Last updated: November 12, 2026
One of your parents is German, or was German when you were born. Whether that makes you German depends on more than the parent. Until 1975 the law treated German mothers and fathers differently, and until 1993 it treated children of unmarried parents differently. Many people in Canada were told decades ago that they could not be German. Some of them can become German today with a simple declaration.
TL;DR
- Through a German father: yes if your parents were married. If they were not married, only for births from July 1, 1993, once paternity was legally established.
- Through a German mother: yes if you were born from January 1, 1975, or at any time if your parents were not married.
- Born in wedlock before 1975 to a German mother, or out of wedlock before July 1993 to a German father? You can usually become German by declaration until August 19, 2031.
- Your parent must have been German on the day you were born. A later naturalization of the parent does not matter.
- This overview links to our detailed articles on each situation.
Can I get German citizenship through my mother?
If your mother was German when you were born, it depends on two things: the year of your birth and whether your parents were married.
- Parents not married: a German mother has always passed on her citizenship to a child born out of wedlock, since the Nationality Act took effect in 1914.
- Parents married, born from January 1, 1975: you acquired German citizenship from your mother at birth.
- Parents married, born between 1964 and 1974: only if you would otherwise have been stateless. Most children in Canada had a Canadian father or were Canadian by birth, so this exception rarely applied.
- Parents married, born before 1964: no acquisition at birth through the mother.
Also check whether your mother herself was still German. A German woman who married a foreigner before April 1, 1953 lost her German citizenship under the law then in force. Her children can still benefit from the declaration under Section 5. Our article on acquisition by declaration covers the mother’s line in detail.
A real case from British Columbia: My mother became Canadian after I was born: am I still German?
Can I get German citizenship through my father?
- Parents married: a German father passed on his citizenship at any time since 1914, as long as he was German at the birth.
- Parents not married, born from July 1, 1993: the child acquires German citizenship if paternity is legally established under German law, by acknowledgment or court decision, before the child turns 23.
- Parents not married, born before July 1, 1993: no acquisition at birth through the father. If the parents married later, the old rules on legitimation may have conferred citizenship. Otherwise the declaration under Section 5 is usually available.
Details for children of unmarried parents are in our article German citizenship for children born out of wedlock.
Rules by year of birth
| Born | German father | German mother |
|---|---|---|
| Before 1964, parents married | Yes | No, declaration under Section 5 possible |
| 1964 to 1974, parents married | Yes | Only if the child would otherwise be stateless, otherwise declaration |
| From 1975, parents married | Yes | Yes |
| Before July 1, 1993, parents not married | No, declaration under Section 5 possible | Yes |
| From July 1, 1993, parents not married | Yes, once paternity is legally established before age 23 | Yes |
| From 2000, born abroad | Yes, but if the parent was also born abroad after 1999: register the birth within one year | Same as father |
The parent’s own citizenship has to be checked the same way. If your grandparent is the German link, read German citizenship through grandparents.
The declaration under Section 5
Since August 20, 2021, Section 5 of the Nationality Act lets people who missed out because of the old discriminatory rules become German by declaration. It covers in particular:
- children born in wedlock to a German mother before January 1, 1975,
- children of German mothers who had lost their citizenship by marrying a foreigner before the birth,
- children born out of wedlock to a German father before July 1, 1993,
- the descendants of all of these.
The declaration right ends on August 19, 2031. After that date, this route closes. Acquisition takes effect with the declaration, not retroactively from birth. You receive a certificate.
Adoption and other cases
A child adopted as a minor by a German acquires German citizenship if the adoption is valid under German law. For the rules on children in general, including registration of births abroad, see German citizenship of children.
If your parent was German but lost the citizenship before your birth, for example through naturalization in Canada, you did not acquire it. Re-naturalization of the parent does not change that retroactively. Depending on the family history, restoration or naturalization may be the way forward.
What to do next
- Note your date of birth, whether your parents were married at the time and when your German parent was born.
- Find out whether and when your German parent was naturalized abroad.
- If you were German from birth: apply for a certificate of citizenship. If not: check the declaration under Section 5.
Our free German citizenship check gives a first answer in a few minutes. For a reliable assessment, book a consultation or call us at +1 587 349 3535.
Frequently asked questions
Does a German mother pass on her citizenship?
Yes, if she was German when you were born and the law at that time allowed her to pass it on. If you were born in wedlock before January 1, 1975, you usually did not acquire it at birth, but you can become German by declaration under Section 5 of the Nationality Act until August 19, 2031.
Does a German father pass on his citizenship?
If your parents were married, yes, as long as your father was German at your birth. If they were not married and you were born before July 1, 1993, you did not acquire it at birth, but the declaration under Section 5 is usually open to you.
Does it matter where I was born?
Not for people born before the year 2000. German citizenship follows descent, not the place of birth. For children born abroad since 2000 whose German parent was also born abroad after 1999, the birth must be registered with the German authorities within one year.
My German parent became Canadian after I was born. Am I still German?
Yes. A naturalization after your birth did not take away the citizenship you already had. What matters is the status of your parent on the day you were born.
Do my children also qualify?
If you are German, your children usually are too, subject to the registration rule for births abroad after 1999. If you become German by declaration, the declaration right also extends to your descendants, who make their own declaration.
Do I have to give up my Canadian citizenship?
No. Neither confirmation of citizenship nor a declaration under Section 5 requires you to give up Canadian or US citizenship.
Sources
- Section 4 Nationality Act (StAG)
- Section 5 Nationality Act (StAG), declaration
- German Missions in Canada: Establishing German citizenship
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.
