German Citizenship by Descent: Your "Get Started" Guide

German citizenship by descent is one of the most powerful in the world, granting full access to the European Union (EU) and the largest economy in Europe.

The landscape of German citizenship has changed dramatically in recent years.

1. August 2021 (StAG § 5): A massive 10-year window opened to allow descendants affected by past gender discrimination to claim citizenship via "Declaration."
2. June 2024 (Dual Citizenship): Germany passed a historic law finally allowing dual citizenship for all applicants, removing the requirement to renounce your previous nationality.

This guide outlines the essential first steps, key requirements, and what you can expect in terms of timeline and cost to begin your journey.

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1. Am I Eligible? Key Requirements (The 3 Pathways)

Eligibility depends entirely on when you were born and the gender of the German ancestor.

• Pathway A: The "New Law" (StAG § 5 - Declaration)
  
  • Target Audience: Descendants victims of gender discrimination.
  • Specific Criteria:
    
    • Children born to a German mother and a foreign father before 1975 (who were previously excluded).
    • Children born to a German father and a foreign mother out of wedlock (before 1993).
    • Descendants of these children (grandchildren/great-grandchildren).
  • Deadline: You must apply before August 19, 2031.
• Pathway B: Restoration (Article 116 - Persecution)
  
  • Target Audience: Descendants of victims of the Nazi regime.
  • Specific Criteria:
    
    • Your ancestor was a German citizen (mostly Jewish) who was deprived of their citizenship on political, racial, or religious grounds between January 30, 1933, and May 8, 1945.
  • Details: This right is constitutional and has no deadline.
• Pathway C: "Feststellung" (Certificate of Citizenship)
  
  • Target Audience: Those who are already citizens by law but have no passport.
  • Specific Criteria:
    
    • Example: You were born after 1975 to a married German parent, or your ancestor never lost their citizenship. You need to prove the "Unbroken Chain" back to 1914 or 1938.
• Requirement Category: Language
  
  • Specific Criteria: No Language Requirement.
  • Details: For Citizenship by Descent (StAG 5, Art 116, or Feststellung), no German language test is required.
• Requirement Category: Dual Citizenship
  
  • Specific Criteria: Fully Permitted (New 2024 Law).
  • Details: As of June 27, 2024, Germany allows multiple citizenships. You do not need to renounce your current passport.
• Strategic Tip: Most applicants today fall under StAG § 5. Before 2021, if your grandmother was German but married a foreigner, the line was cut. Now, that line is restored. Check your grandmother's history first.

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2. The First Action: Document Collection & Preparation

Your initial focus must be on proving the German ancestor's status before they emigrated or before the relevant life event. The authority is the Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) in Cologne.

Document integrity (Certified Copies and Translations) is the single most critical factor for approval.

📑 What to Collect First

• Your Ancestor's Proof:
  
  • Birth Certificate: From the German Standesamt (Civil Registry).
  • Old German Passport: Or a Meldekarte (Residence Card) from the town where they lived.
  • Marriage Certificate: Crucial for StAG 5 cases to prove if the child was born in or out of wedlock.
• Proof of Emigration/Naturalization:
  
  • You must prove when your ancestor left Germany and if/when they became a citizen of the new country (e.g., US Naturalization Certificate).
  • Why? If your ancestor naturalized voluntarily before the birth of the next generation (and before the new dual citizenship laws), they likely lost German citizenship, breaking the chain.
• Personal Integrity (StAG 5 Only):
  
  • Criminal Record Check: For the StAG 5 Declaration route, applicants aged 14+ must submit a clean criminal background check (Führungszeugnis) from their country of residence.
• Lineage Documents: Your own Birth Certificate, and the Birth and Marriage Certificates for every generation.
  
  • (Requires Long-Form certified copies).

📝 Document Authentication is Key

The BVA is meticulous but has specific rules for different countries.

• Authentication (Apostille): Generally, documents from the EU do not need Apostilles. Documents from the US, Latin America, etc., usually require an Apostille.
• Translations: All non-German documents must be translated.
  
  • Strict Rule: Translations must be done by a Sworn Translator (Vereidigter Übersetzer).
  • Exception: Sometimes, for simple documents (like English birth certs), the BVA may accept them without translation, but it is risky. The official rule is "German only."

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3. What to Expect: Timeline and Cost

The process is centralized in Cologne (Köln). Embassies/Consulates act only as mailboxes; they do not make decisions.

⏱️ Estimated Timeline

Due to the massive influx of applications from the 2021 law and the 2024 Brexit/Dual Citizenship changes, the BVA is backlogged.

• Step: Preparation
  
  • Estimated Time: 3–6 Months.
  • What Happens: Locating records in German archives (Standesamt or Bundesarchiv).
• Step: Submission
  
  • Estimated Time: 1 Day.
  • What Happens: You submit the forms (Form EER for StAG 5, Form F for Feststellung) via the German Consulate or mail them directly to the BVA in Cologne. You receive a File Number (Aktenzeichen) usually weeks or months later.
• Step: Processing
  
  • Estimated Time: 18–24+ Months.
  • What Happens: The file sits in the queue. The BVA verifies if the ancestor lost citizenship at any point.
• Step: Finalization
  
  • Estimated Time: 1–2 Months.
  • What Happens: You receive a Certificate of Citizenship (Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis) or a Certificate of Declaration (Urkunde). You can then apply for a passport (Reisepass).

💰 Estimated Cost

Germany is unique because the reparations and declaration routes are often free or very low cost.

• Cost Category: Official Application Fees
  
  • Estimated Range: €0 - €255.
  • Details:
    
    • StAG § 5 & Art 116: Free of charge (Reparation).
    • Feststellung: €51 (Certificate of Citizenship).
    • Naturalization: €255 (Standard discretionary cases).
• Cost Category: Document Retrieval
  
  • Estimated Range: $100 - $400.
  • Details: German registries charge small fees (~€10-€30) for birth certificates.
• Cost Category: Translations
  
  • Estimated Range: $500 - $1,500.
  • Details: Sworn German translations are the primary expense.
• Cost Category: Total Estimated Administrative Cost
  
  • Estimated Range: $600 - $2,000.
  • Details: Primarily for translations and Apostilles. The process itself is very affordable.

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✅ Your Next Steps

• Identify the Form: Do not just fill out any form.
  
  • Use Form EER if you are applying under the new gender discrimination law (StAG 5).
  • Use Form F if you are applying for confirmation of existing citizenship (Feststellung).
• Find the "Melderegister": If you don't have a passport, try to find the "Residence Registration" (Melderegisterauskunft) from the town where your ancestor lived before emigrating. This is often easier to get than a birth certificate if the records were destroyed in WWII.
• Check the 2024 Rule: If you held back before because of dual citizenship concerns, you can now proceed. The ban on dual citizenship was lifted in June 2024.

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