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Citizenship by descent · Germany

German citizenship by descent.

See who qualifies, the ways to claim, the cost and the documents. Last checked 11 Oct 2026.

German citizenship by descent at a glance

In short

A child gets German citizenship at birth if a parent is German. People who missed out because of old rules on mothers and fathers, or because of Nazi persecution from 1933 to 1945, and their descendants, have special routes.

Who qualifies
Parent to child at birth, link by link. If a German parent was born abroad in 2000 or later and lives abroad, the child's birth must be registered within one year. The special routes for old rules on mothers and fathers and for Nazi persecution reach descendants of any generation, with a few exclusions
Ways to claim
Citizenship certificate, Declaration under section 5 (old rules on mothers and fathers), Restoration for families persecuted 1933 to 1945, Naturalisation from abroad (section 14) and Naturalisation of former Germans living abroad (section 13)
Official body
Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt, BVA)
Check if you qualify

Routes

Ways to claim.

Each route has its own steps, cost and documents. The official page has the full rules.

Route

Citizenship certificate

People living abroad who may already be German by descent and want proof. Authorities usually ask for a certificate only when they doubt your citizenship.

Official page

Steps

  • Collect birth and marriage records for you and each person you get German citizenship from, back to the German ancestor.
  • Add proof the ancestor was German, such as an old German passport, ID card or naturalisation certificate.
  • Fill in the form in German: Antrag F for age 16 and over, or Antrag FK for under 16. Add Anlage V for each German ancestor, one by one.
  • Hand it in at your German mission or send it to the BVA in Cologne. The BVA also takes applications through the federal portal.
  • The BVA checks when and how your line got German citizenship, and whether anyone lost it.
  • The BVA sends the certificate and the fee demand to your German mission. Pay only when asked.
Cost
51 euros for the certificate, paid when the BVA asks. A refusal costs 25 to 51 euros. Records, translations and certified copies can cost extra.
Time
About 2.5 to 3 years on average, says a German embassy page. It also says each case is different.

Documents

  • The application form, filled in in German
  • Your passport or ID card
  • Birth records for you and each person in your German line
  • Marriage records and family books, if you have them
  • Proof an ancestor was German: a German passport or ID card, a naturalisation certificate, a citizenship certificate or a Heimatschein
  • Certified copies, made by an official or a notary

"Die Feststellung der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit dient dazu, verbindlich feststellen zu lassen, ob Sie die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit besitzen." (BVA: how to apply for a citizenship certificate)

Route

Declaration under section 5 (old rules on mothers and fathers)

People born after 23 May 1949 who could not get German citizenship at birth from a German parent, or lost it, because of old rules that treated mothers and fathers differently. All their descendants too. A prison sentence of two years or more, at home or abroad, can block it.

Official page

Steps

  • Check that you, a parent or an earlier ancestor fit one of the groups on the BVA checklist. A prison sentence of two years or more can block it. So can a child born abroad whose birth was not registered in time.
  • Fill in the BVA declaration form (Vordruck EER) in German. Add Anlage EER if you have no other open case with the BVA, and Anlage AV for each extra ancestor.
  • Add birth, marriage and descent records back to the German parent, proof that parent was German, a copy of your passport and a current police certificate from the country you live in.
  • Hand it in at your German mission or send it to the BVA in Cologne. It must reach the BVA by 19 August 2031.
  • If all conditions are met, you become German on the day the BVA gets the declaration. You then get a certificate.
Cost
Free. Records, translations and certified copies can cost money.
Time
About 2 to 2.5 years on average, says a German embassy page. The London embassy asks people not to ask about progress until 30 months have passed.

Documents

  • The declaration form (Vordruck EER) and Anlage EER, filled in in German
  • Anlage AV for each extra German ancestor
  • A copy of your passport or ID card
  • Birth, marriage and descent records for you and each person back to the German parent
  • Proof the parent or ancestor was German, such as a German passport or ID card or a naturalisation certificate
  • A current police certificate from your country of residence, as an original
  • Certified copies of the other papers, made by an official or a notary

"The declaration must be received by the Federal Office of Administration by 19 August 2031 at the latest." (German Embassy London: acquisition of German citizenship by declaration)

Route

Restoration for families persecuted 1933 to 1945

People who lost German citizenship, gave it up, or were denied it, because of Nazi persecution on political, racial or religious grounds from 30 January 1933 to 8 May 1945. All their descendants too. A prison sentence of two years or more can block it.

Official page

Steps

  • Find records of the persecuted ancestor's German citizenship and what happened to it. If papers are missing, the BVA says you can still apply and share what you know.
  • Collect birth and marriage records that link you to that ancestor.
  • Apply to the BVA online through the federal portal. Or fill in the form and hand it in at your German mission, or send it to the BVA. English forms exist for Article 116(2).
  • The BVA checks which law fits: Article 116(2) of the Basic Law, for citizenship taken away, or section 15 of the Nationality Act, for other losses.
  • You become German when you are handed the naturalisation certificate. No citizenship test is needed.
Cost
Free. Records, translations and certified copies can cost money.
Time
About 1.5 years (Article 116(2)) to 2.5 years (section 15) on average, says a German embassy page.

Documents

  • The application form
  • Your passport or ID card
  • Proof the ancestor was German, such as old German passports, deregistration papers from before 1945 or an old Heimatschein
  • Proof of the persecution, such as a religion entry on birth or marriage records, notes in passports, or compensation records
  • Birth and marriage records linking you to that ancestor
  • A police certificate, if the BVA asks for one

"und ihre Abkömmlinge sind auf Antrag wieder einzubürgern" (Basic Law (Grundgesetz), Article 116)

Route

Naturalisation from abroad (section 14)

People living abroad with very close ties to Germany. The BVA calls this an exception. People born before 24 May 1949 who missed out because of the old rules on mothers and fathers can also use it, with more conditions. There is no right to it: the BVA decides.

Official page

Steps

  • Show a public interest and close ties to Germany in several ways, such as family and friends there, long or regular stays, or property.
  • Show German at level B1, usually with the Zertifikat Deutsch, spoken and written.
  • Show you can support yourself and your family without state help, with cover for illness, care, disability and old age, and have no criminal record.
  • Fill in the form (Antrag EB, or EBK for under 16) in German. Hand it in, in person, at your German mission. Do not send it straight to the BVA.
  • You may have to take a citizenship test. You become German when you are handed the naturalisation certificate.
Cost
255 euros for an adult. 51 euros for each child under 18 naturalised at the same time. A refusal costs 25 to 255 euros for an adult. Pay when the BVA asks.
Time
Not published

Documents

  • The application form (Antrag EB, or EBK under 16), filled in in German
  • Your passport or ID card
  • Birth, descent and marriage records, as certified copies
  • Proof you meet the conditions: ties to Germany, German at level B1, and support for you and your family. The BVA page does not list the exact papers.
  • Papers on any other citizenships and any name changes

"Die Einbürgerung von Personen, die im Ausland leben, liegt im Ermessen des Bundesverwaltungsamtes. Ein Anspruch auf Einbürgerung besteht daher nicht." (BVA: no right to naturalisation under section 14)

Route

Naturalisation of former Germans living abroad (section 13)

People who used to be German, live abroad, and lost German citizenship, for example by taking another citizenship. Their minor children can be included. The BVA decides each case.

Official page

Steps

  • Check the conditions: a public interest, ties to Germany in several ways, support for you and your family, German at level B1 (usually the Zertifikat Deutsch) and no criminal record.
  • Fill in the form (Antrag EB, or EBK for under 16) in German. A separate information sheet exists for people from the EU or Switzerland.
  • Collect birth, descent and marriage records, and proof you were German, such as old German passports, naturalisation certificates, citizenship certificates or a register extract.
  • Hand it in, in person, at your German mission. The mission adds its view and sends it to the BVA. Do not send it straight to the BVA.
  • You may have to take a citizenship test. You become German when you are handed the naturalisation certificate.
Cost
255 euros for an adult. 51 euros for each child under 18 naturalised at the same time. A refusal costs 25 to 255 euros for an adult. Pay when the BVA asks.
Time
Not published

Documents

  • The application form (Antrag EB, or EBK under 16), filled in in German
  • Your passport or ID card
  • Birth, descent and marriage records, as certified copies
  • Proof you were German: a German passport or ID card, a naturalisation certificate, a citizenship certificate, a Heimatschein or a register extract
  • Papers on any other citizenships and any name changes

"Sie leben im Ausland und besaßen früher einmal die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit, die Sie jetzt wieder erwerben wollen." (BVA: how to apply as a former German (section 13 StAG))

Answer a few questions to see which route may fit you.

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FAQ

Common questions.

Can I get German citizenship through my grandparent?

Maybe. Citizenship passes from parent to child, so it depends on whether your parent got it and kept it. Old rules on mothers and fathers, or taking another citizenship before 27 June 2024, could break the line. The BVA can check your whole line.

My mother was German and my father was not. Can I get German citizenship?

Possibly. If you were born from 24 May 1949 to 31 December 1974 and your parents were married before your birth, you and your descendants can make a free declaration to the BVA. It must reach the BVA by 19 August 2031. From 1975, children of a German mother are usually German from birth.

My family fled the Nazis. Can I get German citizenship?

Possibly. People who lost or were denied German citizenship through persecution from 1933 to 1945, and all their descendants, can apply to the BVA. It is free.

Do I have to give up my other citizenship to be German?

No. Germany does not ask you to give it up. Whether you keep it depends on the law of your other country. Since 27 June 2024, Germans who take another citizenship by applying for it also keep German citizenship. This change does not work backwards.

My child was born abroad. Is my child German?

Usually yes, if you are German. But if you were born abroad in 2000 or later and live abroad, the birth must be registered with Germany within one year. If not, the child does not get German citizenship, unless the child would otherwise have no citizenship.

How long does the BVA take?

Years, on average: about 2.5 to 3 years for a citizenship certificate, 2 to 2.5 years for a section 5 declaration, and 1.5 to 2.5 years for restoration after Nazi persecution. German embassy and BVA pages say each case is different, and asking for updates does not speed it up.

I took another citizenship before 27 June 2024. Can I get German citizenship back?

Maybe. A German who took another citizenship by applying for it usually lost German citizenship before that date. This did not happen with a permit to keep it, or with an EU or Swiss citizenship. One route back is naturalisation of former Germans living abroad (section 13). The BVA decides each case.

I live in Germany. Does the BVA handle my case?

No. The BVA handles people who live abroad. If you live in Germany, your city or district office handles it.

Other countries

Descent by country.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Last checked 11 Oct 2026.

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