The short version
- If a parent was German when you were born, you are usually German from birth.
- Births before 1975 followed older rules that treated mothers and fathers differently. A 2021 law lets many people fix that by declaration.
- Descendants of people stripped of German citizenship under the Nazis from 1933 to 1945 can have it restored.
- Since 27 June 2024, Germany allows dual citizenship, so you no longer have to give up another passport.
Can you claim German citizenship by descent?
Often, yes, if you have a German parent, or an ancestor who lost German citizenship under the Nazi regime. Germany passes citizenship down by blood line, set out in the German Nationality Act. The route you use depends on your family history.
Our Germany citizenship by descent page walks through the main cases. We last checked the official sources for this post in October 2026.
Are you German if a parent was German?
If you were born on or after 1 January 1975 and at least one parent was a German citizen at your birth, you are German from birth. This holds wherever you were born. It is the simplest route.
Older births are where it gets complicated, because the law used to treat mothers and fathers differently.
What about births before 1975?
Before 1975, a child born to a German mother and a foreign father often did not receive citizenship, and rules for children born outside marriage differed again. A 2021 reform created a declaration right so people shut out by those old gender and marriage rules can acquire citizenship by making a declaration, rather than a full naturalisation.
This covers many descendants of German women who married foreign men before 1975. The declaration is made to the German authorities, and the official pages set the deadline and documents.
Can citizenship be restored after the Nazi era?
Yes. Article 116(2) of Germany's Basic Law lets people who were deprived of German citizenship between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945 on political, racial or religious grounds have it restored, and their descendants can claim it too. A 2021 change widened who qualifies. The Federal Office of Administration handles these claims, and you do not need to live in Germany to apply.
Does Germany allow dual citizenship now?
Yes. The reform that took effect on 27 June 2024 generally allows multiple nationality, so you no longer have to give up another passport to be German. The Federal Foreign Office FAQ explains the change. For the US side of holding two passports, see dual citizenship for Americans, and for a country-specific look, dual citizenship for the US and Germany.
What if you have no German ancestor?
Then descent is not your path, and you move through a visa and, in time, naturalisation. We cover the visa routes in how to move to Germany from the US. Once you hold a German passport, the German passport page shows where it lets you travel. Family claims turn on exact dates and documents, so confirm yours with the German authorities before you rely on it.