Right to naturalization based on German ancestors

According to Section 5 of the Nationality Law, descendants of German citizens are entitled to acquire German citizenship if it could not be acquired by birth.

When did I not automatically acquire German citizenship by birth?

• A German woman married a foreign man before April 1, 1953, and automatically lost her German citizenship through the marriage. A child was born afterward.
• A German woman married a foreign man before January 1, 1975. A child was born afterward.
• The father was a German citizen on the day of the child's birth, but was not married to the foreign mother. The child was born before July 1, 1993.

In these situations, the child could not automatically acquire German citizenship by birth.

As early as 1975, German lawmakers briefly granted these children the opportunity to become German citizens by declaration. Those who did not take advantage of this opportunity were initially unable to acquire German citizenship.

Since 2012, it has been possible to apply for naturalization because of a German parent, because one did not automatically become a German citizen by birth. Until August 2021, close ties to Germany were generally required, such as regular visits, having relatives living in Germany, or attending German schools abroad. To make matters worse, one had to prove that one could speak German at level B1. Thus, there was no entitlement to naturalization; instead, the authorities could decide, based on the evidence provided, whether this was sufficient for acquiring German citizenship.

Since August 20, 2021, significant simplifications for naturalization have been in place in these cases: