Germany citizenship by descent
Potential German (EU) citizenship by restoration for descendants of Nazi-era persecutees (Art. 116(2) / Sec. 15 StAG), and a time-limited Sec. 5 declaration route for those affected by past gender-discriminatory rules.
Confirmedbva.bund.dechecked Jun 2026
Who may qualify
Eligibility is typically through a great-grandparent born in Germany (or otherwise meeting continuity-of-citizenship rules), documented with official records.
Restoration routes rather than ordinary descent: Art. 116(2) of the Basic Law and Sec. 15 StAG restore citizenship to descendants of people persecuted by the Nazi regime (1933-1945) who lost or were denied German citizenship - with NO generational and NO time limit. A separate Sec. 5 StAG declaration route (until 19 Aug 2031) covers descendants excluded by historic gender-discriminatory rules. Dual citizenship is now permitted.
Documents typically required
Evidence of the ancestor's German citizenship and of persecution/loss (or the gender-discrimination defect); the connecting birth/marriage records; no language test or fee for the 116(2) route.
Realistic timeline
Roughly 18 months in our sourced estimate — consular queues vary.
What a Germany passport unlocks
Visa-free or visa-on-arrival to 185 destinations
Ranked 3 of the 44 nationalities pass2port currently covers
View Germany Mobility IndexRelated nationality guides
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