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Germany citizenship by descent: who qualifies in 2026
Germany has several routes for Americans with German roots. You may already be German by birth, you may qualify under §5 StAG if past gender discrimination in the law excluded your line, or you may be able to restore citizenship if your ancestors were persecuted between 1933 and 1945.
- Route
- Citizenship by birth, §5 StAG declaration, and restoration (Art. 116(2) GG / §15 StAG)
- How far back
- Depends on the route. The restoration routes cover all descendants.
- Language test
- No
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed for all routes since the June 2024 reform.
- Government fee
- Restoration (Art. 116(2) / §15) is free; a confirmation of citizenship (Feststellung) is €51
- Typical timeline
- Often 2 to 3 years at the Federal Office of Administration (BVA)
The rules that decide eligibility
- If the chain of German citizenship was never broken, you may already be a German citizen and only need it confirmed.
- Section 5 StAG lets people excluded by old gender-discriminatory rules acquire citizenship by declaration (for example, a German mother before 1975). The deadline is August 19, 2031.
- Article 116(2) of the Basic Law restores citizenship to people deprived of it on political, racial or religious grounds between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945, and to all of their descendants.
- Section 15 StAG covers persecution victims and descendants who fall outside Article 116(2).
- Applicants who live abroad file with the Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) in Cologne, usually through a German mission.
What to watch
- The §5 declaration window closes on August 19, 2031.