Descendants of Germans — and especially of those persecuted by the Nazi regime — have specific rights to recognition and restoration. We identify the exact legal basis for your case.
German citizenship is passed down by jus sanguinis: as a rule, anyone born to a German father or mother is German. For more distant descent, entitlement depends on specific legal bases in the Nationality Act (StAG) and the Basic Law (Grundgesetz).
Two routes are especially relevant: restoration for descendants of those persecuted by the Nazis (Art. 116(2) of the Basic Law and §15 StAG), which recognizes those who lost their nationality between 1933 and 1945 and their descendants; and the remedy for historical gender discrimination (§5 StAG), for children of a German mother born before 1975 or of an unmarried German father before 1993. Each route has its own requirements and deadlines.
Every lineage is unique. The profiles below cover the main scenarios — an eligibility assessment confirms your specific case.
Child of a German father or mother, under the transmission rules in force on the date of birth.
Art. 116(2) GG and §15 StAG: restoration for those who lost their citizenship through persecution between 1933 and 1945, and their descendants.
§5 StAG: children of a German mother (before 1975) or of an unmarried German father (before 1993), by declaration.
Without fitting one of the legal routes, transmission may have been broken — the assessment confirms this.
German citizenship by descent does not follow a single rule: it depends on the date of birth, the ancestor’s gender, marital status and any loss through persecution or naturalization. Germany has broadly allowed dual nationality since 2024. Identifying the correct legal basis is what makes an application viable.
The list varies by route and lineage. We handle record searches, corrections, sworn translation and apostille — end to end.
A structured process, led by our in-house legal team and sworn translators.
We review your lineage and existing documents to confirm your entitlement and the safest route — at no initial cost.
We locate historical certificates in Brazil and abroad, correcting inconsistent names, dates and spellings.
In-house sworn translators and the Hague Convention apostille, giving your file international legal validity.
Your dossier assembled in the required format, filed through the correct route and followed through to your passport.
It depends on the legal basis. If citizenship was lost through Nazi persecution, Art. 116(2) and §15 StAG may extend to direct descendants. Outside these cases, transmission by jus sanguinis is more limited. The assessment confirms where you stand.
It is the recognition provided for in Art. 116(2) of the Basic Law and §15 StAG for people who lost German citizenship through political, racial or religious persecution between 1933 and 1945, extended to their descendants.
Historically, there was discrimination in transmission through the maternal line and through unmarried fathers. §5 StAG created a declaration route to remedy these situations — we check whether your case qualifies and the applicable deadline.
Since the 2024 reform, Germany broadly allows dual nationality. In practice, most descent cases retain Brazilian nationality.
As a rule, there is no language requirement for recognition by descent or restoration — unlike naturalization by residence.
Talk to a Santy specialist. We assess your lineage, identify the safest route and map out a realistic plan — with no obligation.
A fast reply from a specialist consultant.
Your data is handled under LGPD and GDPR, in strict confidence.
Each country has its own rules, deadlines and requirements. See which path could be yours.