§4 Feststellung / §5 declaration / Art. 116(2) · decided by BVA Cologne
German citizenship by descent
Germany offers citizenship by descent through a German parent, plus restoration paths for descendants of those persecuted by the Nazi regime. Check whether you qualify, build your lineage, and get a primary-source-backed document checklist and cost estimate.
Grandparent or great-grandparent claim? Complex chain? Skip the research — talk to a Germany citizenship specialist in 30 minutes.
🇩🇪 A right restored
Descendants of those who lost citizenship under Nazi persecution can reclaim it, and reform has widened descent.
Eligibility
Who may qualify
Descent from a German citizen parent (§4 StAG), or
Restoration under Art. 116(2) for descendants of people stripped of citizenship 1933–1945, or
A §5 StAG declaration for certain historical gender-discrimination cases (statutory deadline Aug 19, 2031).
A general overview — your eligibility depends on the specifics of your line. The free check gives a personalized answer. EasyPassport is not affiliated with BVA Cologne. We help you organize and verify your documents. You submit your application to BVA Cologne directly — we do not file, submit, or act on your behalf with any government authority.
Why Germany
What makes Germany different
One central adjudicator
Every case — §4, §5, or Art. 116(2) — is decided by the Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) in Cologne. Consulates only forward your file; there's no jurisdictional split.
Dual citizenship now allowed
Since the StARModG reform took effect June 27, 2024, Germany permits dual citizenship — US applicants can keep their US passport.
Three distinct routes
Beyond ordinary descent (§4), two remedial routes exist: the §5 gender-discrimination declaration and Art. 116(2) restitution for Nazi-era persecution.
Restitution has no deadline or fee
Art. 116(2) is a constitutional right with no generational cap, no deadline, and no fee — and it's often faster than the standard queue.
By ancestor path
Your relationship to the German ancestor determines which rules apply
Through your German parent (§4)
When a German-citizen parent passes citizenship automatically at birth under §4 StAG.
See requirements 02GRANDPARENTThrough your German grandparent
A two-generation chain — the key question is whether your grandparent naturalized abroad (§25 StAG) before your parent was born.
See requirements 03GREAT-GRANDPARENTThrough your great-grandparent (§5)
Most great-grandparent claims fall outside §4; the likely path is the §5 StAG gender-fix declaration or Art. 116(2) restitution.
See requirementsProcess
How to apply
- 1
Pick the right route
Determine whether §4 (ordinary descent), §5 (gender-discrimination declaration), or Art. 116(2) (Nazi-era restitution) applies — filing on the wrong track can get you rejected even when you're eligible under another.
- 2
Request German Standesamt records
Order long-form civil-registry records (birth, marriage) for each German ancestor from the relevant Standesamt.
- 3
Gather US records and naturalization proof
Collect US birth and marriage certificates and — critically — any naturalization certificates (via NARA or the USCIS Genealogy Program) that show whether and when an ancestor naturalized.
- 4
Commission sworn translations
Have every non-German document translated by a court-recognized sworn translator; rejected translations are the most common reason BVA asks for corrections.
- 5
Complete the right form
Use Form F for §4 (with an annex per ancestor), Form EER for §5, or Form E15 for Art. 116(2).
- 6
Submit through your German consulate
Most consulates accept your package by mail or courier, run a completeness check, and forward it to BVA Cologne (about 4–8 weeks in transit).
- 7
Track and respond
Wait for BVA's acknowledgement of receipt, then answer any document requests (Nachforderung) promptly — delays extend the queue.
- 8
Pay (if §4) and receive your certificate
§4 invoices a €51 fee after approval; §5 and Art. 116(2) are free. The Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis confirms your citizenship, after which you can apply for a passport.
Choose your path
Do it yourself, or talk to a specialist?
Do it yourself
Free tool- Parent or grandparent claim with clear documentation
- You know your ancestor held Germany citizenship
- Records are legible and translated where needed
- No broken-chain events (renunciation, timing gaps)
Talk to a specialist
- Great-grandparent or further-back claim
- Unsure whether a naturalization broke the chain
- Mixed ancestry — multiple possible pathways
- Want a professional to verify before gathering 10+ documents
At a glance
What you'll need
- Government fee
- Feststellung determination fee (varies); §5 declaration is low-cost
- Typical timeline
- Often 2–3+ years at the BVA
- Where
- Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA), Cologne — the sole authority
Key dates & laws
The rules that decide your case
§4 StAG — descent at birth
Citizenship passes from a German parent at birth; each generation must have been German when the next was born.
§25 StAG — naturalizing abroad broke the chain
Before June 27, 2024, a German who naturalized in another country lost citizenship automatically (absent a retention permit), and those historical losses were not restored — a grandparent who became a US citizen in 1950 broke the chain then.
§5 StAG — gender-discrimination declaration
A remedy (enacted 2021) for those denied citizenship by pre-1975 maternal-line or pre-1993 paternity rules; no continuous chain needed and free to file. Hard deadline: Aug 19, 2031.
Art. 116(2) — Nazi-era restitution
Restores citizenship stripped 1933–1945 on political, racial, or religious grounds, for all descendants with no generational cap, no deadline, and no fee.
§4(4) — post-1999 registration cutoff
A child born abroad after Dec 31, 1999 to an abroad-resident German parent must be registered with a German mission within one year, or the claim is limited.
Sworn translations only
BVA requires translations by a sworn translator recognized by a German court; US 'certified' translations are routinely rejected.
Where it's processed
A single national authority
🇩🇪 Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA)
Cologne
Germany processes descent applications centrally through one national authority, rather than routing them through consulates.
See mailing instructionsTools & guides
Plan your application
Germany articles
Latest from our editors
2025-10-09
Germany Scraps Its Three-Year Fast-Track Citizenship
Germany's parliament voted in October 2025 to abolish the rarely used three-year naturalization route. Dual citizenship and the five-year residency path remain, and citizenship by descent is unaffected.
Read the article2024-06-27
German Dual Citizenship After the 2024 Reform
Germany's 2024 nationality overhaul lets US applicants keep their American passport when claiming German citizenship by descent.
Read the article
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
🇩🇪 Not sure where to start?
See if you qualify in about two minutes.
A personalized answer based on your specific line of descent. No passport or ID uploads — ever.