Citizenship Through Unmarried Father (Section 5 StAG)

Eligibility Quiz

What's Happening

Today

Individuals born before July 1, 1993, to unmarried German fathers and foreign mothers can acquire citizenship through Section 5 StAG by simple declaration (deadline August 19, 2031) without residence requirements, or through traditional naturalization pathways, with dual citizenship now permitted as of June 2024.

Dec 2025

German Federal Cabinet approved a draft law requiring immigration authority approval for paternity recognition in cases with 'residence status gaps' (pending Bundestag approval), which could affect unmarried couples where one parent has German citizenship and the other does not, potentially impacting citizenship acquisition through paternity.

thelocal.de ↗

Oct 30, 2025

Fast-track naturalization after 3 years of residence was abolished by the Bundestag, restoring the minimum residency requirement to 5 years for all applicants, reversing a 2024 provision that had allowed exceptionally well-integrated individuals to naturalize sooner.

bundesregierung.de ↗

Jun 27, 2024

Act on the Modernization of Citizenship Law (StARModG) entered into force, permitting dual citizenship as standard practice and reducing naturalization residency requirements from 8 to 5 years, making it easier for applicants to retain their original nationality while acquiring German citizenship.

bmi.bund.de ↗

Aug 20, 2021

Fourth Act Amending the Nationality Act entered into force, creating Section 5 StAG—a ten-year declaration pathway (until August 19, 2031) for individuals born after May 23, 1949, to unmarried German fathers before July 1, 1993, to acquire citizenship by simple declaration without requiring residence in Germany or German language skills.

germany.info ↗

May 20, 2020

German Constitutional Court ruled that children born out of wedlock to German fathers who lost citizenship due to Nazi persecution (Article 116(2)) cannot be denied citizenship based on illegitimacy, expanding the definition of 'descendants' to include illegitimate children.

bundesverfassungsgericht.de ↗