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Citizenship
Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis, © Ute Grabowsky / photothek.net
- German citizenship by descent
- I. Birth to married parents
- II. Birth to unmarried parents
- German citizenship through birth on German territory
- Acquisition of German citizenship by declaration
- German citizenship by marriage
- German citizenship by adoption
- German citizenship on another basis
- Acquiring a foreign citizenship (non-EU)
The German Law on Nationality and Citizenship is rather complex and has undergone many changes in the past. However, some aspects have remained the same. Further information about German citizenship can be also found here.
German citizenship by descent
German citizenship can be acquired by descent, although it is not always acquired automatically by descent. Please check the cases below and refer to the section that applies to your individual case.
I. Birth to married parents
| My father was German at the time of my birth. |
You probably acquired German citizenship automatically. |
My mother was German at the time of my birth. |
You probably acquired German citizenship automatically. |
| My mother was German at the time of my birth. I was born before 1 January 1975. |
You will probably not have acquired German citizenship automatically, but you might be eligible for discretionary naturalisation. |
II. Birth to unmarried parents
| My mother was German at the time of my birth. |
You will probably have acquired German citizenship automatically. |
My legal father was German at the time of my birth. |
You will probably have acquired German citizenship automatically. |
My legal father was German at the time of my birth. |
You will probably not have acquired German citizenship automatically, but you might be eligible for discretionary naturalisation. |
German citizenship through birth on German territory
A child born in Germany on or after 1 January 2000 to non-German parents may acquire German citizenship under certain conditions:
At least one of the foreign parents must have been permanently resident in Germany for at least eight years (if the child is born after 26.06.2024: five years) and – for children born on or after 28 August 2007 – the parent must also possess indefinite leave to remain in Germany.
Children born to foreign parents in Germany before 1 January 2000 did not acquire German citizenship and cannot retroactively apply for citizenship.
Acquisition of German citizenship by declaration
The Fourth Act Amending the Nationality Act, which entered into force on 20 August 2021, has created a ten-year right of declaration (Section 5 of the Nationality Act). It grants children born to a German parent after 23 May 1949 (entry into force of the Basic Law) who, under the version of the Reich and Nationality Act valid at the time of their birth, were excluded in a gender-discriminating manner from acquiring German citizenship by descent at birth have the option of obtaining German citizenship by making a simple declaration to the competent citizenship authority. The option of acquisition by declaration also applies to their descendants.
The group of persons affected includes
- children born after 23 May 1949 to a German parent who did not acquire German nationality by birth (children born in wedlock prior to 1 January 1975 to a German mother and a foreign father or children born out of wedlock prior to 1 July 1993 to a German father and a foreign mother),
- children born after 23 May 1949 to a mother who lost her German citizenship through marriage to a foreigner pursuant to Section 17 (6) of the Reich and Nationality Act (old version) before the birth of the child prior to 1 April 1953,
- children born after 23 May 1949 who lost their German nationality acquired by birth through legitimisation effected by a foreigner and valid under German law pursuant to Section 17 (5) of the Reich and Nationality Act (old version) prior to 1 April 1953, and
- descendants of the children in paragraphs 1 to 3.
German citizenship by marriage
Foreign women who married a German citizen between 1 April 1914 and 31 March 1953 automatically acquired German citizenship.
Foreign women who married a German citizen between 1 April 1953 and 31 December 1969 could have acquired German citizenship under certain conditions.
Today, spouses do not automatically acquire the German citizenship.
German citizenship by adoption
If you were legally adopted under the age of 18 by at least one German citizen on or after 1 January 1977, you are a German citizen. If the adoption took place outside Germany it has to meet certain requirements.
German citizenship on another basis
Citizens of the former German Democratic Republic are usually considered citizens of the reunited Federal Republic of Germany as well. German minorities in central and eastern Europe may also have received German citizenship under certain circumstances during the Second World War.
Acquiring a foreign citizenship (non-EU)
As of 27 June 2024, German nationals may apply for any foreign nationality without relinquishing their German nationality. It is therefore no longer necessary to seek permission to retain a nationality.
Persons having acquired several nationalities by being born in Germany (i.e., by jus soli) must no longer decide between their German and the other nationality. There is no longer an obligation to opt out of one nationality.
Furthermore, persons can now be naturalised after having lived in Germany for five years, as opposed to the previous eight years.
The Act’s provisions are not retroactive regarding events prior to 27 June 2024. Previous provisions related to acquisition and relinquishment continue to apply to such “legacy” cases.
We provide answers to the most frequently asked questions below:
