The Next Passport
German Citizenship by Descent
Research hub for German citizenship by descent. Roughly 45 million Americans claim German ancestry — the third most common heritage group in the United States. Three legal paths may apply to your family: §4 StAG (regular descent), §5 StAG (a 2021 gender-discrimination fix with an August 19, 2031 deadline), and Art. 116(2) of the Basic Law (restitution for those stripped of citizenship during the Nazi era).
The Next Passport is not affiliated with the Bundesverwaltungsamt, the German Federal Foreign Office, or any immigration attorney. Content is informational only and is not legal advice.
Free tools tell you IF you qualify. We help you COMPLETE the BVA application.
Our free eligibility check takes a few minutes and tells you if you may be eligible for German citizenship by descent — and which of the three legal paths (§4, §5, or Art. 116(2)) may apply to your family history.
Check your eligibility →The Three Paths to German Citizenship by Descent
Unlike single-track countries (Canada's Bill C-3, Ireland's Foreign Birth Registration), Germany has three distinct legal routes. Choosing the correct route matters — the forms, deadlines, and fees are different, and applying on the wrong track can result in rejection even when you are clearly eligible under another.
§4 StAG — Feststellung (Regular Descent)
The default route for people with a German citizen parent (or grandparent whose child was born before they naturalized abroad). §4 StAG requires an unbroken chain — each ancestor in the chain must have held German citizenship at the moment the next generation was born. Foreign naturalization before the child's birth is the most common chain-breaker (§25 StAG). Fee: €51 payable after approval. Expected processing: 2–3 years.
§5 StAG — Gender-Discrimination Declaration
A 2021 law created four statutory categories of people who were denied German citizenship by pre-1975 gender rules — notably, descendants of German mothers who lost citizenship by marrying a foreigner before 1953, or who could not pass citizenship to children born in wedlock before 1975. Filed by declaration (not Feststellung), no need to prove an unbroken chain, and FREE. Deadline: August 19, 2031.
Art. 116(2) Basic Law — Restitution
A constitutional right to restoration for those stripped of German citizenship between 1933 and 1945 on political, racial, or religious grounds — and their descendants. Applies to Jewish families, political opponents, Roma and Sinti, and religious dissenters who were denaturalized or forced to emigrate. No deadline, no fee, and in 2025 the government removed a prior generational cap. Adjudicated by a separate BVA department that often processes cases faster than the general queue.
What Makes Germany Different
Three features set German citizenship by descent apart from Italian, Canadian, or Irish paths.
One central adjudicator (BVA Cologne)
Every German citizenship by descent application — whether §4, §5, or Art. 116(2) — is decided by the Bundesverwaltungsamt in Cologne. There is no consulate jurisdiction map. Your local German consulate forwards documents but does not decide eligibility.
Dual citizenship is now permitted (since June 27, 2024)
The StARModG reform of 2024 legalized dual citizenship for Germans. You may keep your US passport. Before this change, naturalizing in another country automatically cost you German citizenship under §25 StAG unless you had obtained a Beibehaltungsgenehmigung (retention permit) in advance.
Three deadlines of three kinds
§4 StAG has no filing deadline but has a §4(4) registration deadline for births abroad after December 31, 1999 — you may have to register with a German mission before age 23. §5 StAG has a hard August 19, 2031 deadline to file the declaration. Art. 116(2) has no deadline at all.
Application Guides
Detailed guides for each German citizenship by descent path and the BVA application process. Each guide covers eligibility requirements, required documents, and step-by-step instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to give up my US citizenship to claim German citizenship by descent?
No. Since the StARModG reform came into force on June 27, 2024, Germany permits dual citizenship without restriction. You may hold both US and German passports. The 2024 reform also means German citizens can now naturalize in foreign countries without automatically losing German citizenship under §25 StAG.
Which German agency decides my application?
The Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) in Cologne is the sole authority for German citizenship by descent, regardless of where you live. You submit through your nearest German consulate, which forwards to BVA Cologne — but the decision is made centrally.
How long does the BVA take to process an application?
Current BVA averages are approximately 2–3 years from submission to issuance of the Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis (citizenship certificate). Art. 116(2) restitution cases are often faster (6–18 months) due to the German government's political priority for reconciliation after the 2021 federal apology.
What is the fee for German citizenship by descent?
§4 StAG Feststellung applications have a €51 fee payable after approval (not upfront). §5 StAG declarations and Art. 116(2) restitution applications are FREE under the §38(2) StAG fee waiver.
Can I claim through my great-grandparent?
Usually not through §4 StAG alone — an intervening ancestor who naturalized abroad typically breaks the chain under §25 StAG. If you trace descent only through a great-grandparent, your likely path is §5 StAG (gender-fix declaration) or Art. 116(2) (Nazi-era persecution restitution).
What is the §5 StAG deadline?
August 19, 2031. This 10-year filing window was set by the 2021 law that codified the expanded §5 StAG categories after the Federal Constitutional Court ruled pre-1975 gender discrimination in citizenship transmission unconstitutional. As of 2026, more than five years remain — but the deadline is firm.
Other Countries We Support
The Next Passport also helps with citizenship by descent for other countries.
Italian Citizenship by Descent
Canadian Citizenship by Descent
Irish Citizenship by Descent
Polish Citizenship by DescentThe Next Passport is not affiliated with the Bundesverwaltungsamt, the German Federal Foreign Office, or any immigration attorney. Content is informational only and is not legal advice. Verify all details with official German government sources before submitting documents.