German citizenship by descent
Last reviewed against the official sources below: October 31, 2026.
| Who qualifies | A child of a German parent is German by birth, subject to the rules for births abroad |
|---|---|
| Generation limit | No fixed number, but each generation must have held German citizenship; for births abroad, a German parent born abroad after Dec 31, 1999 must register the birth within 1 year |
| Filing authority | Federal Office of Administration (BVA), directly or through a German mission |
| Route types | Confirmation (Feststellung) for people already German; restoration under Article 116(2) or naturalization under Section 15 for descendants of persecuted Germans |
| Processing time | BVA says two years is unfortunately not unusual |
Who qualifies
A child acquires German citizenship by birth if one parent is German. Source: Nationality Act, s. 4(1)
A child born abroad doesn't automatically become German if the German parent was born abroad after December 31, 1999, lives abroad, and the child gets another citizenship at birth, unless the parents register the birth in the German birth register within one year. Source: Federal Foreign Office Source: Nationality Act, s. 4(4) More: the generational cut-off.
Naturalization breaks
Since June 27, 2024, Germans can take another citizenship by application without losing German citizenship. The law isn't retroactive, so the old rules still decide whether an ancestor who took another citizenship before that date lost German citizenship. Source: Federal Foreign Office
The BVA looks at births, marriages, adoptions and historical events, such as collective naturalizations during World War II or acquiring a foreign citizenship, to work out whether you hold German citizenship. Source: BVA
Proving it: the citizenship certificate
The BVA can make a binding finding (Feststellung) and issue a citizenship certificate. Use form Antrag F (16 and older) or FK (under 16), plus one Anlage V for each generation when you claim through ancestors, completed in German. Send officially or notarially certified copies unless stated otherwise, to your German mission or directly to the BVA in Cologne. Source: BVA, How to apply Full guide · Printable checklist.
Exceptions: descendants of people persecuted 1933–1945
Former German citizens deprived of citizenship on political, racial or religious grounds between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945, and their descendants, can have citizenship restored on application under Article 116(2) of the Basic Law. Others may qualify for naturalization under Section 15 of the Nationality Act. Source: Federal Foreign Office See Article 116(2) and Section 15.
Processing time
The BVA says a processing time of two years is unfortunately not unusual for citizenship determinations. Source: BVA
Printable Germany document checklist Pre-screen for Germany
Germany articles
- Germany's Generational Cut-Off for Children Born Abroad Germany
- Can You Keep Another Citizenship as a German? The June 2024 Change Germany
- German Citizenship Restoration Under Article 116(2) for Descendants of Persecuted Germans Germany
- Section 15 StAG: German Citizenship for Descendants When an Ancestor Fled Nazi Persecution Germany
- How to Prove You're Already German: The BVA Citizenship Certificate (Feststellung) Germany
- Why Are German Article 116 Applications Delayed? The BVA's October 2026 Notice Germany
Official sources
- Nationality Act (English)
- Federal Foreign Office: births abroad
- Federal Foreign Office: 2024 law
- BVA: Feststellung
- Federal Foreign Office: restoration