German citizenship by declaration
Under certain conditions, people with one German parent can also acquire German citizenship by means of a declaration.
Description
Since 20 August 2021, persons born after the Basic Law came into force (i.e. after 23 May 1949) can acquire German citizenship by declaration. This applies to persons with one German parent who were either unable to acquire German citizenship by birth or who have lost their German citizenship acquired by birth due to previously applicable unconstitutional provisions in citizenship law (Section 5 of the Citizenship Act - StAG). The regulation also applies to descendants of authorised declarants.
The following persons cannot acquire German citizenship by declaration:
- Anyone who once held German citizenship and subsequently lost it again.
- Children whose parents were born abroad after 31 December 1999 and whose parents did not apply for a German birth certificate within the first year of the child's life.
- Anyone who has been sentenced in Germany or abroad to two or more years of imprisonment or juvenile detention, has been or is in preventive detention or for whom there are other grounds for exclusion pursuant to Section 11 StAG.
Please use our contact form to send us your enquiry, stating your telephone number.
Prerequisites
Who can acquire German citizenship by declaration?
- Children of a German parent who did not acquire German citizenship by birth (children born before 1 January 1975 in wedlock to a German mother and a foreign father or children born before 1 July 1993 in wedlock to a German father and a foreign mother),
- Children born to a mother who lost her German nationality prior to the birth of the child by marrying a foreigner before 1 April 1953 in accordance with § 17 No. 6 RuStAG old version,
- Children who lost their German citizenship acquired by birth before 1 April 1953 as a result of legitimisation by a foreigner and effective under German law in accordance with § 17 No. 5 RuStAG old version, or
- Descendants of children according to numbers 1 to 3.
You can also check whether you belong to the group of beneficiaries using the following checklist from the Federal Office of Administration.
Required documents
- Application form
- Copy of identity documents
- A copy of your birth certificate (if born in Germany, a current copy from the birth register with all subsequent certifications)
Questions & Answers
If you acquire German citizenship by declaration, you do not necessarily have to give up your previous citizenship. Whether you keep or lose your previous citizenship depends solely on the law of the country of which you are currently a citizen. Therefore, please obtain information from the competent authorities in your country of origin in good time before making the declaration.
Legal basis
§ Section 5 of the Citizenship Act (StAG)
Kreisverwaltungsreferat
Hauptabteilung II Bürgerangelegenheiten
Staatsangehörigkeit, Einbürgerung
Phone
Postal address
Landeshauptstadt München
Kreisverwaltungsreferat
Hauptabteilung II Bürgerangelegenheiten
Staatsangehörigkeit, Einbürgerung
Ruppertstraße 19
80466 München
Address
Ruppertstraße 19
80337 München