Anyone who has German citizenship is automatically also a citizen of the European Union. This European citizenship is not a substitute for German citizenship, but a valuable addition. It confers additional rights and freedoms that apply throughout the European Union.
What exactly is European citizenship?
European citizenship is not an independent nationality as we know it from a country. Instead, it is inextricably linked to the nationality of an EU member state. So if you are German, you are also a citizen of the Union. EU citizenship cannot be acquired or lost separately; it is always linked to national citizenship. The European Court of Justice describes this status as fundamental for all nationals of member states.
The emergence of European citizenship
The idea of European citizenship has been developed over many years. The first reports and proposals were already made in the 1970s and 1980s. The concept of European citizenship was finally introduced in 1992 by the Treaty of Maastricht. Since then, it has been continuously developed, most recently by the Treaty of Lisbon, and is now enshrined in Articles 20 to 24 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
What specific rights does this give rise to?
European citizenship gives you important rights that make living, working and traveling in the EU easier and safer. These include, for example
- The right to move and reside freely in any EU member state (freedom of movement).
- The right to work and reside in any member state (freedom of establishment).
These intra-European rights and obligations supplement the national rights that you have as a German citizen.
The important link to German citizenship
As EU citizenship is directly linked to German citizenship, the loss of German citizenship has far-reaching consequences. Anyone who loses their German citizenship and has no other citizenship of an EU member state automatically loses their EU citizenship and all associated rights such as freedom of movement.
This context underlines how important it is to secure German citizenship in order not to lose the valuable advantages of being a citizen of the EU. Our team will be happy to advise you on all questions relating to maintaining and securing your German citizenship.