German citizenship by descent · Colorado, US
Your parents or grandparents were German? You may be German, too.
If your parent, grandparent or great-grandparent was German, you may be entitled to German citizenship — even if you were born in the United States, have never lived in Germany and don’t speak the language.
Start the free eligibility questionnaire
About 10 minutes · no obligation
How we work
From the first question to your German passport
German nationality law is full of cut-off dates, old gender-based rules and loss provisions. Before we take on a case, we look at your family history carefully — and we are upfront about what that costs.
Free questionnaire
About 10 minutes. We make a first general assessment and get back to you.
Eligibility consultation
45 minutes · USD 350 per family. USD 100 credited if you engage us within one month.
Fixed-fee representation
We file your declarations or applications and handle all correspondence until your certificate is issued.
The questionnaire is a screening tool. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Consultations are available by invitation after the questionnaire.
Find your route
Four paths to German citizenship
Every family history is different. Choosing the right route from the start can save years.
§ 30 StAG
You may already be German
If German citizenship passed down every generation without a break, you are German today — you only need proof. We apply for your certificate of citizenship (Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis), the basis for your German passport.
§ 5 StAG · Deadline Aug 19, 2031
Citizenship by declaration
For families shut out by old gender-based rules — for example children of a German mother born before 1975, or of a German woman who married a non-German before 1953 — and their descendants.
Art. 116(2) Basic Law · § 15 StAG
Restoration after Nazi persecution
For descendants of people who were stripped of German citizenship, or lost it or could not acquire it, because of persecution between 1933 and 1945. No deadline, no government fee.
§ 13 StAG
Re-naturalization of former Germans
Did you lose German citizenship, for example by becoming a U.S. citizen before June 2024? Former Germans living abroad — and their minor children — can apply to be naturalized again.
A general comparison
Which route may apply?
A simplified overview. Whether and which route applies always depends on your individual circumstances.
| Legal basis | In general, for | Deadline | Applies to you? |
|---|---|---|---|
| § 30 StAG | People who are already German by descent and need proof (certificate of citizenship) | None | Depends on individual circumstances |
| § 5 StAG | People excluded by past gender-based rules, and their descendants (declaration) | Receipt by August 19, 2031 | Depends on individual circumstances |
| Art. 116(2) Basic Law | Former Germans deprived of citizenship on political, racial or religious grounds 1933–1945, and their descendants | None | Depends on individual circumstances |
| § 15 StAG | People who lost or could not acquire German citizenship in connection with Nazi persecution, and their descendants | None | Depends on individual circumstances |
This overview is general and does not replace an individual review. Which route may apply — if any — depends on your individual circumstances, in particular the dates of birth, marriage, emigration and naturalization in each generation.
Does this sound familiar?
Family stories we hear every week
Behind each of these sentences there can be a claim to German citizenship — it all depends on the exact dates.
Full-service support
From a shoebox of old photos to a complete application
The German application is free of charge — mistakes are not. Emigration before 1914, marriages before 1953, births outside marriage, adoptions, name changes and service in foreign armed forces can decide whether a claim succeeds. We find these issues before the authorities do.
- Family line analysis — every generation checked against the law in force at the time
- Record search in the US and Germany, including the hard-to-find records
- Translations and forms for every family member
- Filing and follow-up with the Bundesverwaltungsamt until the certificate is issued
- Whole families at once — with lower per-person fees
Who This Is For — And What I’ve Helped Clients Achieve
Over the years, I have worked with clients across the United States and beyond who never imagined they could qualify for German citizenship. Some had been told “no” in the past. Others didn’t even know citizenship was a possibility. The truth is: the law has changed, and it now recognizes many people who were historically excluded.
- For example, I recently worked with a woman in California whose grandmother fled Germany in 1938. Her family had lost touch with their German heritage, and no one thought they could “get it back.” But under Germany’s current law—especially the restitution provisions tied to Nazi-era persecution—this client was not only eligible for citizenship, she now holds a German passport.
- Another client, born in Texas in 1960, was the son of a German mother who had married a U.S. soldier in the late 1950s. Because his parents were married and he was born before 1975, he could not acquire German citizenship from his mother at birth. For decades, he assumed that meant the end of the line for his German roots. The 2021 reform (§ 5 StAG) corrected this gender-based discrimination—and with our help he acquired German citizenship by declaration.
- One particularly moving case involved a Jewish family whose German nationality was revoked under the Nazi regime. The client’s grandparents were deported, and her mother was born in exile. Even though decades had passed, and the documentation was scattered across multiple countries, we pieced together the family’s history and had her citizenship reinstated under Article 116 of the German Basic Law.
Common Questions Clients Ask Me:
“My mother was born in Germany, but I was born abroad in 1962—do I qualify?”
“My parents became U.S. citizens in the 1960s—did they lose their German citizenship?”
“I was adopted by a German stepfather as a child—can I claim citizenship through him?”
“I was told I don’t qualify, but I heard the law changed. What’s different now?”
These are exactly the types of cases I handle—legally complex, historically sensitive, and deeply personal.
German terms you will come across
| German term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (StAG) | German Nationality Act |
| Reichs- und Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (RuStAG) | Nationality Act of 1913, the predecessor of the StAG |
| Bundesverwaltungsamt (BVA) | Federal Office of Administration in Cologne, the authority for applicants living abroad |
| Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis | Certificate of German citizenship |
| Erklärungserwerb | Acquisition of citizenship by declaration (Section 5 StAG) |
| Wiedergutmachungseinbürgerung | Restoration of citizenship for victims of Nazi persecution |
| Einbürgerung | Naturalization |
| Beibehaltungsgenehmigung | Permit to retain German citizenship when acquiring another citizenship (relevant until June 26, 2024) |
| Heimatschein | Historic certificate of citizenship |
| Standesamt | Civil registry office |
Find out where your family stands
Please complete our free eligibility questionnaire. Your answers allow us to make a first general assessment of your situation. We will then get back to you.
This guide provides general information on German nationality law as of September 2026. It is not legal advice and does not replace an individual review. Statutory references: StAG = Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz (German Nationality Act); Basic Law = Grundgesetz.
Your attorney · Colorado, US
A German citizenship lawyer on your side of the Atlantic.
Nicola S. Casper-Hoesl is a German-qualified attorney (Rechtsanwältin) and, since 2021, Foreign Legal Consultant in Colorado — together with our partner office in Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany.
Nicola S. Casper-Hoesl is admitted to practice law in Germany (Rechtsanwaltskammer München) and has been admitted in Colorado as a Foreign Legal Consultant since 2021. She advises on German law only. Nothing on this website is advice on U.S. federal or state law or U.S. tax matters; please coordinate those with your U.S. attorney or CPA.