Path to citizenship
- Apply180-730 days
- Citizenshipgranted
Overview
- Country
- Germany
- Program
- German Citizenship Restoration (Nazi Persecution Descendants)
- Local name
- Wiedereinbürgerung nach Art. 116 Abs. 2 GG / § 15 StAG
- Type
- Citizenship Restoration
- Status
- Active
- Processing time
- 180-730 days
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Visa-free countries
- 185 destinations
- Passport rank
- #4 (Henley Index)
Naturalization for former German citizens deprived of citizenship on political, racial, or religious grounds between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945, and their descendants. The Federal Constitutional Court's 2020 interpretation also includes certain children of persecuted German mothers and fathers who had previously been excluded by gender-discriminatory rules. This constitutional route has no statutory filing deadline.
Fees and costs
- Application fee
- $0
- Passport fee
- $275
Eligibility and requirements
- Police clearance required
- Medical exam not required
- Oath required
Ancestry requirements
- Generational limit
- No limit
- Ancestor citizenship
- Must have been citizen
Family
- Dependents
- Allowed
- Spouse
- Not included
Passport and mobility
- Passport rank
- #4 (Henley Index)
- Visa-free access
- 185 countries
- Passport validity
- 10 years
- EU citizenship
- Yes
- Schengen access
- Yes
- US E-2 treaty
- Yes — eligible for US investor visa
How to apply
- Method
- Consulate, mail
- Apply from abroad
- Yes
- Application type
- Deadline
- Official website
- www.germany.info
- Legal basis
- Article 116(2) Basic Law (Grundgesetz)
Notes and caveats
Article 116(2) Basic Law is a separate route from the broader restitution route under § 15 StAG. There is no filing deadline for Article 116(2). The route is fee-free under § 38(3) StAG. Applications from abroad are handled by the Federal Office of Administration and may be submitted through the competent German mission.
Also in Germany
Last verified Oct 9, 2026 Source