German citizenship reacquisition is a legal process available to former German citizens \u2014 and in some cases their descendants \u2014 who lost German citizenship and wish to recover it. Whether german citizenship reacquisition is possible depends on how citizenship was lost, when it was lost, and which legal provisions are available in the specific case. This guide explains the main german citizenship reacquisition pathways, the conditions that apply to each, and how the 2024 reform has changed the available options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German citizenship reacquisition becomes relevant where German citizenship was once held \u2014 either by the applicant themselves or by an ancestor \u2014 and was subsequently lost through a specific legal event. The most common situations that give rise to german citizenship reacquisition questions are voluntary naturalisation in another country without prior permission, formal release from German citizenship on application, and deprivation of citizenship under National Socialist legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
German citizenship reacquisition is legally distinct from citizenship by descent \u2014 which applies where citizenship already exists and has never been lost. It is also distinct from naturalisation \u2014 which applies where German citizenship has never been held. Understanding which of these three categories applies to a specific situation is the essential first step in any assessment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For official information on german citizenship reacquisition proceedings, see the Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A broader explanation of the German citizenship framework is available in our complete guide on German citizenship by descent<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2024 reform of German nationality law \u2014 the Gesetz zur Modernisierung des Staatsangeh\u00f6rigkeitsrechts \u2014 significantly changed the german citizenship reacquisition landscape. Most significantly, the reform abolished the general requirement to renounce existing nationality when naturalising as a German citizen. This means that individuals pursuing german citizenship reacquisition through naturalisation can now generally retain their existing nationality simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2024 reform also extended and clarified the remedial provisions available to descendants of individuals who lost German citizenship through historical discrimination or persecution \u2014 expanding the scope of both the Article 116 pathway and the Section 15 StAG pathway introduced by the 2021 reform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the 2024 reform does not automatically restore German citizenship that was previously lost. Former German citizens who lost citizenship before the reform came into force must still actively pursue one of the available german citizenship reacquisition pathways \u2014 the reform does not operate retroactively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The primary german citizenship reacquisition pathway for former German citizens is Section 13 of the German Nationality Act. Under this provision, former German citizens who have been living abroad and wish to recover their German citizenship can apply for naturalisation under simplified conditions \u2014 without the standard residence requirement that applies to ordinary naturalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Section 13 StAG german citizenship reacquisition is available to former German citizens who have lost their citizenship and who can demonstrate a sustained connection to Germany \u2014 through language skills, cultural ties, family connections, or other factors. The applicant must not have been excluded from German citizenship for specific reasons such as criminal convictions or threats to the public interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following the 2024 reform, Section 13 german citizenship reacquisition generally allows the applicant to retain their existing nationality \u2014 removing a significant practical barrier that previously discouraged many eligible former German citizens from pursuing reacquisition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A distinct german citizenship reacquisition pathway exists under Article 116 of the German Basic Law for individuals \u2014 and their descendants \u2014 who were deprived of German citizenship on political, racial or religious grounds during the National Socialist period between 1933 and 1945. This pathway operates as a right of restoration \u2014 not as a discretionary grant \u2014 and is available to eligible individuals regardless of where they currently live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2021 and 2024 reforms have substantially expanded the scope of the Article 116 german citizenship reacquisition pathway. A detailed explanation of this pathway is available in our article on Article 116 German Basic Law citizenship<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Section 15 of the German Nationality Act \u2014 introduced by the 2021 reform \u2014 provides an additional german citizenship reacquisition pathway for individuals who cannot access Article 116 directly but whose ancestors would have been eligible had the discriminatory rules of the National Socialist period not applied. This pathway is particularly relevant for descendants of individuals who were excluded from citizenship not through direct deprivation but through the application of discriminatory transmission rules in combination with persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n German citizenship reacquisition through declaration is available to certain specific groups under provisions introduced by the 2021 and 2024 reforms. These declaration-based pathways are available to individuals who were affected by historical discrimination in the transmission rules \u2014 including the pre-1975 gender rule and the rules governing illegitimate births \u2014 where the affected individual or their ancestor was also connected to National Socialist persecution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A detailed explanation of declaration-based acquisition is available in our article on German citizenship by declaration<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common situation giving rise to german citizenship reacquisition questions is loss through voluntary naturalisation in another country. As explained above, under German nationality law as it applied for much of the twentieth century, voluntary naturalisation in another country generally caused automatic loss of German citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For former German citizens who lost citizenship through voluntary naturalisation \u2014 and who wish to recover it \u2014 the primary available pathway is Section 13 StAG naturalisation. This pathway requires a demonstration of sustained connection to Germany and is subject to the standard naturalisation conditions, including German language skills and the absence of criminal convictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to note that german citizenship reacquisition through Section 13 is available to the former German citizen themselves \u2014 not automatically to their descendants. Whether descendants of a former German citizen who lost citizenship through naturalisation have any claim to German citizenship depends on when the naturalisation occurred relative to each subsequent birth \u2014 a question addressed in our article on whether a family may have lost German citizenship<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Former German citizens who lost citizenship through a formal release \u2014 Entlassung \u2014 on application can also pursue german citizenship reacquisition through Section 13 StAG naturalisation. The conditions are the same as for loss through voluntary naturalisation \u2014 a demonstrated sustained connection to Germany and satisfaction of the standard naturalisation requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all loss situations give rise to german citizenship reacquisition options. Where citizenship was lost through ordinary naturalisation before certain dates, and where the Section 13 StAG conditions are not met, german citizenship reacquisition may not be available through any of the current legal pathways. In these cases, ordinary naturalisation \u2014 requiring residence in Germany \u2014 may be the only route to acquiring German citizenship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A legal assessment of the specific loss situation and the available options is the essential first step in any german citizenship reacquisition case. Attempting to pursue the wrong pathway \u2014 or assuming that reacquisition is possible where it is not \u2014 wastes time and resources that could be invested more productively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Possibly. Former German citizens who lost citizenship through voluntary naturalisation in another country may be eligible for german citizenship reacquisition through Section 13 StAG \u2014 provided they can demonstrate a sustained connection to Germany and meet the standard naturalisation conditions. A legal assessment will identify whether the conditions are met in your specific case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No. The 2024 reform does not automatically restore German citizenship that was lost before it came into force. Former German citizens who wish to recover their citizenship must actively pursue one of the available german citizenship reacquisition pathways \u2014 the reform does not operate retroactively. However, the reform has made the reacquisition process more accessible by abolishing the general requirement to renounce existing nationality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most cases, yes \u2014 following the 2024 reform. German citizenship reacquisition through Section 13 StAG generally allows the applicant to retain their existing nationality simultaneously. Whether dual citizenship is permitted also depends on the law of your existing country of nationality \u2014 specific advice on the dual citizenship position in your country is recommended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This depends on when you lost citizenship relative to your children’s births. If you lost German citizenship before your children were born, they generally did not acquire German citizenship at birth \u2014 and german citizenship reacquisition proceedings by you would not automatically restore citizenship to your children. If you lost citizenship after your children were born, they may already hold German citizenship through you. A legal assessment will clarify the position for each family member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It depends on the circumstances of the loss. Where citizenship was lost through voluntary naturalisation before the birth of the next generation, descendants generally do not have a german citizenship reacquisition claim \u2014 because the loss interrupted the citizenship chain before it could be transmitted. Where citizenship was lost through National Socialist persecution, the Article 116 pathway may be available to descendants. A legal assessment will identify which provisions apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Processing times for german citizenship reacquisition vary depending on the pathway and the complexity of the case. Section 13 StAG naturalisation proceedings are handled by the competent German authority and typically take several months to over a year. Article 116 restoration proceedings before the Federal Office of Administration may take longer in complex cases. A detailed overview of processing timelines is available in our article on how long German citizenship by descent takes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first step is a legal assessment of your specific situation \u2014 identifying how and when citizenship was lost, which german citizenship reacquisition pathway is available, and what conditions must be met. This assessment provides the clarity needed to decide which route to pursue before any formal proceedings are initiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n German citizenship reacquisition requires a careful legal assessment of the specific loss situation and the available pathways. I assess your situation and provide a written recommendation \u2014 typically within 3\u20135 working days.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nGerman Citizenship Reacquisition \u2014 The 2024 Reform<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
German Citizenship Reacquisition \u2014 Main Pathways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Reacquisition through naturalisation \u2014 Section 13 StAG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reacquisition through Article 116 \u2014 restoration for victims of National Socialist persecution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reacquisition through Section 15 StAG<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Declaration-based reacquisition for specific groups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
German Citizenship Reacquisition \u2014 Loss Through Voluntary Naturalisation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
German Citizenship Reacquisition \u2014 Loss Through Formal Release<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
German Citizenship Reacquisition \u2014 What Cannot Be Recovered<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Can I reacquire German citizenship if I lost it by naturalising in another country?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Does the 2024 reform automatically restore German citizenship that was previously lost?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can I keep my existing citizenship when reacquiring German citizenship?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Can my children reacquire German citizenship if I lost it?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Is german citizenship reacquisition available to descendants of individuals who lost citizenship?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How long does german citizenship reacquisition take?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What is the first step?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n