Germany Citizenship by Declaration (§ 5 StAG)

Value: what the Citizenship by Declaration (§ 5 StAG) gives you

Passport: visa-free destinations

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Years to permanent residence

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Years to citizenship

ImmediatelyOfficialFederal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15Citizenship is acquired by effective declaration under § 5.

Leads to citizenship

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Can work for a local employer

YesOfficial, secondaryEuropean Union, checked 2026-11-15Once recognised as a citizen, an applicant can work for a local employer in Germany without an immigration work permit.

Same application for spouse and children

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Public healthcare

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Minimum stay per year

NoneOfficialGerman Federal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15German citizenship acquired by this route has no annual physical-presence condition. The statutory grounds for loss still apply.

Tax on foreign income

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Dual citizenship allowed

YesOfficial, secondaryGerman Federal Foreign Office, checked 2026-11-15The German mission says applicants do not need to renounce their existing citizenship.

Rule changes, last 24 months

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Cost: what the Citizenship by Declaration (§ 5 StAG) costs over five years

Government fees

$0Official, secondaryGerman Federal Foreign Office, checked 2026-11-15No fee for the declaration. Document preparation may cost extra.

Non-refundable contribution

$0OfficialFederal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15Nationality declaration does not require a contribution.

Due diligence

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Compulsory extras, first year

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Renewal fees, first 5 years

$0OfficialFederal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15The declaration gives citizenship, without a residence-permit renewal fee.

Investment you may get back

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Minimum income per month

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Extra for a spouse and two children

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Typical adviser fees (not in the total)

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USD estimates use the 13 November 2026 reference rates of the European Central Bank, Central Bank of Armenia and Central Bank of the UAE, and the Central Bank of Uruguay rate for UYU. The Panamanian balboa uses its official one-to-one parity.

Speed: how long the Citizenship by Declaration (§ 5 StAG) takes

Official processing time

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Reported processing time (median)

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Approval to card or passport

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Sources

1. Nationality Act, section 5, Federal Ministry of Justice. Checked 2026-11-15.
2. Citizenship by declaration, German Federal Foreign Office. Checked 2026-11-15.
3. Working in the EU – your rights, European Union. Checked 2026-11-15.
4. Nationality Act, section 17: loss of nationality, German Federal Ministry of Justice. Checked 2026-11-15.

Every figure on this page last reviewed 2026-11-15. General information, not legal advice. Spotted an error? Email us from the contact page.

Related programs

• AM Armenia Simplified Citizenship for People of Armenian Origin
• AU Australia Australian Citizenship by Descent
• AT Austria Citizenship by Declaration for Descendants (§ 58c)
• DE Germany Restitution Naturalisation (§ 15 StAG)
• GR Greece Determination of Greek Citizenship by Descent
• HU Hungary Simplified Naturalisation through Ancestry

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