Germany citizenship through a parent
A German-citizen parent transmits citizenship by descent under Section 4 StAG. The main thing to rule out is whether your parent naturalised elsewhere before your birth — that broke the chain under German law right up until a 2024 reform.
Section 4 StAG: a child of a German-citizen parent is German by descent.
Chain-break test: naturalising in another country without a retention permit (Beibehaltungsgenehmigung) caused automatic loss of German citizenship — a rule in force continuously from 1913 until it was abolished on 27 June 2024, so any naturalisation up to mid-2024 needs checking against your birth date.
If your parent's line was interrupted by Nazi-era persecution (denaturalised 1933–1945) rather than a later voluntary naturalisation, Section 15 restitution may be the stronger route regardless of what happened afterward.
Establish the exact date your German parent naturalised elsewhere, if they did, against your own birth date.
Order your parent's German citizenship or civil-status records from the relevant Standesamt, or the federal/state archive if the line runs through persecution or expulsion.
File through the Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) or your nearest German consulate.
Get a definitive read on your line
Take the free eligibility test — it walks through the exact rules above for your specific ancestor and dates.
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