Article 116 (2) sentence 1 of the Basic Law

Special rules on renaturalisation apply for victims of persecution by the Nazi regime who were deprived of their German citizenship on political, racial or religious grounds between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945. These persons and their descendants are entitled to naturalisation under Article 116 (2) sentence 1 of the Basic Law by way of reparations.

Detailed information on this can be found on the website of the Federal Office of Administration.

Naturalisation under section 15 of the Nationality Act (StAG)

The Fourth Act Amending the Nationality Act, which came into force on 20 August 2021, has created a new legal entitlement to renaturalisation for persons who lost or were denied German citizenship due to Nazi persecution and who are not already entitled to restoration of citizenship under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law (Section 15 of the Nationality Act). All descendants of such persons are also entitled to naturalisation.

Under section 15 of the Nationality Act, persons who gave up, 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 (re)naturalisation in the following cases:

1. Persons who gave up or lost their German citizenship prior to 26 February 1955, for example through acquisition of a foreign citizenship upon application, release upon application or marriage to a foreigner,
2. Persons who were excluded from lawfully acquiring German citizenship through marriage, legitimisation or the collective naturalisation of ethnic Germans,
3. Persons who were not naturalised upon application or were generally excluded from naturalisation which would otherwise have been possible upon application, or
4. Persons who gave up or lost their ordinary residence in Germany, if it had been established prior to 30 January 1933, or also after that date if they were children at the time.

Further information on naturalisation for descendants of victims of Nazi persecution and the relevant application forms can also be found on the website of the Federal Office of Administration:

Forms for applications under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law

Forms for applications under section 15 of the Nationality Act

Applying through the German missions in the United Kingdom

Please submit your application via the German mission responsible for your area (Embassy in London or Consulate General in Edinburgh).

Please use the Federal Office of Administration application forms (see link above) for your application.

When applying for naturalisation you will need the following documents:

• Application form (form A or E15 for persons aged 16 or over, or form A_K or E15_K for children under 16).
• Appendix AV for each of your ancestors going back to the person who was deprived of their German citizenship or who lost or was denied German citizenship due to persecution by the Nazi regime (your reference person).
• Copy of your current foreign passport
• Additional documents for yourself and your ancestors:
  • Documents to prove descent and identity, going back to your reference person:
    • birth certificates, certificates of parentage, marriage certificates, family registers, foreign identity papers (e.g. passport, identity cards, residence cards for foreigners),
  • Proof of German citizenship of reference person:
    • German identity papers (e.g. passport, ID card, children's ID card), certificates of naturalisation, expellee documents, registration certificates, refugee's identity cards, certificates of nationality, excerpt from the German register of residents
  • Proof of your family’s Jewish faith (if applicable)
    • birth certificates, marriage certificates, official letters
  • Any other useful documents
    • documentation attesting to any other citizenships held/ acquired
    • records of name changes
    • custody documentation (for applications for children under 16)
    • documentation of reparations payments
    • for applicants aged 16 and over applying under section 15 of the Nationality Act: up-to-date police clearance certificate from every country you have lived in for more than 6 months in the last 15 years

Please complete the application form in full, sign it and submit the original together with Appendix AV.

Please enclose authenticated copies of all supporting documents with the application. Please also enclose a complete set of unauthenticated copies of the application form and supporting documents.

In addition, you will need a certified German translation of any documents not in English, French or German.

To have your copies authenticated, please book an appointment with our legalisation desk. You can then submit your complete application documentation at this appointment.

Alternatively, copies can be authenticated by a notary public or one of our Honorary Consuls. Please note: the Honorary Consuls will authenticate copies of up to 5 documents. You are not allowed to book more than one appointment for the same application. Honorary Consuls cannot advise on applications or help you fill in the forms. If you have any questions, please contact the Embassy or Consulate General.

In this case please send us your complete application documentation by post. Please do not send us the originals of the supporting documents. The documents you submit, including any originals, will NOT be returned to you at the end of the process.

The postal address is:

German Embassy London
Legal and Consular Section
23 Belgrave Square
London, SW1X 8PZ

or

Consulate General Edinburgh
Legal and Consular Section
16 Eglinton Crescent
Edinburgh EH12 5DG

You will receive confirmation of receipt from us once your application has been forwarded to the Federal Office of Administration. If you have a query about your application, please always state the reference number indicated in this confirmation of receipt.

If additional information or documentation is required during processing, we will get in touch with you. Otherwise we will only be in touch once the final outcome of your application is known. Because processing in Germany is likely to take some time, we would ask you not to enquire about the progress of your application until at least 30 months have passed since you received confirmation of receipt.

Contact form

If after reading the information on our website you still have questions about German citizenship, please answer the following questions by email via our contact form (select the topic: Citizenship enquiries).

1. When and where were you born?
2. What was the nationality of your parents at the time of your birth? Have your parents ever had or do they still have a German passport?
3. Were your parents married to each other at the time of your birth? If applicable, when and where did your parents get married? If not, has your father acknowledged paternity?
4. When and where were your parents born?
5. What was the nationality of your parents when they were born?
6. Have your parents ever acquired British (or a different) citizenship? If so, when?
7. What nationality (nationalities) did your grandparents have at the time your parents were born?
8. Were your grandparents married to each other at the time your mother/your father was born? When and where did they get married?
9. Have you, your parents or your grandparents ever applied for British (or a different) citizenship? If so, please state who was naturalised, and when, and which family members may have been included in the (parents’) application.
10. Have you, your parents or your grandparents ever performed military service in a country other than Germany? If so, when?
11. Are you or was one of your ancestors adopted? If so, who and when?