Who qualifies for German citizenship under Article 116(2)?

Article 116(2) of Germany's Basic Law (Grundgesetz) entitles former German citizens and their descendants to restoration of citizenship if they were deprived of citizenship between January 30, 1933 and May 8, 1945 for political, racial, or religious reasons. This covers Jewish people, political dissidents, Roma and Sinti, and other groups persecuted by the Nazi regime. Descendants of those persecuted persons — including grandchildren and great-grandchildren — can also claim under this provision.

What is the difference between Article 116 restoration and standard German descent citizenship?

Standard German citizenship by descent (§4 StAG) requires proving an unbroken chain of German citizenship from parent to child. Article 116(2) is specifically for people whose ancestral citizenship was forcibly removed by the Nazi state, creating a gap in that chain. It is a remedial provision aimed at correcting a historical injustice. The practical difference is that standard descent fails if citizenship was lost before the next generation was born, whereas Article 116(2) specifically addresses that loss and restores the right despite it.

Do I have to give up my current citizenship when claiming under Article 116?

No. The German Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Federal Administrative Court) has long held that Article 116 restorations are exempt from the general obligation to renounce prior citizenship. Additionally, since June 27, 2024, Germany passed a full dual citizenship reform (StAG amendment), so all naturalised German citizens may now retain their prior nationality. Article 116 claimants have no risk of losing their existing passport.

What evidence of Nazi persecution is required?

You need to show that the deprivation of citizenship was on political, racial, or religious grounds. For Jewish claimants, the persecutory basis is generally presumed from historical context. Documentary evidence can include: Nazi-era Ausbürgerungsliste (denaturalisation lists) published in the Reichsanzeiger, emigration or deportation records, Yad Vashem records, USHMM archives, community or synagogue records, and pre-war German civil registry documents proving citizenship status and religion or political activity.

Can I apply even if my ancestor voluntarily emigrated before the Nazi period?

Yes, in many cases. If your ancestor left Germany before 1933 but was then formally denaturalised by the Nazi government after 1933 (many were stripped via the Reichsanzeiger even while abroad), Article 116(2) applies. If your ancestor emigrated, kept German citizenship, and was never formally denaturalised by the Nazi state, you may qualify under standard §4/§5 descent rules instead — which can be simpler to document.

German Article 116 Citizenship: Restoring German Nationality Lost Under Nazi Persecution

Last updated: March 2026 · Full Germany guide →

Article 116(2) of Germany's Basic Law is one of the most significant avenues for descendants of Holocaust survivors and Nazi-era political exiles. It offers a right — not a discretionary privilege — to have German citizenship restored or newly granted, with no renunciation of existing nationality required.

The Legal Foundation

Article 116(2) of the Grundgesetz reads (translated): "Former German citizens who were deprived of their citizenship on political, racial or religious grounds between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945, and their descendants, shall on application have their citizenship restored."

Two additional routes exist for descendants of persecution victims who were excluded under old citizenship laws due to gender bias:

§5 StAGDeclaration route for children of German mothers born before April 1, 1953, or children of unmarried German fathers born before July 1, 1993, where citizenship was lost due to old gender-based rules.
§14 StAGDiscretionary naturalization for descendants with a special connection to Germany, even where strict legal entitlement under Article 116 or §5 does not exist.

Qualifying Grounds for Article 116(2)

The deprivation must have been for one or more of these reasons:

✓Racial persecution — including being Jewish, Romani, or Sinti
✓Political persecution — opposition to the Nazi regime, membership of banned political parties
✓Religious persecution — Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholic clergy who opposed the regime
✓Any combination of the above

Who Can Apply

The right extends to former German citizens themselves (if still living) and all their descendants, meaning children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. There is no limit on the number of generations.

The key questions to assess your eligibility are:

1Was your ancestor a German citizen before being denaturalised?
2Was the deprivation of citizenship formally documented (e.g., listed on an Ausbürgerungsliste in the Reichsanzeiger or via direct Nazi decree)?
3Was the reason for deprivation political, racial, or religious persecution?
4Can you trace your direct bloodline from that person to yourself?

Key Documents for an Article 116 Application

Persecution evidence

•Entry in the Reichsanzeiger Ausbürgerungsliste (searchable at Bundesarchiv)
•Yad Vashem Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names search result
•USHMM Arolsen Archives (ITS) records
•German court or state records of expatriation order

Ancestor's German citizenship

•German birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) from the ancestor's Standesamt
•Pre-war German passport or Reisepass
•German civil registry (Melderegister) extracts
•Marriage certificate from a German Standesamt

Lineage documents (for each generation)

•Birth certificates with apostilles
•Marriage certificates connecting each generation
•Death certificates where applicable
•Certified translations into German of all non-German documents

How to Apply

1
Apply via the German Embassy or mission in your country
Submit a written application to your nearest German diplomatic mission (Botschaft/Konsulat). State clearly that you are applying under Article 116(2) GG and enclose copies of your evidence. The application is also called a "Feststellungsantrag" (determination application).
2
Bundesverwaltungsamt reviews the claim
The Federal Office of Administration (Bundesverwaltungsamt, BVA) in Cologne handles all Article 116 matters. The consulate forwards your case. The BVA may request additional documents.
3
Receive Einbürgerungsurkunde or Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis
If approved, you receive either a Certificate of Naturalisation or a Certificate of German Citizenship. You can then apply for a German passport at the same consulate.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Germany's 2024 dual citizenship reform affect Article 116 claimants?

Article 116 claimants were already exempt from renunciation requirements. The 2024 StAG reform extended that benefit to all naturalisation routes, but it does not change or restrict the Article 116 process itself.

My ancestor was denaturalised but I cannot find them on the Ausbürgerungsliste — can I still apply?

Yes. The Ausbürgerungsliste is helpful but not the only form of evidence. Collective denaturalisation decrees applied to entire groups (e.g., all German Jews still abroad after Nuremberg Laws). The BVA also accepts contextual evidence such as the historical record of the ancestor's religion or political activity combined with evidence they left Germany and no subsequent German documents exist.

Is there a deadline to apply?

No. There is no statutory deadline for Article 116(2) applications. However, the practical challenge is that the older the documents needed, the harder they are to locate. Applying sooner is better, especially if elderly relatives who may have memories or documents are still alive.

Check German Eligibility

Use our free checker to explore your German ancestry path and identify which route — Article 116, §5 declaration, or standard descent — may apply.

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