Path to citizenship
- Apply180-730 days
- Citizenshipgranted
Overview
- Country
- Germany
- Program
- German Citizenship by Descent
- Local name
- Deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit durch Abstammung
- Type
- Citizenship by Descent
- Status
- Active
- Processing time
- 180-730 days
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Visa-free countries
- 185 destinations
- Passport rank
- #4 (Henley Index)
German citizenship by descent through chain-of-transmission rules. Complex eligibility depends on birth date, parents' marital status, and gender of the German parent. The 2024 StARModG reform allows dual citizenship (effective June 27, 2024) but does not retroactively repair past losses. Children born after Jan 1, 1975 to at least one German parent automatically acquire citizenship regardless of parents' marital status or parent's gender.
Fees and costs
- Application fee
- $25
- Passport fee
- $275
Eligibility and requirements
- Police clearance not required
- Medical exam not required
Ancestry requirements
- Generational limit
- No limit
- Ancestor citizenship
- Must have been citizen
- Naturalization breaks chain
- Yes — foreign naturalization may end eligibility
- Gender restriction
- complex
Family
- Dependents
- Allowed
- Spouse
- Not included
- Max child age
- 18
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
- Both
- Apply from abroad
- Yes
- Application type
- Open
- Official website
- www.bva.bund.de
- Legal basis
- Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG), StARModG (2024 dual citizenship reform)
Notes and caveats
Chain-of-transmission rules are extremely complex and depend on the year of birth, parents' marital status, and which parent was German. Key dates: Pre-1914 (Imperial era), 1914-1953 (Weimar/Nazi/post-war), 1953-1975 (gender restrictions), post-1975 (equal treatment). Since June 27, 2024, Germany permits unrestricted dual citizenship — but this does NOT retroactively restore citizenship lost by ancestors who naturalized abroad. Born abroad to German parent after 1999: must register birth within 1 year or citizenship is lost.