Three of the Gauliga contained clubs from regions occupied and annexed by Germany after the start of the Second World War in 1939.

The Gauliga Elsaß was completely made up of French clubs from Alsace, who had to Germanise their names, like RC Strasbourg, which became Rasen SC Straßburg.

In the Gauliga Westmark three clubs from the French Lorraine region played under their German names:

• FV Metz, was FC Metz
• TSG Saargemünd, from Sarreguemines
• TSG Merlenbach, from Merlebach

In the Gauliga Moselland, clubs from Luxembourg took part in the competition, including:

• FV Stadt Düdelingen, formerly Stade Dudelange
• FK Niederkorn, formerly Progrès Niedercorn
• Moselland Luxemburg, formerly Spora Luxembourg
• SV Düdelingen, formerly US Dudelange
• SV Schwarz-Weiß Esch, formerly Jeunesse d'Esch
• Schwarz-Weiß Wasserbillig, formerly Jeunesse Wasserbillig

In the Gauliga Schlesien, later the Gauliga Oberschlesien, a number of clubs from Poland played under their German names:

• TuS Schwientochlowitz, was Śląsk Świętochłowice
• TuS Lipine, was Naprzód Lipiny
• Germania Königshütte, was AKS Chorzów
• 1. FC Kattowitz, retained its name
• Bismarckhütter SV 99, was Ruch Chorzów
• RSG Myslowitz, from Mysłowice
• Sportfreunde Knurow, from Knurów
• Adler Tarnowitz, from Tarnowskie Góry
• Reichsbahn SG Kattowitz, from Katowice