German Citizenship by Descent [2025 Guide]

Key Takeaways

• German citizenship can be acquired by descent, depending on various considerations. These include factors such as the date of your birth, your parents’ citizenship, and whether you were born in or out of wedlock.
• If you lost your German citizenship due to National Socialism denationalization measures, you and your descendants may apply for renaturalization.
• Suppose you couldn’t acquire German citizenship at birth due to the “Reich and Nationality Act.” The new Nationality Act grants you the right to acquire German citizenship by declaration. You are entitled to this right until August 2031. 

Table of Contents

Get German citizenship by descent

You can get German citizenship via one of the six ways.

1. Naturalization
2. Descent
3. Adoption
4. Birth
5. Marriage
6. Citizenship by declaration

In this guide, we focus on German citizenship by descent.

Various factors must be considered when acquiring German citizenship through one’s descent or ancestry, such as whether the child was born in or out of wedlock.

In which circumstances do you acquire German citizenship through descent?

Here is a summary of situations where you acquire German citizenship at birth.

Children born to married parents (born in wedlock)

You are automatically granted German citizenship at birth if you meet any of the following conditions:

• You are born on or after Jan. 1, 1914 and your father was a German citizen at the time of your birth
• You are born on or after Jan. 1, 1975, and have at least one German parent.

If you were born to a German mother between Jan. 1, 1964, and Dec. 31, 1974, you would only acquire German citizenship by descent if you were stateless otherwise. 

Children born to unmarried parents (born out of wedlock)

• You automatically acquire German citizenship by birth if you are a child born to a German mother on or after Jan. 1, 1914.
• If you are born to a German father on or after July 1, 1993, you may also acquire German citizenship by descent. However, paternity must be legally recognized under German law.
• If born before 30 June 1993, you will not acquire German citizenship by descent. However, you may still apply for German citizenship by declaration if you meet these conditions:
  • Paternity is established according to German law
  • You have resided in Germany for at least three years
  • You make the declaration at your German residence before your 23rd birthday

German Citizenship via Legitimation

Suppose you were a child born out of wedlock to a German father. As a result, you could not acquire German citizenship by birth. 

In this case, you can still obtain German citizenship if you meet the following conditions.

• You are a child born between Jan. 1, 1914, and June 30, 1998.
• Your father had German citizenship at the time of your birth, and your mother was a non-German.
• Your parents got married at a later date but before July 1998.

The marriage of the parents of a child born out of wedlock is called “legitimation.” This is why it’s called getting German citizenship by legitimation.

Can former Germans get German Citizenship?

On August 20, 2021, amendments in the Nationality Act allowed former German citizens and their descendants to acquire their nationality through renaturalization and declaration.

You can apply for German citizenship in the following situations.

Lost German citizenship due to “National Socialism” injustices

Suppose you lost or have to give up your German citizenship due to National Socialist denationalization measures. In this case, you and your descendants have the right to renaturalization. The legal basis for this is Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law.

Moreover, you don’t have to prove German proficiency and can have multiple nationalities. 

NOTE: The German citizenship authority will examine that you or your ancestor lost their citizenship due to National Socialism. If this is not the case, you and your descendants cannot get German citizenship.

Couldn’t get German citizenship under “Reich and Nationality Act”

Suppose you couldn’t acquire German citizenship at birth due to the “Reich and Nationality Act.” The amendment in the Nationality Act gives you an option to get German citizenship. 

The amendment applies to the people who meet the following criteria.

• You are born to a German parent after 23 May 1949.
• You were excluded from getting German citizenship at birth in a gender-discriminating manner.

You have ten years (until August 2031) to acquire German citizenship. You only have to make a simple declaration to the competent citizenship authority. 

FAQ

I live abroad, but I was born to German parents. Can I still acquire German citizenship by descent?

Yes, people living abroad who have German parents can acquire German citizenship by descent.

However, your parents must have reported your birth to a competent German mission before your first birthday.

Does Germany allow dual citizenship?

Yes, German law allows dual or multiple citizenship. However, you must check the laws of your other citizenship. It may require you to revoke your German nationality.