Welcome
Obtaining Citizenship
In general, German citizenship is not established through birth on German territory but by descent from a German legal mother and/or a German legal father.
German citizenship may have been obtained through the following:
- by birth in wedlock
- by birth out of wedlock
- by adoption
- by legitimation
- by marriage of a foreign wife to a German (only until 03/31/1953)
- by other reasons
Additional content
Find out which of the nine German Missions throughout the US can assist you by using our Consulate Finder.