A. Renaturalisation according to Art. 116 (2) of the Basic Law

This law generally applies for victims of persecution by the Nazi regime who were deprived of their German nationality on political, racial or religious grounds between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945.

Article 116 par. 2 of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) reads:

“Former German citizens who between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945 were deprived of their citizenship on political, racial, or religious grounds, and their descendants, shall on application have their citizenship restored. They shall be deemed never to have been deprived of their citizenship if they have established their domicile in Germany after May 8, 1945 and have not expressed a contrary intention.”

The situation between 1933 and 1945

Between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945 there were two main laws pertaining to the loss of German citizenship. With the 'Law on the Revocation of Naturalizations and the Deprivation of the German Citizenship' of July 14, 1933, some persons were deprived of their German citizenship individually. Their names were listed in the Reich Law Gazette ('Reichsgesetzblatt') and with the publication of the particular 'Reichsgesetzblatt' they lost their German citizenship.

The main group of former German citizens, however, lost their citizenship with the 'Eleventh Decree to the Law on the Citizenship of the Reich' of November 25, 1941. This stipulated that Jews living outside Germany could not be German citizens. This mainly affected Jews who had left Germany in the years before or shortly after the beginning of the Second World War.

Within the framework of reparations, these persons and their descendants are entitled to be naturalised under Article 116 (2) Basic Law.

Detailed information on applications acc. to Art. 116 (2) of the Basic Law and application forms can be found here

Further information:

By the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court of 20 May 2020 - 2 BvR 2628/18 - the circle of those entitled to claim under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law (GG) was extended.

As of now, descendants in the sense of nationality law also include:

- children born in wedlock before 01 April 1953 to mothers who were forcily deprived of their erman nationalty and foreign fathers

- children born out of wedlock before 01 July 1993 to fathers who were forcibly deprived of their German nationality and foreign mothers

Persons affected by this, whose application for naturalisation pursuant to Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law has been rejected in the past in accordance with the case law previously in force, may contact the mission abroad at any time.

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B. Section 15 Citizenhsip Law

The Fourth Act Amending the Nationality Act, which entered into force on 20 August 2021, has created a new legal entitlement to renaturalisation for persons who lost or were denied their German citizenship due to Nazi persecution and who are not already entitled to restoration of citizenship under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law. This entitlement to naturalisation also applies to all descendants of such persons.

Under Section 15 of the Nationality Act, persons who surrendered, lost or were denied German citizenship between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945 due to persecution on political, racial or religious grounds are entitled to naturalisation.

This rule applies to:

1. Persons who surrendered or lost their German citizenship prior to 26 February 1955, for example through acquisition of foreign citizenship on application, release on application or marriage with a foreigner
2. Persons who were excluded from the legal acquisition of German citizenship through marriage, legitimisation or collective naturalisation of persons of German ethnic origin
3. Persons who were not naturalised following application or who were generally excluded from naturalisation that would otherwise have been possible upon application, or
4. Persons who surrendered or lost their habitual abode in Germany if this was established prior to 30 January 1933 or, in the case of children, also after this date.

This entitlement to naturalisation is also extended to descendants.

Detailed information on naturlisation for descendans of victims of Nazi persecution and application forms can be found here
(please note: the download packages also include translations to English to help you fill in the German application forms.)