If you are descended from a German relative, you may be able to apply for German citizenship. The rules for obtaining them have changed over the years, so you must meet certain criteria to qualify.

Keep in mind that you will need to have access to your family tree, ideally to your great-grandparents.

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According to the GermanVisa page, the three factors to determine whether you can be a German citizen are whether your ancestors were born in or out of wedlock, their date of birth, and which parent was German, as the rules vary between men and women.

Depending on whether your ancestors qualified as citizens, you may inherit citizenship

If your ancestor was born within wedlock

You are a citizen if:

A child born in marriage to a German mother (and foreign father) before 1975 could not obtain German citizenship.

Elvira Chaudoir, the Peruvian double agent who deceived the Nazis and aided in the success of D-Day in World War II

If your ancestor was born out of wedlock

You are a citizen if:

Other cases

As a result of restrictive laws during World War II, part of the German population lost the right to citizenship. Many have not reclaimed it, and neither have their descendants.

Currently, such people can claim citizenship by proving that they have a German ancestor, if they meet the following conditions.

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This is how you can claim your right to German citizenship

Please note that Germany will accept these applications until August 19, 2031, when ten years will have passed since the Citizenship Restoration Law was introduced.

Before you start the process, you can check here if you meet the criteria. (JO)