German citizenship through your mother (StAG §5): the declaration window closes August 19, 2031
As of 2026-06-10 · informational, not legal advice
Yes — and for most affected families it is a simple declaration, not a naturalization test. If you were born after May 23, 1949 and missed German citizenship because of old gender-discriminatory rules — a German mother before 1975, a mother who lost citizenship by marrying a foreigner, or loss through legitimation by a foreign father — you can acquire German citizenship by declaration under §5 StAG to the Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt, BVA). Your descendants hold the same right. The procedure is free of charge and does not require giving up your current citizenship — but the declaration must reach the authority by August 19, 2031, a hard statutory deadline. Families affected by Nazi persecution have two separate paths with no deadline: Article 116(2) Basic Law (citizenship formally stripped 1933–1945) and §15 StAG (citizenship lost in other ways, or never acquired, due to persecution).
Key facts
| Who can declare under §5 | Children of a German parent who didn't get citizenship at birth (e.g. born before 1975 to a German mother); children of mothers who lost German citizenship by marrying a foreigner; children who lost citizenship through legitimation by a foreign father — and the descendants of all three groups |
|---|---|
| The window | Open since August 20, 2021; the declaration must reach the authority by August 19, 2031 (10-year statutory limit). Only people born after May 23, 1949 qualify |
| Cost | Free — the §5 procedure carries no fee (you bear only document/translation costs); §15 is free as well |
| Dual citizenship | No renunciation required for §5 or §15 — and since June 27, 2024 (StARModG, BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 104) German law broadly accepts multiple nationality |
| Where to apply | Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA), Cologne — from abroad via your local German mission or directly to the BVA (originals or certified copies; the BVA advises against email/fax) |
| Nazi-persecution families | Art. 116(2) GG restores citizenship that was formally deprived 1933–1945; §15 StAG (since Aug 20, 2021) covers loss by other means or citizenship never acquired due to persecution — descendants included, no deadline on either |
| Did the October 2025 reform change this? | No — the act of October 27, 2025 (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 256) tightened other naturalization rules; the in-force texts of §5 and §15 are unchanged (checked June 10, 2026) |
Likely still eligible
- Born after May 23, 1949 to a German mother when citizenship only passed through fathers (pre-1975 cases) — and your children and grandchildren, via the same §5 declaration
- Descendants of mothers who lost German citizenship by marrying a foreign husband before the child's birth
- People who lost birth-acquired German citizenship through legitimation by a foreign father — and their descendants
- Descendants of people persecuted by the Nazi regime 1933–1945 — via Art. 116(2) GG (formal deprivation) or §15 StAG (other loss, or citizenship never acquired), with no deadline
Newly restricted
- Declarations arriving after August 19, 2031 — the §5 window is statutory, not discretionary
- People born before May 24, 1949 cannot use §5 (the provision starts with the Basic Law's entry into force; other legal bases may still apply — case-specific)
- Convictions to 2+ years' imprisonment (or a preventive-detention order) bar both §5 acquisition and §15 naturalization
Frequently asked
- Does the §5 declaration cost anything or require language/integration tests?
- The procedure itself is free of charge — the BVA states 'Das Verfahren ist gebührenfrei.' You bear only your own costs for documents, translations and certifications. It is a declaration of an existing right, not a discretionary naturalization.
- Do I have to give up my current citizenship?
- No. §5 and §15 both work without renouncing your existing nationality, and since June 27, 2024 German law broadly accepts multiple nationality. Check whether YOUR home country's law attaches consequences to acquiring German citizenship.
- My grandmother was the German one — do I qualify, or only my parent?
- Descendants of the affected children hold the declaration right too (§5 covers 'Abkömmlinge'). The lineage and the historical loss event must be documented generation by generation.
- My family fled the Nazis — is my path §5 or something else?
- Persecution cases have their own bases: Art. 116(2) Basic Law if citizenship was formally stripped between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945, and §15 StAG if it was lost another way (e.g. acquiring another nationality after fleeing, before February 26, 1955) or never acquired due to exclusion. Both include descendants, are free, and have no deadline.
- Germany tightened its citizenship law in October 2025 — does that affect these claims?
- The October 2025 amendment (in BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 256) targeted other naturalization provisions. The in-force consolidated texts of §5 and §15, checked June 10, 2026, are unchanged — the declaration right and the restoration entitlement stand as enacted.
Related routes
Compiled from primary legal and official sources (below) — not legal advice. Citizenship law and fees change and turn on your exact documents; confirm with the competent authority or a licensed professional before acting. Verified as of 2026-06-10.
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