Foreign Military Service Loss (§28 Nr.1 StAG)
Citizenship in Germany
- Eligibility
- §28 Nr.1 StAG triggers ex-lege loss on voluntary entry into foreign military service unless bilateral treaty exempts (NATO members generally) OR BMI grants discretionary retention permission (Beibehaltungsbewilligung).
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
§28 Nr.1 StAG triggers ex-lege loss on voluntary foreign-military service unless: (a) bilateral treaty exempts (NATO members generally), or (b) BMI grants discretionary Beibehaltungsbewilligung. Narrow scope: French Foreign Legion, pre-2024 IDF for German-Israelis. Post-StAR-ModG 2024 dual-nat default: IL reserve service no longer triggers §28 Nr.1 for §15-acquired German citizens (longstanding bilateral practice). ~30-80 BBG grants/year.
Example scenarios
German voluntarily joining French Foreign Legion · age 24 · FFL enlistment; no BBG obtained
§28 Nr.1 ex-lege loss triggered; German citizenship lost.
Voluntary foreign military service + no Beibehaltungsbewilligung + no bilateral exemption = §28 Nr.1 trigger.
German seeking BBG before US military service · age 22 · US Army enlistment pending; BBG application filed
BBG granted (likely); §28 Nr.1 not triggered; dual nat retained.
NATO bilateral context + BMI discretion typically favors NATO allies. ~30-80 BBG/year baseline.
German-Israeli IDF reservist · age 28 · Mandatory IDF reserve service Israel
No §28 Nr.1 loss post-StAR-ModG 2024; dual-nat permitted; reserve service exempt.
Post-2024 dual-nat default + DE-IL bilateral practice + §15-acquired DE citizenship + StAR-ModG framework.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-05-20.
Track changes to this route
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