Einstein was stateless for more than five years before he acquired Swiss citizenship in 1901.
Albert Einstein ( [ ˈaɪnstaɪn ] [ ˈalbɛɐ̯t ˈaɪnʃtaɪn ] ; 14 March 1879 -- 18 April 1955 ) was a German-born theoretical physicist . In 1901 , after being stateless for more than five years , Einstein acquired Swiss citizenship , which he kept for the rest of his life .