This article is for general information only and does not replace individual legal advice. If you have a specific question about your entitlement to German nationality, please consult a lawyer specialising in nationality law.
€690,000 for an EU passport — and still unlawful
Until April 2025, it was possible to buy citizenship in Malta. Not in a figurative sense, but quite literally: anyone who paid at least €600,000 to the Maltese state, acquired property worth at least €700,000 or rented for at least €16,000 per year and additionally donated €10,000 to a charitable organisation, could become a Maltese citizen after a waiting period of twelve to 36 months – and therefore automatically a European Union citizen.
The programme was one of the most expensive in the world. Depending on the chosen route, the minimum investment ranged from around 630,000 euros to over 1.4 million euros. And yet, there were enough interested parties. Why? Because the Maltese passport meant access to the European Union: the right to live, work and study in 27 member states. Visa-free travel to 185 countries. Consular protection worldwide. Protection against deportation. And the possibility of passing this status on to one's children.
On 29 April 2025, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declared this model unlawful. In case C-181/23 (Commission v Malta), the Grand Chamber ruled that granting citizenship in exchange for pre-determined payments constituted a „commercialisation“ of EU citizenship — incompatible with Art. 20 TFEU and the principle of sincere cooperation under Art. 4(3) TEU. Malta was required to cease the scheme.
But the ruling left one question unanswered: if you cannot buy EU citizenship, what is it worth?
No purchase price, but an economic value
The ECJ's answer is clear: EU citizenship is not a commodity. It presupposes a „special relationship of solidarity and loyalty“ between a Member State and its nationals. That is the legal framework. But from an economic perspective, nationality – and particularly German nationality – has a measurable value. And it is considerably higher than most people assume.
German nationality is not simply a travel document. It is a bundle of rights, each of which makes a concrete economic difference.
The five building blocks of economic value
1. Unrestricted access to the EU labour market
Anyone who holds German citizenship can work in all 27 EU member states – without a work permit, without residency restrictions, and without employer ties. This is not an abstract right. It means you can take up a job in Amsterdam, become self-employed in Vienna, or start a business in Lisbon without any authority having to approve it.
The figures show what this means in concrete terms. Eurostat data for 2024 show: the unemployment rate for non-EU citizens in Europe was 12.3 percent – almost two and a half times higher than that of EU nationals at 5.1 percent. The difference cannot be explained by qualifications alone. It has to do with access barriers: residence permits tied to a specific employer. Approval procedures that take months. And employers who do not hire individuals with uncertain residency status.
2. The salary increase from naturalisation
Various studies – including those by the Migration Policy Institute, the OECD, and the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics – have examined the so-called „citizenship premium“: the difference in income that arises after naturalisation. The results vary depending on the country and methodology, but the direction is clear.
In the USA, salary increases are at least 5 percent immediately after naturalisation, rising to over 10 percent within ten years. In Germany, a study by the Center for American Progress estimates the salary bonus at around 15 percent. The gross median income in Germany in 2025 was around €54,000 annually. A 15 percent income advantage over a 30-year working life mathematically results in an additional lifetime earnings of around €243,000 – solely from the citizenship premium, without considering access to the EU-wide labour market.
3. Freedom of travel and mobility
The German passport ranked fourth globally in the Henley Passport Index 2026: 185 countries visa-free or with visa-on-arrival. For comparison, the Iraqi passport ranks 104th with 29 destinations. The Syrian passport is in last place with 26. For people who rely on international mobility for professional or family reasons, the difference is not cosmetic. It determines which business meetings are possible, which conferences can be attended, and which family visits can take place without months of advance planning.
4. Protection against deportation and security of residence
German nationals cannot be deported. Article 16(1) of the Basic Law prohibits expatriation, and Article 16(2) of the Basic Law protects against extradition, with narrowly defined exceptions. For individuals with a temporary residence permit, the situation is fundamentally different: a conviction, loss of employment, or a change in immigration policy can end their stay. Citizenship permanently excludes this risk.
5. Passing on to the next generation
German nationality can be passed on to children, regardless of their place of birth. A child born in Cape Town, Buenos Aires or Tel Aviv is a German national if one parent possesses German nationality. This multiplies the value: not only do you benefit yourself, but also your children and potentially their children.
What that means in total
The following table compares the legal status of a German national with that of a holder of a residence permit and a person without EU status:
| Criterion | German nationality | Residence permit (temporary) | No EU status |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU labour market | Unrestricted, 27 states | Only in the issuing state, often employer-related | No access |
| Protection from deportation | Absolute (Art. 16 GG) | No absolute protection; residence may end | No right of residence |
| Freedom of travel | 185 countries visa-free (2026) | Only with a valid title; heavily restricted outside Schengen | Severely restricted |
| Right to vote | Federal Parliament, State Parliament, Local Council, EU Parliament | No voting rights | No voting rights |
| Social benefits | Full access according to SGB | Partially, dependent on the purpose of stay | No claim |
| Passing on to children | Automatic by birth (§ 4 StAG) | No | No |
| Study abroad in the EU | For domestic conditions | In certain circumstances as a third-country national | International charges |
| Consular protection | Through each EU member state | Only through the home state | Only through the home state |
Every single line of this table has economic value. Taken together, this results in a lifetime benefit that — depending on the individual situation — can be far in excess of €500,000. For people who would have no legal access to the labour market in the EU without citizenship, the value easily reaches a seven-figure sum.
And the official price? The naturalisation fee in Germany is exactly €255 according to § 38 StAG.
The special case: Reparation and restitution
The question of the value of German citizenship takes on a special dimension when it is asked in connection with the restitution provisions of the Basic Law and the Nationality Act.
Article 116, paragraph 2 of the Basic Law grants an entitlement to re-naturalisation for persons who were deprived of German nationality between 30 January 1933 and 8 May 1945 for political, racial or religious reasons, as well as for their descendants. This right exists without a requirement to reside in Germany, without proof of language proficiency and without a naturalisation test. It is a constitutional right, not a matter of discretion.
Alongside this, since August 2021, § 15 of the Nationality Act (StAG) has opened up a possibility for naturalisation for descendants of those persecuted by the Nazis, who previously did not fall under Article 116 (2) of the Basic Law (GG) – for example, because the persecution did not lead to a formal deprivation of nationality, but to fleeing from naturalisation or to forced emigration before acquiring nationality.
Ergänzend schafft § 5 StAG eine befristete Einbürgerungsmöglichkeit für bestimmte Personengruppen, die durch historische Diskriminierungen im deutschen Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht benachteiligt wurden — etwa Kinder deutscher Mütter, die vor 1975 geboren wurden und die Staatsangehörigkeit nicht erwerben konnten, weil das damalige Recht nur die väterliche Abstammungslinie anerkannte. Diese Regelung ist bis zum 19. August 2031 befristet.
These applicants are not concerned with an economic advantage. It is about the restoration of a status that was taken by state injustice. The fact that this status also has a measurable economic value does not make the claim commercial – it makes it more tangible.
The Maltese Paradox
The comparison with Malta is not cynical. It is illuminating. Malta's programme was based on a simple equation: money for passport. The ECJ has ruled that this equation is incompatible with the essence of EU citizenship. EU citizenship presupposes a genuine connection – residence, language, belonging.
However, the fact that wealthy investors were willing to pay up to €1.4 million for a Maltese passport says something about the value the market places on EU belonging. And the German passport – one of the strongest within the EU – is likely to be at least equivalent in this logic.
Nur dass er eben kein Kaufgegenstand ist. Sondern ein Rechtsstatus. Und wer einen Anspruch darauf hat — sei es durch Naturalisation, durch Abstammung oder durch die Wiedergutmachungsregelungen — sollte diesen Anspruch kennen und ernst nehmen.
What you can do now
Wenn Sie vermuten, dass Sie einen Anspruch auf die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit haben — sei es über Art. 116 Abs. 2 GG, § Section 15 StAG, § 5 StAG oder einen anderen Weg — lohnt sich eine frühzeitige Prüfung. Gerade bei den befristeten Regelungen wie § 5 StAG zählt jedes Jahr.
FAQ zur deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit
Kann man die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit kaufen?
Nein. Die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit ist kein Handelsgut. Sie kann nur nach den gesetzlichen Voraussetzungen erworben werden, etwa durch Geburt, Abstammung, Einbürgerung oder besondere Wiedergutmachungsregelungen.
Warum hat die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit einen wirtschaftlichen Wert?
Die deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit eröffnet unter anderem den freien Zugang zum EU-Arbeitsmarkt, umfassende Reisefreiheit, Aufenthaltssicherheit, konsularischen Schutz und die Möglichkeit, die Staatsangehörigkeit an Kinder weiterzugeben.
Welche Rechte sind mit der deutschen Staatsangehörigkeit verbunden?
Deutsche Staatsangehörige können in Deutschland und der Europäischen Union leben, arbeiten und studieren. Außerdem genießen sie Schutz vor Abschiebung, politische Mitwirkungsrechte und konsularischen Schutz.
Können Nachkommen deutscher Staatsangehöriger einen Anspruch haben?
Ja. Je nach Familiengeschichte kann ein Anspruch durch Abstammung, Art. 116 Abs. 2 GG, § 15 StAG, § 5 StAG oder andere staatsangehörigkeitsrechtliche Wege in Betracht kommen.
Warum sind Art. 116 Abs. 2 GG, § 15 StAG und § 5 StAG besonders wichtig?
Diese Regelungen betreffen Fälle, in denen deutsche Staatsangehörigkeit durch historisches Unrecht, NS-Verfolgung oder frühere geschlechterdiskriminierende Vorschriften verloren ging oder nicht erworben werden konnte.
Ist § 5 StAG dauerhaft möglich?
Nein. Der Erklärungserwerb nach § 5 StAG ist befristet und läuft nach aktueller Rechtslage bis zum 19. August 2031.
