How to get german citizenship by descent

Did you know that if you have German ancestry, you might be eligible for German citizenship and an EU passport? This means you can live, work and study in any of the 28 EU member countries with no restrictions. German passports are considered one of the most valuable in the world as they offer visa-free travel to 177 countries.

How does it work?

You can apply to reclaim your German citizenship by proving your heritage and by satisfying eligibility criteria set by the German government. Your application form needs to be accompanied by your ancestral and personal documents, translated into German. 

How do I know if I qualify?

Many people whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in Germany qualify for German citizenship through descent.

In essence you can reclaim your German citizenship by descent if:

  • You have ancestors who had their citizenship taken away under Nazi rule on political, racial or religious grounds in 1938.
  • You were born before 1975 as the legitimate child of a German citizen father.
  • You were born after 1975 as the legitimate child of a German citizen father or mother.
  • You were born after June 1993 as the illegitimate child of a German citizen father and paternity is proven before you turn 23.

How can Polaron help me?

  • We offer a free and confidential eligibility assessment.
  • If you are eligible, we can provide you with a no-obligation quote.
  • Should you decide to proceed with us, we provide you with linguistic, administrative and legal support and navigate through German regulations on your behalf.

Welcome

FAQ

German citizenship

German citizenship is attained at birth if at least one parent is German. If you are not married and only the father is a German national, the child only attains German citizenship if the father effectively recognizes his paternity according to German law.

German nationals born abroad on or after 1 January 2000 should note that any children of theirs born outside Germany will acquire German nationality only if the parents report the birth to the competent German mission abroad before the child's first birthday.

Information on applying for a passport and, where applicable, on acknowledgement of paternity is available at the German mission covering your place of residence.

German missions abroad: Countries A to Z

German passports are only issued to German citizens. Having German ancestors resp. the fact that your father and/or your mother was/were born in Germany is unfortunately not enough to attain German citizenship. Rather, your father and/or mother have to have been German citizens at the time of your birth. If you were born before 1 January 1975 and your parents were married, you only attained German citizenship if your father was German at the time of your birth or if your parents submitted a declaration by 31 December 1977 stating they wanted German citizenship for their child.

  • Law on Nationality

Provided certain other conditions are met you have the right to naturalization after you have been legally resident in the Federal Republic of Germany for three years. However you have to have been married for at least two years.

For further advice and information, please contact the competent local German authority.

No, as far as German law is concerned, if your child automatically had two nationalities at birth, he/she does not have to decide between the two at a later stage. Your child is therefore a permanent holder of dual nationality. In some cases, the law of the other country may however dictate a need to choose. You are asked to contact the competent agency of the other country in such cases (interior ministry or authorities or the foreign missions of the other country).

Yes. A child born in Germany (on or after 1 January 2000) can acquire German nationality, even if neither of the parents is German. The only precondition is that one of the parents has been legally and habitually resident in Germany for eight years and has a permanent right of residence. The child must however decide at some stage between the age of 18 and 23 whether to retain his/her German nationality or another nationality acquired by birth.

For further advice, please contact the competent authorities at your place of residence.

A child can attain German citizenship by being born in Germany even if neither parent is German. However this only applies to children born on or after 1 January 2000.

A further condition is that one parent has been legally resident in Germany for eight years and has a right of unlimited residence or for three years an unlimited residence permit. Children who become German citizens in this way must however decide between the age of 18 and 23 whether they want to retain German citizenship or the citizenship of their parents.

Yes, in principle this is possible. Mastery of the German language and proof of ties to Germany are just as important as the prognosis that the applicant for citizenship will not require state funds for maintenance if he/she moves to Germany. There are a number of other conditions.

You are advised to contact the competent German mission abroad to avoid submitting an application that cannot be accepted but which is nevertheless subject to a fee.

German missions abroad: Countries A to Z

A German national who applies for and receives a foreign nationality (except the nationality of one of the EU Member States or Switzerland) loses his/her German nationality. The only way of preventing the loss of German citizenship is if the applicant obtained permission to retain the nationality by the German authorities prior to acquiring the foreign nationality.

German nationals required to perform military service who voluntarily enter the forces or comparable armed groups of a country of which they are also a national without the consent of the district draft board lose their German nationality automatically.

For further advice, please contact the competent German mission covering your place of residence.

German missions abroad: Countries A to Z

In principle it is possible for former Germans to be renaturalized. Key conditions include the ability to support oneself, mastery of the German language and proof of ties to Germany. Generally health insurance for Germany is also required. Chances are very much increased by a readiness to relinquish all previous nationalities.

If the applicant is not prepared to do so, he/she has to outline in detail the reasons for not relinquishing his/her current nationality in line with the retention permit.

Such a naturalization does not automatically include children, grandchildren and other descendants. Separate applications have to be submitted and the above criteria apply.
For further advice, please contact the competent German mission covering your place of residence.

German missions abroad: Countries A to Z

Yes, victims of National Socialist denationalization measures and their descendants have the right to be renationalized in line with Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law even if this means multiple nationality. There is no need to prove knowledge of the German language. Nevertheless it is examined whether the German nationality of the ancestor could have been lost for reasons unrelated to National Socialism. Were this the case, the descendants would have no right to German citizenship.

For further advice, please contact the competent German mission covering your place of residence.

German missions abroad: Countries A to Z

How many generations back can you claim German citizenship?

All three generations that came before you could be German citizens, as would you. Citizenship by descent helps one reclaim citizenship that's rightfully theirs but, due to various circumstances, has been lost throughout the years.

Can I get German citizenship through my great grandparents?

If you do have family ties, then you may be eligible to apply for German citizenship by descent. This means that if one of your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents was a German citizen, then you may also be one!

How long does German citizenship by descent take?

If the application is successful you will be issued a certificate of citizenship which is proof of your German citizenship. The certificate will be handed out to you for a fee of EUR 25.00. The processing time may take between two and three years.

What is the fastest way to get German citizenship?

You must have lived in Germany on a residence permit for at least eight years, or. You must have lived in Germany on a residence permit for seven years and attended an integration course (this becomes six years in special integration circumstances) You must prove German language proficiency of at least B1.