German Citizenship for Nigerian Citizens
Whether you keep your Nigerian citizenship when you are naturalised in Germany, what the embassy in Berlin does for you, and why Nigerian documents are verified instead of legalised.
Can Nigerians keep their citizenship when they become German?
It depends on how you became Nigerian. Since 27 June 2024 Germany no longer requires you to give up your previous citizenship. Under section 28(1) of the Constitution of Nigeria 1999, a person forfeits Nigerian citizenship on acquiring another one only if he or she is not a citizen of Nigeria by birth. So a Nigerian by birth who becomes German keeps Nigerian citizenship. A Nigerian by registration (for example through marriage to a Nigerian) or by naturalisation loses it. This reading is based on the 1999 text published by Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission; later amendments were not checked. In 2025, 2,231 Nigerian citizens were naturalised in Germany.
Legal Basis
Law
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, section 28(1)
Requirement
Nigerian citizenship is forfeited on acquiring another citizenship only by people who are not Nigerian by birth
Official Source
View law textWhat Happens to Your Nigerian Citizenship
| Your situation | What the Constitution says |
|---|---|
| Nigerian by birth | You keep Nigerian citizenship. Section 28(1) applies only to people who are "not being a citizen of Nigeria by birth". Citizens by birth include people born in Nigeria after independence with a Nigerian parent or grandparent, and people born abroad with a Nigerian parent (section 25). |
| Nigerian by registration or naturalisation | You lose Nigerian citizenship. Section 28(1): such a person "shall forfeit forthwith his Nigerian citizenship" on acquiring the citizenship of a country of which he is not a citizen by birth. |
| Giving it up voluntarily | A citizen of full age (18 or over; a married woman counts as of full age) can make a declaration of renunciation. Citizenship ends when it is registered (section 29). |
| German law | Since 27 June 2024 naturalisation no longer requires giving up your previous citizenship (§10 Abs. 1 Nr. 4 StAG was repealed). |
Source: Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, National Human Rights Commission (PDF) · 1999 text, checked 22 October 2026
Nigerian Embassy Services in Germany
The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is at Neue Jakobstrasse 4, 10179 Berlin. Its website also names a Consulate General in Frankfurt.
| Service | What the embassy states |
|---|---|
| New e-passport | Apply and pay the passport fee online at passportintl.immigration.gov.ng (bank transfers not accepted), then book a biometric appointment. Bring a birth certificate or declaration of age, a copy of your NIN slip, a certificate of origin from your Local Government Area and an EC card for the €30 administrative fee. |
| Passport renewal | Copy of the data page of the expiring or expired passport and the €30 administrative fee. Applicants appear in person for biometrics unless they use the optional contactless renewal where available. |
| Passports for minors | Consent letter written and signed by both biological parents. |
| Other consular charges | Since 15 July 2025, a €30 administrative charge plus statutory fees: legalisation of documents for individuals €50 per page, age declaration €40, emergency travel certificate €50. |
Source: Embassy of Nigeria, Berlin: passport page and consular charges notice · Checked 22 October 2026
Nigerian Documents for German Authorities
Nigeria is not a party to the Apostille Convention. The German missions stopped legalising Nigerian public documents in May 2000 because of the lack of document security in Nigeria.
| Fact | What the German missions in Nigeria state |
|---|---|
| Legalisation | Nigerian documents cannot be legalised. |
| What happens instead | Nigerian documents are verified through administrative or judicial assistance for German authorities and courts. |
| Who can request it | Private persons generally cannot request a verification. Your Einbürgerungsbehörde has to ask for it. |
| Time | Verification can take 8 months, in some cases longer. |
| Cost | €450 per person checked. The requesting German authority has to submit a declaration on the costs. |
| Where | The Consulate General in Lagos handles all of Nigeria. The person checked does not have to be in Nigeria. |
Source: German Missions in Nigeria: document verification · Checked 22 October 2026
Nigerian Citizens Naturalised in Germany
In 2025, 3,632 Nigerian citizens applied for naturalisation and 2,623 applications were decided. Destatis publishes these figures rounded or slightly altered for confidentiality.
| Figure | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Naturalisations | 2,231 | 1,755 |
| Average years of residence in Germany | 8.9 | 9.3 |
| Average age | 30.5 | 29.8 |
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
Becoming German as a Nigerian Citizen
Check how you became Nigerian
By birth, you keep Nigerian citizenship when you become German. By registration or naturalisation, you lose it under section 28(1) of the Constitution. This is based on the 1999 text; later amendments were not checked.
Keep your Nigerian passport valid
German law requires your identity and nationality to be clarified (§10 Abs. 1 StAG), normally with a passport and civil status documents. The embassy takes passport applications in person for biometrics; a new e-passport is applied for and paid online with the Nigeria Immigration Service first.
Plan for document verification
If your Einbürgerungsbehörde needs a Nigerian birth or marriage certificate checked, it must request the verification itself through the German Consulate General in Lagos. This can take 8 months or longer.
Tip: Hand in your Nigerian documents early so the authority can start a verification in time.
Receive your naturalisation certificate
German citizenship takes effect when the Einbürgerungsurkunde is handed to you. Nigerians by birth stay Nigerian at the same time.
What Does It Cost?
| Item | Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nigerian passport, Embassy Berlin administrative fee | €30 | Plus the passport fee, paid online to the Nigeria Immigration Service for a new e-passport |
| German naturalisation fee | €255 | §38 StAG |
German citizenship also needs proof of B1 German. You can practise for it here:
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Frequently Asked Questions
For Nigerians by birth, yes. Section 28(1) of the 1999 Constitution takes away Nigerian citizenship on acquiring another one only from people who are not Nigerian by birth. Germany has not required you to give up your previous citizenship since 27 June 2024. This is based on the 1999 text; later amendments were not checked.
You lose Nigerian citizenship. Citizenship by registration, such as for a foreign woman married to a Nigerian, is not citizenship by birth, and section 28(1) says such a person forfeits it "forthwith" on acquiring another citizenship that is not theirs by birth. This is based on the 1999 text; later amendments were not checked.
Not for Germany. The requirement 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.
No. The German missions in Nigeria stopped legalising Nigerian documents in May 2000. Instead, a German authority can have a document verified. You cannot request this yourself.
The German missions in Nigeria state 8 months, in some cases longer. The Consulate General in Lagos carries it out for all of Nigeria, and you do not have to be in Nigeria for it.
The embassy asks for a copy of the data page of your expiring or expired passport and the €30 administrative fee. You appear in person for biometrics, unless you use the optional contactless renewal service where available.
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- Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, National Human Rights Commission (PDF)
- Embassy of Nigeria, Berlin: passport issues
- Embassy of Nigeria, Berlin: new administrative charges for consular services
- German Missions in Nigeria: document verification
- 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