Do You Need a Lawyer to Apply for German Citizenship?
Christine Stenner, Attorney (Germany) | Foreign Legal Consultant (PA) | May 28, 2025
You don’t need a lawyer to apply for German citizenship.
I tell people that in every consultation. 
If your case is straightforward, you have all the relevant documents, and you speak German, you can complete the forms yourself or visit the nearest German consulate to apply.
Most of my clients don’t come to me because they lack the ability to apply on their own. They come because they need someone who understands the legal history behind their case, can identify what is missing or unclear, and is able to communicate effectively with the German authorities on their behalf.
German citizenship law is not static; it is constantly evolving. What was impossible five years ago may be entirely feasible today. For example, a significant legal change in 2021 allowed many children of German mothers who had lost their citizenship after marrying a foreign national or were prevented from passing it on due to gender discrimination to reclaim it. For decades, these women were excluded from transmitting German citizenship to their children solely because of their gender and marital status. Entire families were quietly and systematically left out by laws based on outdated ideas of nationality and belonging.
This opportunity, however, is time-limited. The window to apply under this provision closes in August 2031.
There are also those whose lives were shaped between 1933 and 1945. These are families with histories of persecution, displacement, silence, and survival. I represent individuals and families of survivors who were forced to flee, stripped of their rights under the Nazi regime, or who lost their citizenship without ever having a choice.
Many of these injustices remained buried in legal texts for generations. My work involves uncovering those injustices and understanding how they apply to people’s lives today. While some of these wrongs have only recently been acknowledged and corrected, legal recognition still is not automatic. It must be actively pursued.
At the core of my work is helping people reclaim what history, discrimination, or bureaucracy once took from them. This is about more than a passport. It is about recognition, legal identity, and belonging.
There is also a deeply practical side to this process. Clients often ask, “Where do I find a birth certificate from a town that no longer exists?” or “How can I read handwritten records in faded 19th-century German script?” I assist with locating essential documents in Germany, interpreting them accurately, and building a clear, persuasive case for recognition.
My background has prepared me well for this work. I spent most of my legal career in administrative law, handling claims, submitting applications to the German government, and when necessary, filing lawsuits to ensure fairness. I understand how the bureaucracy operates and know that it responds to well-structured, well-documented applications that speak its language.
Today, I bring that experience into every case I take on, working with care, precision, and deep respect for the people and histories behind each application.
While it is true that you may not need a lawyer to apply for German citizenship, having someone who understands the law, knows its history, and can navigate a system that continues to change can make all the difference.