German citizenship is primarily established through descent from a German legal mother and/or father, not through birth on German territory. The rules for acquiring German citizenship by descent vary depending on when and under what circumstances you or your ancestors were born. For those born in wedlock between 1914 and 1974, citizenship was primarily passed through the father, while after 1975, children could acquire citizenship if either parent was German.

For those born out of wedlock, children of German mothers have acquired citizenship since 1914. Children born to German fathers out of wedlock after July 1, 1993 acquired citizenship if paternity was established according to German law. Other pathways include adoption by German citizens, legitimization through parents' marriage, and special provisions for those who lost citizenship due to historical circumstances.

In addition to citizenship by descent, Germany's 2024 citizenship law reform represents a significant change to German nationality law. The new Staatsangehörigkeitsmodernisierungsgesetz (Citizenship Modernization Act) allows naturalized citizens to retain their original citizenship and reduces the residence requirement from 8 to 5 years for most applicants, with further reductions possible for exceptional integration efforts or German language skills.