Last updated: November 12, 2026
Your grandmother or grandfather came from Germany, your parents were born in Canada or the US, and now you wonder whether a German passport is within reach. Many grandchildren of German emigrants are already German without knowing it, because nobody in the family ever checked. Others find out that the line broke one generation earlier. Which group you belong to depends on a few dates in your family history.
TL;DR
- German citizenship through grandparents is possible if it passed from your grandparent to your parent and from your parent to you.
- There is no fixed generation limit for people born before 2000. Each link is checked separately under the law in force at the time of birth.
- Typical breaks: a naturalization in Canada or the US before the next child was born, and the old rule that married German mothers could not pass on citizenship before 1975.
- If the line is broken, a declaration under Section 5 of the Nationality Act (deadline August 19, 2031) or restoration may still help.
- Proof is a certificate of citizenship (Staatsangehörigkeitsausweis) from the Federal Office of Administration. The fee is 51 euros.
Can I get German citizenship through my grandparents?
German citizenship is passed on by descent, not by place of birth. A grandparent cannot hand it to a grandchild directly. It has to go through your parent: your grandparent was German when your parent was born, your parent acquired German citizenship at birth, and your parent was still German when you were born.
If all three links hold, you did not need to apply for anything. You have been German since birth, even if you have never held a German passport. What you need is official proof. If one link fails, you are not German by descent, but that is not always the end of it.
Your German link goes back one generation further? Read our guide on German citizenship through great-grandparents.
Three questions for every generation
For your grandparent, your parent and you, the same three questions apply:
- Was the German parent still German at the time of the birth? A naturalization abroad, a marriage or a long stay abroad under very old rules could have ended it before.
- Could this parent pass it on under the law in force at that time? Until 1975 the answer depended on whether it was the father or the mother, and whether the parents were married.
- Did the child lose it later? For example through its own naturalization before June 27, 2024.
German citizenship by descent chart: rules by year of birth
Every person in the line is assessed under the rules that applied on the day of their own birth. The chart shows the main rules since the Nationality Act of 1913 took effect.
| Born | Parents married | Parents not married |
|---|---|---|
| 1914 to 1963 | Only through a German father | Only through a German mother |
| 1964 to 1974 | Through a German father. Through a German mother only if the child would otherwise have been stateless | Only through a German mother |
| 1975 to June 30, 1993 | Through either German parent | Only through a German mother |
| From July 1, 1993 | Through either German parent | Through either German parent, through the father once paternity is legally established |
| From 2000, born abroad | As above. If the German parent was also born abroad after 1999 and lives abroad, the birth must be registered with the German authorities within one year | |
Children who missed out only because of the old rules on mothers and unmarried fathers can usually become German by declaration. More on this in our overview of German citizenship through a German mother or father.
How many generations back can you claim German citizenship?
For people born before the year 2000 the law sets no number. Citizenship can pass through three, four or five generations of people who never lived in Germany, as long as no link breaks. The practical limit is evidence: the further back the German ancestor, the more documents you need and the more likely it is that something happened in between.
Since 2000, Section 4(4) of the Nationality Act sets a limit for families who have lived abroad for two generations. A child born abroad does not acquire German citizenship if the German parent was also born abroad after December 31, 1999 and lives there. The exception: the birth is registered with the German registry office within one year, or the child would otherwise be stateless. For today’s grandchildren this rarely matters yet, but it will for their children.
Where the line typically breaks
- Naturalization before the next birth. Until June 26, 2024, a German who acquired a foreign citizenship on application generally lost the German one. If your grandfather became Canadian in 1960 and your father was born in 1962, your father was not German at birth.
- A German grandmother, married, before 1975. Her children born in wedlock before 1975 did not acquire German citizenship from her.
- Marriage of a German woman to a foreigner before April 1, 1953. Under the law then in force, she lost her German citizenship.
- Emigration before 1904. Under the 1870 law, Germans who lived abroad for ten years without interruption generally lost their citizenship. This mainly affects great-grandparents.
- Naturalization in Canada before 1947. Before January 1, 1947 there was no Canadian citizenship. Immigrants were naturalized as British subjects. What counts is the date of that naturalization. Details on our page German citizenship by descent for Canadians.
If you are unsure whether your grandparent was naturalized and when, our article Ancestor naturalized in Canada or the US explains how to find the records.
When the line is broken
A break does not always close the door.
- Declaration under Section 5 of the Nationality Act: for children of German mothers born before 1975, children of German fathers born out of wedlock before July 1993 and their descendants. The declaration can be made until August 19, 2031. See acquisition by declaration.
- Restoration under Article 116(2) of the Basic Law and Section 15 of the Nationality Act: for descendants of people persecuted by the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945. See restoration of German citizenship.
- Naturalization: in other cases, regular naturalization or, for former Germans, re-naturalization may be possible.
Not sure where your family stands? Our free German citizenship check takes a few minutes. For a reliable answer, book a consultation with our German lawyers in Calgary.
How to apply from Canada
- Write down the dates for each generation: births, marriages, emigration and any naturalization.
- Collect birth and marriage certificates for your grandparent, your parent and yourself, plus proof of your grandparent’s German citizenship, such as an old passport or a registry extract.
- Check the naturalization records in Canada or the US. A record showing the date matters as much as a record showing that there was none.
- Fill in application form F and one Annex V for each ancestor you derive citizenship from. The procedure is conducted in German.
- Submit through the German Embassy in Ottawa or one of the Consulates General. They forward the file to the Federal Office of Administration in Cologne, which decides.
The checklist in our article on documents for German citizenship by descent covers each item. How long it takes is explained in How long does German citizenship by descent take?
Example from practice: Ms. K. from Edmonton, born 1988. Her grandfather emigrated from Bavaria in 1953 and became Canadian in 1971. Her mother was born in 1965. Because her grandfather was still German in 1965, her mother acquired German citizenship at birth. Ms. K. was born in 1988, after the 1975 reform, so she acquired it from her mother. The grandfather’s naturalization six years after the mother’s birth changed nothing. (Fictitious example based on typical cases from our practice.)
Every family history is different. Book a consultation now or call us at +1 587 349 3535.
Frequently asked questions
Is German citizenship through a grandparent possible?
Often yes. If your German grandparent passed citizenship to your parent and your parent passed it to you, you are already German by descent and only need to have it confirmed. If the line broke, other routes such as a declaration under Section 5 of the Nationality Act or restoration may still be open.
Can I get a German passport if my grandfather was German?
Only if you are a German citizen yourself. A passport is issued to citizens, not to descendants as such. If your grandfather passed his citizenship down to you, the mission will usually ask for a certificate of citizenship before it issues a first passport.
Does it matter whether the German grandparent is my grandmother or my grandfather?
Yes, for births before 1975. Until the end of 1974 a child born in wedlock acquired German citizenship only from the father. Children and grandchildren of German women from that period can usually become German by declaration until August 19, 2031.
How many generations back can you claim German citizenship?
For people born before the year 2000 there is no fixed limit. What counts is whether every generation was German at the birth of the next one. For children born abroad after 1999 to a parent who was also born abroad after 1999, the birth has to be registered with the German authorities within one year.
My grandparent became a Canadian or US citizen. Is the line broken?
It depends on the date. Before June 27, 2024, a German who voluntarily acquired a foreign citizenship generally lost the German one. Children born before that naturalization kept German citizenship, children born after it did not acquire it.
How long does the confirmation take?
The Federal Office of Administration in Cologne decides. A processing time of around two years is not unusual. Complete documents shorten the procedure more than anything else.
Sources
- Section 4 Nationality Act (StAG), gesetze-im-internet.de
- Section 5 Nationality Act (StAG), declaration
- German Missions in Canada: Establishing German citizenship
- Federal Office of Administration: Feststellung der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit
This article is for general information only and does not replace individual legal advice. Rocky Mountain German Law Ltd., Suite 201, 8989 Macleod Trail S.W., Calgary, AB.
