Alternative routes to German citizenship for Israelis

Key Takeaways

• If you don’t qualify for citizenship restitution under Art. 116(2) GG or § 15 StAG, three routes to German citizenship remain open for Israelis. Those are standard naturalization, naturalization through marriage, and discretionary naturalization.
• Standard naturalization under § 10 StAG requires five years of lawful residence in Germany.
• Naturalization through marriage under § 9 StAG requires three years of lawful residence, with at least two years married to or in a registered partnership with a German citizen.
• Discretionary naturalization under § 8 StAG has no fixed residence requirement, though applicants must already be lawfully resident in Germany.
• Since a June 2024 reform, none of Germany’s naturalization routes require you to give up your Israeli citizenship, regardless of your original nationality.
• Unlike a restitution claim, naturalization under German law always requires years of actual residence in Germany first.

Table of contents

Article 116(2) of the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG) and Section 15 of the Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, StAG) restore citizenship to descendants of people Germany persecuted between 1933 and 1945.

Our guide to German citizenship for Israelis of Jewish descent covers who qualifies under either route.

What are your other options if you don’t qualify under Art. 116(2) GG or § 15 StAG?

If you don’t qualify under Art. 116(2) GG or § 15 StAG, three other paths to German citizenship remain open to you.

• Standard naturalization, open to anyone who has lived in Germany long enough and meets the integration requirements.
• Naturalization through marriage, open to spouses and registered partners of German citizens.
• Discretionary naturalization, a narrower route the naturalization authority grants case by case.

A restitution claim doesn’t require any years of residency in Germany before you apply. That means you can also file it from outside the country, through the Bundesverwaltungsamt (Federal Office of Administration, BVA) or a German mission abroad.

In contrast, all three alternative routes require years of actual residence in Germany first. You apply for them through your local naturalization authority (Einbürgerungsbehörde), not the BVA.

Comparing the four routes to German citizenship for Israelis

The table below compares the four German citizenship routes for Israelis:

§ 10 StAG

Standard naturalization under Section 10 of the Nationality Act (§ 10 StAG) is open to any foreign national who has lived in Germany long enough, regardless of ancestry. This is the general route most naturalized Germans use.

To qualify under § 10 StAG, you need:

• Five years of lawful, ordinary residence in Germany.
• German language proficiency at B1 level under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
• A passed Einbürgerungstest (naturalization test) covering Germany’s legal and social system.
• The ability to support yourself and any dependents without relying on certain social benefits.
• No conviction for a criminal offense.

Before October 30, 2025, applicants with C1-level German and exceptional integration could naturalize after three years, under a separate provision, § 10(3) StAG. The Bundestag confirms that provision was repealed on that date. As a result, every applicant now needs the full five years.

§ 9 StAG

Naturalization through marriage under § 9 StAG applies if you are married to, or in a registered partnership with, a German citizen. It shortens the residence requirement compared to standard naturalization.

To qualify under § 9 StAG, you need:

• Three years of lawful, ordinary residence in Germany.
• At least two years married to, or in a registered partnership with, your German spouse or partner.
• The same language, testing, and self-sufficiency requirements that apply under § 10 StAG.

The naturalization authority can shorten the three-year residence period on public-interest grounds if your marriage or registered partnership has already lasted three years.

§ 8 StAG

Discretionary naturalization under § 8 StAG is the route the naturalization authority may grant when you don’t meet the residence or income conditions under § 10 StAG or § 9 StAG. Unlike those two routes, § 8 StAG creates no automatic right to citizenship.

You must be a lawfully, ordinarily resident in Germany. However, § 8 StAG sets no minimum length of residence. The naturalization authority then decides each case at its own discretion. It can grant citizenship when doing so serves a recognized public interest, or when it would prevent you from facing a particular hardship.

Beyond residence, § 8 StAG sets four further conditions:

• Legal capacity to act, or legal representation if you don’t have it.
• No criminal convictions and no measures imposed for reasons of public safety.
• Adequate housing, meaning a dwelling or accommodation of your own.
• The ability to support yourself and any dependents.

The naturalization authority can also waive the criminal-record and self-sufficiency requirements. It can do so for public interest reasons, or to prevent a particular hardship. Each application is decided on its own facts.

Do you need to give up your Israeli citizenship for any of these routes?

No, you do not need to give up your Israeli citizenship to complete standard naturalization under § 10 StAG, naturalization through marriage under § 9 StAG, or discretionary naturalization under § 8 StAG.

Since a reform effective June 27, 2024, holding another citizenship is the standard outcome of German naturalization, regardless of your original nationality.

Frequently Asked Questions