German Citizenship by Descent

Eligibility for German Citizenship by Descent

To be eligible for German Citizenship by Descent under German Nationality law, you are considered a German citizen if the circumstances of your birth fall in one of the categories below, and you are therefore, the Child or Grandchild of a person listed below:

1. If you were born to married parents between 1 January 1914, and 31 December 1974, and your father was a German citizen at the time of your birth.

2. If you were born to married parents between 1 January 1964, and 31 December 1974, and your mother was German, but your father was not, and you would otherwise have been stateless. During these years - 1964 - 1974, women who married foreign citizens had to renounce their German nationality and thus could not pass it on to their children.

3. If you were born to married parents after 1 January 1975, and one of your parents (mother or father) was a German citizen at the time of your birth.

4. If you were born to unmarried parents after 1 January 1914, and your mother was German at the time of your birth.

5. If you were born after 1 July 1993, to unmarried parents and your father was a German citizen who established paternity in line with German law.

6. If you were born to unmarried parents before 1 July 1993, your father was a German citizen who established paternity, and you declared German citizenship by your 23rd birthday.

7. If you were born to unmarried parents between 1 January 1914, and 30 June 1998, but your parents got married after you were born.

Amendments to the German Nationality Act in 2021

From August 2021, children born after 23 May 1949, to a German parent (but who were excluded from German citizenship because of gender-discriminatory rules at the time) can now acquire German citizenship. The new rules will be in force for ten years. Applicants benefit from the 2021 amendments to Germany’s Nationality Act if:

• Your German mother married your foreign father before you were born and had to forfeit her German nationality – therefore, she could not pass it to you
• Your German mother married your foreign father after you were born – therefore, both you and your mother lost your German citizenship
• You were born to unmarried parents, but your father was German, and your mother was foreign, and therefore, you were exempt from German Nationality.

German Citizenship for Victims of Nazi Persecution

During World War 2, Victims of Nazi rule, who had to forfeit their German nationality between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945, as a result of being prosecuted on political, racial, or religious grounds, can now reclaim it. If you meet the listed criteria, then Children and Grandchildren of the Individuals below, can acquire German citizenship by a declaration:

• You surrendered or lost your German citizenship before 26 February 1955 to acquire a foreign nationality or marry a foreigner
• You were banned from acquiring German citizenship through marriage, legitimisation, or naturalisation of individuals with German ethnic origin
• You were not naturalised as a German citizen, despite being eligible for citizenship, when you applied
• You were banned from applying for naturalisation, despite being eligible for citizenship, when you applied
• If you surrendered or lost your German citizenship, as long as residency was established before 30 January 1933 – for children, even after 30 January 1933.

Application for German Citizenship by Descent

To apply for German Nationality, contact VisaConnect's Consultants and our German Immigration Lawyers for advice and assistance. Note that the German Immigration lawyers will usually require that you sign a Power of Attorney so that they can provide complete assistance on your behalf. Therefore, Applicants must submit the following documents to their nearest German Embassy:

• Birth certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Certificates of descent
• Family books
• Evidence of having possessed or lost German citizenship
• Evidence of having acquired or possessed other nationalities
• Police Criminal Record Check - Certificate of Good Conduct from the police authorities in your country of residence
• Evidence of Impunity. Applicants must not have been convicted to imprisonment or youth detention for two or more years (including preventative detention)
• Certificate of Name change, if applicable
• Proof of custody (for children up to 16 years of age)

Office Address and Telephone - VisaConnect UK

Contact VisaConnect's Consultants at our London, UK office below:

VisaConnect Immigration Consultants UK
124 City Road
London
EC1V 2NX
UK

Telephone: (+44) 207 193 2327