Special rights as a German

German citizenship is the legal bond that connects a person to the German state. This connection gives rise to a number of special rights and freedoms that shape life in Germany and Europe.

Political co-determination and participation in the state

A central right for German citizens is the right to political participation. This is particularly evident in the right to vote. As a German citizen, you have the right to take part in elections and thus help shape the political landscape at local, state and federal level.

Closely linked to this is access to public office. Certain positions in the civil service, for example as a civil servant or judge, are generally reserved for German nationals.

Basic rights for Germans

The German Basic Law guarantees all people living in Germany a wide range of rights. However, some of these fundamental freedoms are specifically aimed at German nationals. These include:

• Freedom of assembly and association, i.e. the right to assemble peacefully and to form associations or societies.
• Freedom of movement, which guarantees the right to take up residence and stay anywhere in Germany.
• Freedom of occupation, which includes the free choice of occupation, workplace and place of training.

The right to a home and residence

A very important right that comes with German citizenship is the unrestricted right to reside in Germany. While the residence of foreign nationals is regulated by migration law, German citizens have the right to enter and live in Germany at any time. The German state has a duty under international law to accept its own citizens.

European citizenship and its advantages

Anyone who has German citizenship is automatically also a citizen of the European Union. This status, which supplements but does not replace national citizenship, confers a number of additional rights that apply throughout the European Union.

The most important of these rights is freedom of movement. As an EU citizen, you can travel, settle, work or study in any other EU member state. This opens up far-reaching personal and professional opportunities throughout Europe. This right is so fundamental that the loss of German citizenship for a person without another EU citizenship always means the loss of these European rights.