Section 15 StAG

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What is Section 15 StAG?

Section 15 StAG of the German Nationality Act provides a route to German citizenship for people who, or whose ancestors, were affected by Nazi persecution between 1933 and 1945 but who may not qualify for restoration under Article 116 GG.

Introduced in August 2021, Section 15 StAG was designed to address historic cases that were not adequately covered by Article 116 GG. This included people who suffered Nazi persecution but had lost German citizenship in circumstances not covered by Article 116 GG, as well as those who were prevented from acquiring German citizenship because of persecution and discriminatory laws.

The legislation covers a range of circumstances, including people who lost German citizenship or their ordinary residence in Germany, those who were excluded from naturalisation, and certain families affected by historic nationality rules. Because the circumstances surrounding each family’s history can differ considerably, determining whether Section 15 StAG is the appropriate legal route requires careful assessment of the individual case.

Section 15 StAG eligibility

Section 15 StAG applies to a broader range of circumstances arising from Nazi persecution and historic German nationality law. Eligibility may extend to people whose ancestors were unable to retain or acquire German citizenship, or who were forced to leave Germany, because of persecution.

You may be eligible if you are a direct descendant of:

A formerly German female ancestor who lost her German citizenship because she married a non-German citizen due to Nazi persecution.
A formerly German ancestor who fled Nazi persecution and naturalised in another country before the German authorities formally deprived them of German citizenship.
An ancestor who was excluded from naturalisation in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia or the Sudetenland.
An ancestor who, due to Nazi persecution, gave up or lost their ordinary place of residence in Germany, provided that the residence had been established by the ancestor and/or their parents before 30 January 1933.

Applicants must generally be able to demonstrate that:

An ancestor meets the legal requirements for restitution of German citizenship under Section 15 StAG.
They are a direct descendant of that ancestor.
They meet the relevant good-character requirements showing no criminal record. The authorities will also conduct research in German to ensure the applicant has no criminal record in Germany, this is a requirement for the petition to be granted.

Each family’s circumstances are different, and eligibility under Section 15 StAG cannot always be determined from a simple checklist. Family history, the circumstances surrounding persecution, citizenship or residence history and the available documentary evidence may all need to be considered.

At German Citizenship Restoration, every enquiry begins with a free initial assessment. We review your family history and available evidence to determine whether Section 15 StAG is the appropriate legal route before recommending the next steps.

documentation requirements

The documentation required for a Section 15 StAG application will depend on your family’s individual circumstances and the basis on which you are applying. Evidence will generally be required to establish your ancestor’s connection to Germany, the circumstances surrounding their persecution and your direct family relationship to them.

Typical documentation may include:

- Evidence that your ancestor formerly held German citizenship and subsequently lost it.
- Alternatively, evidence that your ancestor / their parents had established their ordinary residence in Germany prior to January 30th 1933 and were forced to give up or lost that residence as a result of Nazi persecution.
- Birth, marriage and other official records establishing the direct family relationship between you and the relevant ancestor.
- Appropriately prepared documentary evidence, including apostilles or legalisation where required.
- Police clearance certificates from all countries in which the applicant has lived for more than six months during the previous 15 years. These certificates must cover the entire country of residence and be no more than six months old when the application is submitted.

Where the documentary evidence is not already available, German Citizenship Restoration can undertake specialist research in Germany to locate relevant records.

The German authorities will also carry out their own checks in Germany, as satisfying the relevant good-character requirements is part of the application process.

application timelines

Once a Section 15 StAG application has been submitted, it is processed by the relevant German authorities. Processing times are determined entirely by the German authorities and are outside the control of both applicants and German Citizenship Restoration.

At the time of writing, Section 15 StAG applications typically take around 3 years or more to be processed, although these times are subject to change.

During this period, applicants should inform the relevant German authorities of any changes to their personal circumstances, such as a change of address or marital status.

Throughout the process, our clients are kept informed of any significant changes to expected processing times and we provide updates whenever information becomes available.

Application PROCESS

Applying for German citizenship under Section 15 StAG involves several stages, from confirming your eligibility, establishing the necessary documentary evidence, completing the required German application forms, submitting the application and through to the granting of German citizenship. German Citizenship Restoration provides a complete end-to-end service, managing the process on your behalf and guiding you through every stage until your naturalisation is granted.

1. Free eligibility consultation

2. Specialist research in Germany (where needed)

If existing documents are incomplete or inconclusive, GCR, for a research fee, undertakes targeted research in German archives / registries and relevant institutions to obtain the necessary proof of former citizenship / residency.
Research typically takes an average of 3–6 months to obtain the required documentation, though timeframes can vary depending on the case and archive response times.

3. Application preparation and legal submission

GCR will only engage clients to application stage once it is confirmed that the supporting evidence meets or exceeds the German authorities’ strict requirements and the correct legal route has been identified.

Once engaged, we’ll provide a personalised document checklist to include each applicant and guide you every step of the way:

How to prepare that documental evidence to submit with your petition (application).
Which supplementary ID documents are required – this will be tailored to include the additional family members applying.
We provide draft English petition forms and translate the contents into the official German versions, as required by the authorities.
We closely review all applicants petition forms and check all documental evidence is correctly prepared.

4. Submission and liaison with German authorities

GCR submits your application along with the legal grounds for restoration directly to the competent German authority or prepares the application for submission via your nearest German Embassy/Consulate (where the service is available), depending on the application route and your country of residence.
Throughout the process, GCR handles all correspondence on your behalf, responds to any queries and manages any potential additional requests.

5. Citizenship decision and final steps

Once the German government approves your application, GCR’s formal role concludes.
You will be invited directly by the relevant German Embassy/Consulate to collect your naturalisation certificate. Once you have signed for it, you’ll officially become a German citizen as such, entitled to apply for a passport. Passport appointments can be made directly at the respective German mission usually at the same time as certificate collection.

Why choose us for your application

Applying for German citizenship under Section 15 StAG requires far more than simply completing application forms. Establishing eligibility can involve interpreting complex family history, obtaining historical records and ensuring the supporting evidence meets the German authorities’ strict requirements.

At German Citizenship Restoration, we focus exclusively on restoring German citizenship. Since 2019, we have helped 131 families and individuals, resulting in over 700 successful applications across the various legal restoration routes. (link to testimonials)

Every application is prepared individually. We only proceed once we are satisfied that the correct legal route has been identified and the supporting evidence is sufficient to support a successful application.

Section 15 StAG resources

To help you better understand Section 15 StAG and the German citizenship restoration process, we’ve brought together a selection of related guides and resources. These articles explore eligibility, supporting evidence, the application process and other topics that may be relevant to your family’s circumstances.

Ready to Find Out If You Qualify?

If you believe you may qualify under Section 15 StAG, we would be happy to assess your circumstances and advise you on the most appropriate next steps.