Eligibility for German Citizenship

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German citizenship can be acquired or restored through several legal pathways, especially for those with German ancestry or family members affected by historical injustices. This page outlines the key eligibility routes, including citizenship by descent (§ 4 StAG), restoration under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law, naturalization under § 15 StAG, and declaration-based acquisition under § 5 StAG.

The principle of jus sanguinis (right of blood) is the foundation of German nationality law. According to § 4 of the German Nationality Act (StAG), German citizenship is acquired at birth if at least one parent was a German citizen at that time.

However, in practice, this provision also applies to descendants of German citizens across multiple generations, including those whose grandparents, great-grandparents, or earlier ancestors were born German but whose citizenship may have been lost or interrupted due to historical circumstances.

• One of your forebears – such as a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent – was a German citizen at birth.
   

When we refer to a “German parent,” this often means the closest German-born ancestor in your lineage who legally held German citizenship. If citizenship was not passed down due to unjust legal provisions, you may now be entitled to reclaim it.

• Children born in wedlock before January 1, 1975 to German mothers and foreign fathers;
   
• Children born out of wedlock before July 1, 1993 to German fathers;
   
• Loss of citizenship due to marriage to a foreign national before April 1, 1953.
   

These and other discriminatory legal obstacles have been repealed, allowing many descendants of German citizens – even several generations removed – to obtain or restore their rightful nationality.

Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) guarantees citizenship restoration to individuals who were stripped of German nationality by the Nazi regime between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945, as well as to their descendants.

• Your ancestor lost German citizenship due to racial, political, or ideological persecution;
   
• You are a descendant (child, grandchild, or great-grandchild) of a victim of such persecution.
   

This process is a constitutional right, does not require integration or language exams.

Under § 5 of the German Nationality Act (StAG), individuals who were previously excluded from acquiring German citizenship due to discriminatory laws may now acquire it by declaration.

This applies especially to:

• Persons whose parent was unjustly denied transmission of nationality due to gender-based or marital status discrimination under old versions of the law.

• You or your parent acquired (or have the right to) German citizenship  under the new reparation rules from August 2021.
   

The declaration must be filed within ten years of the entry into force of the legal reform (i.e., by 20 August 2031). It offers a simplified, non-discretionary path to citizenship — once the conditions are met, the authorities must approve the request.

§ 15 StAG provides a route to naturalization for individuals who were historically excluded from acquiring German citizenship, especially for reasons tied to Nazi persecution or systemic injustice.

• Your ancestors were ethnic Germans excluded from collective naturalizations (e.g., in Danzig, Eastern Europe);
   
• Your family lost German citizenship due to forced displacement, war, or discrimination;
   
• You can demonstrate ties to Germany and a credible case of historical exclusion.
   

This process is often used to close gaps where constitutional or statutory rights under Art. 116(2) or § 4/§ 5 do not fully apply.

At Hannover German Citizenship, we specialize in assessing eligibility and preparing applications under German nationality law. Whether you’re reclaiming your citizenship by descent, declaration, or restoration, we provide:

• Personalized legal advice;
   
• Historical and genealogical research;
   
• Complete preparation and filing of your case.