iranian origin? | As Iranian citizens. Its passport guide has a form titled "request to remain an Iranian citizen" for people who have taken German citizenship. Holders of foreign citizenship are listed among the regular passport applicants. |
| Can you give it up if you want to? | Only through the embassy's exit procedure, from age 25. The documents include the original and a copy of the German government's acceptance document. People who gave up Iranian nationality under article 988 can apply to return to it under article 990. |
| How does Iran treat you as a dual national? | According to the Auswärtiges Amt, Iranian authorities treat German-Iranian dual nationals exclusively as Iranian citizens. They can enter Iran only with their Iranian passport, and the German Embassy in Tehran cannot give them consular help in an emergency. |
Source: Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: conditions for giving up Iranian nationality (Persian) · Checked 22 October 2026
Iranian Embassy Services in Germany
The Iranian consulates general in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich are closed. All consular services for Iranians living in Germany are currently provided by the embassy in Berlin, Podbielskiallee 67, 14195 Berlin.
| Service | What the embassy states |
|---|---|
| Passport | Apply by post or in person. In-person visits need an appointment at appointment.mfa.ir. Every request first needs a tracking code from the Mikhak portal (mikhak.mfa.gov.ir). A passport can be renewed up to six months before it expires. |
| Fees | A new consular fee schedule was approved by the Council of Ministers on 16 Mehr 1404. The amounts are in the embassy's passport guide (PDF) and are not reproduced here. |
| Civil documents | Issuing and amending the shenasnameh (birth certificate booklet), registering marriages, divorces and deaths, and certificates of single status and of no criminal record. |
| German documents for use in Iran | Since 20 February 2023: certification first by the issuing body, then by the Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten in Brandenburg an der Havel, then final certification by the embassy. |
Source: Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: consular services (Persian) · Checked 22 October 2026
Iranian Documents for German Authorities
Iran is not a party to the Apostille Convention. German authorities often ask for Iranian birth or marriage certificates in legalised form, which is done through a substitute procedure in Iran.
| Step or fact | What the German Embassy Tehran states |
|---|---|
| Translation | By a translator on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's list. |
| Pre-certification | By the Iranian Ministry of Justice and then the Iranian Foreign Ministry, not older than one year. |
| Submission | By appointment only, through the service provider TLScontact in Tehran. Someone living in Germany needs a proxy in Iran with a signed power of attorney and a copy of their Karte Melli. |
| Fees | TLScontact €10 per document. Embassy fee currently €30 per document (copy certification €25). |
| Current status | The embassy works in restricted mode (notice of 9 March 2026). Legalisation applications are again accepted through TLScontact; most other consular services are suspended. |
Source: German Embassy Tehran: legalisation of documents and certified copies · Checked 22 October 2026
Iranian Citizens Naturalised in Germany
In 2025, 11,791 Iranian citizens applied for naturalisation and 11,314 applications were decided. Destatis publishes these figures rounded or slightly altered for confidentiality.
| Figure | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalisations | 10,125 | 8,245 |
| Average years of residence in Germany | 8.2 | 8.4 |
| Average age | 34.8 | 34.7 |
Source: Destatis: Statistischer Bericht Einbürgerungen 2025, tables 12511-19, 12511-02 and 12511-08 · Data years 2024 and 2025, final results published 21 August 2026
From Iranian Documents to a German Passport
Check your Iranian passport
German law requires your identity and nationality to be clarified (§10 Abs. 1 StAG), normally with a passport and civil status documents. Iranian passports for people in Germany are issued only by the embassy in Berlin, after you get a Mikhak tracking code.
Tip: If you have refugee status or subsidiary protection, ask your Einbürgerungsbehörde before you contact the Iranian embassy.
Start on Iranian civil documents early
If your Einbürgerungsbehörde wants a legalised Iranian birth or marriage certificate, the whole procedure runs in Iran: translation, two ministries, then TLScontact and the German Embassy in Tehran.
Tip: Ask your Einbürgerungsbehörde which documents it needs in legalised form before you start, and, if you have refugee status or subsidiary protection, before you contact Iranian authorities.
Apply and receive your naturalisation certificate
You meet the German requirements like every other applicant. You do not have to give up Iranian citizenship, and German citizenship takes effect when the Einbürgerungsurkunde is handed to you.
If you want an Iranian passport after naturalisation
The embassy keeps treating you as an Iranian citizen. Its passport guide includes the "request to remain an Iranian citizen" form for applicants who have taken German citizenship.
Read the travel advice before any trip to Iran
The Auswärtiges Amt states that dual nationals can enter Iran only on their Iranian passport, are treated there only as Iranians, and cannot get help from the German Embassy in an emergency. It warns against travel to Iran.
What Does It Cost?
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Legalisation of an Iranian document, German Embassy Tehran | €30 | Per document, plus €10 per document for TLScontact |
| German naturalisation fee | €255 | §38 StAG |
German citizenship also needs proof of B1 German. You can practise for it here:
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Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Germany has not required you to give up your previous citizenship since 27 June 2024. Iranian nationality can be given up only with the permission of the Council of Ministers (article 988 of the Civil Code, as quoted by the Iranian Embassy Berlin), and the embassy treats Germans of Iranian origin as Iranian citizens.
No. The requirement to give up your previous citizenship was removed from §10 StAG with the reform in force since 27 June 2024. The Federal Office of Administration states this applies to all citizenships worldwide.
Only through the embassy's exit procedure. According to the conditions it quotes, you must be at least 25, have completed military service, undertake to transfer your rights to immovable property in Iran to Iranian nationals within one year, and the Council of Ministers must give permission.
Not if Iran considers you an Iranian citizen. The Auswärtiges Amt states that such persons can enter Iran only with their Iranian passport, are treated exclusively as Iranians, and cannot get consular help from the German Embassy in Tehran in an emergency. It warns against travel to Iran.
Only at the embassy in Berlin, because the consulates general in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich are closed. You can apply by post or in person with an appointment, after getting a tracking code from the Mikhak portal.
In Iran. The German Embassy in Tehran requires a translation by a translator on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's list, pre-certification by the Iranian Ministry of Justice and Foreign Ministry, and submission through TLScontact. The fees are €10 to TLScontact and €30 to the embassy per document.
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- Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: conditions for giving up Iranian nationality, Civil Code art. 988 (Persian)
- Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: return to Iranian nationality, art. 990 (Persian)
- Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: passport guide with the "remain an Iranian citizen" form (Persian)
- Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: consular services in Germany (Persian)
- Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: consular notices (Persian)
- Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Berlin: legalisation of German documents (Persian)
- Auswärtiges Amt: Iran travel and safety advice
- German Embassy Tehran: legalisation of documents and certified copies
- German Embassy Tehran: restricted operation (9 March 2026)
- HCCH: Apostille Convention status table
- Destatis: Statistischer Bericht Einbürgerungen 2025
- §10 StAG: naturalisation requirements (gesetze-im-internet.de)
- Federal Office of Administration: citizenship law reform in force since 27 June 2024