About this guide — site index

German Citizenship Guide is a free, non-commercial research aid explaining how to claim or restore German citizenship by descent and restoration (Article 116(2), StAG §5 and §15). It is information, not legal advice. Content is answer-first and cites the responsible authorities (Bundesverwaltungsamt, Standesamt, Auswärtiges Amt, Arolsen Archives).

Pages

• The complete guide — Overview of who qualifies and how the routes work. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/german-citizenship-by-descent/)
• Eligibility & requirements — The four things a claim turns on. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/german-citizenship-by-descent-requirements/)
• Through grandparents — When a claim runs through a grandparent or further. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/german-citizenship-through-grandparents/)
• Article 116(2) restoration — Restoration for descendants of Nazi-era persecution (1933-1945). (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/article-116/)
• StAG §15 restitution — Wider declaration route for the persecuted and their descendants. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/stag-15/)
• StAG §5 declaration — Fixes historic gender-discrimination gaps; deadline 19 Aug 2031. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/stag-5/)
• How to apply — From tracing your line to submitting to the BVA. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/how-to-apply-german-citizenship-descent/)
• Documents you need — The chain of civil records and proof of the ancestor’s citizenship. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/documents-needed-german-citizenship-descent/)
• Finding the records — Jurisdiction x date; the 1876 church-to-Standesamt pivot. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/records-and-archives/)
• How long it takes — Several months to 2-3 years; evidence is the bottleneck. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/how-long-german-citizenship-descent/)
• How much it costs — Records plus help; researcher vs lawyer; fixed vs hourly. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/german-citizenship-by-descent-cost/)
• Dual citizenship — Allowed in these routes; broadly permitted since 27 Jun 2024. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/german-dual-citizenship/)
• What is an apostille? — International certificate that a public document is genuine. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/what-is-an-apostille/)
• Notarised power of attorney — Usually a simple letter; EU online notarisation exists. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/notarised-power-of-attorney-german-citizenship/)
• DIY, lawyer or researcher? — The honest case for a fixed-fee records researcher. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/do-it-yourself-lawyer-or-researcher/)
• Glossary (EN/DE/PL/FR/HE) — Key terms with German, Polish, French and Hebrew equivalents. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/glossary/)
• FAQs — Straight answers to the most common questions. (https://germancitizenshipguide.org/faqs/)

Machine-readable sources

Structured content: /wp-json/wp/v2/pages (REST API). Sitemap: /wp-sitemap.xml. Every page ends with a “Your questions answered” FAQ section.