Obtaining Austrian Citizenship: The Ultimate Guide

There are several ways to become an Austrian citizen. You can acquire citizenship by descent, award, or extension of award. You can also apply for citizenship by ancestry, or for citizenship by extraordinary achievements. This means you can become an Austrian citizen by making a substantial contribution to the country's economy or for extraordinary achievements in the interest of Austria.

Victims of the National Socialist regime and their descendants can acquire Austrian citizenship

In October 2019, the Austrian parliament adopted an amendment to the Austrian Citizenship Act in recognition of its historical responsibility towards the victims of National Socialism and their descendants.

Persons who were themselves victims of the National Socialist regime can already acquire Austrian citizenship. If this applies to you, you should contact your local Austrian diplomatic representation (Austrian Embassy or Consulate General) to arrange the further procedure in an individual consultation.

According to the new § 58c para. 1a of the Austrian Citizenship Act, descendants of victims of the National Socialist regime can acquire Austrian citizenship by means of a declaration, without having to give up their current citizenship or nationality in return.

In general, to become an Austrian citizen, you must have lived in Austria for at least 10 years, with a minimum of 5 years with a residence permit. You must also be able to prove that you have had regular earnings or income for at least 36 months within the last 6 years before your application.

Children of Austrian citizens can acquire citizenship

In the case of an acquisition of Austrian citizenship by award, the general requirements for naturalisation must be fulfilled and an application must be filed. Further requirements for an award of Austrian citizenship either depend on the acquisition due to legal claim or on the authority's discretion. In general, 10 years of legal and continuous residence in Austria is required, with a minimum of five years with a residence permit.

Foundlings under the age of 6 months are legally presumed to have Austrian citizenship

Foundlings under the age of six months are legally presumed to have Austrian citizenship. This is because, according to Austrian law, children automatically become Austrian citizens at the time of their birth if the mother is an Austrian citizen. The same applies if the parents are married and only the father is an Austrian citizen. If the parents are not married and only the father is an Austrian citizen, the child acquires Austrian citizenship when the father recognises his parenthood within eight weeks of the child's birth or when the fact that he is the father is determined by a court. Minors until the age of 14 who were adopted by an Austrian citizen can obtain Austrian citizenship by application.

There are other ways to become an Austrian citizen. If you were a victim of the National Socialist regime, you can acquire Austrian citizenship by contacting your local Austrian diplomatic representation and arranging the further procedure. Descendants of victims of the National Socialist regime can also acquire Austrian citizenship by means of a declaration, without having to give up their current citizenship or nationality in return. In general, to become an Austrian citizen, you must have had 10 years of legal and continuous residence in Austria, with a minimum of five years with a residence permit. You must also be able to prove that you have had regular earnings or insurance benefits over a period of 36 months within the last six years before the time of application.

Naturalisation as an Austrian citizen

Naturalisation is the process of becoming a citizen of Austria. There are several ways to become an Austrian citizen, including by birth, adoption, and naturalisation. If you were born in Austria, this may reduce the residence requirement for naturalisation. Foundlings under the age of six months are legally presumed to have Austrian citizenship. Children automatically become Austrian citizens at birth if their mother is an Austrian citizen. The same applies if the parents are married and only the father is an Austrian citizen. If the parents are not married and only the father is an Austrian citizen, the child acquires Austrian citizenship if the father recognises his parenthood within eight weeks or if his paternity is determined by a court. Minors until the age of 14 who were adopted by an Austrian citizen can obtain Austrian citizenship by application.

In general, to become an Austrian citizen through naturalisation, you must fulfil the general requirements for naturalisation and file an application. This includes a residence requirement of 10 years of legal and continuous residence in Austria, with a minimum of five years with a residence permit. You must also provide proof of your own fixed and regular earnings over a period of 36 months on average within the last six years before the time of application.

If you are a descendant of victims of the National Socialist regime, you can acquire Austrian citizenship by means of a declaration without having to give up your current citizenship or nationality. If you were yourself a victim of the National Socialist regime, you can also acquire Austrian citizenship. In this case, you should contact your local Austrian diplomatic representation (Austrian Embassy or Consulate General) to arrange the further procedure.

Austrian citizenship by award

Austrian citizenship can be acquired by award. This means that the general requirements for naturalisation must be fulfilled and an application must be filed. The general requirements include 10 years of legal and continuous residence in Austria, with a minimum of 5 years with a residence permit. You must also provide proof of fixed and regular earnings over a period of 36 months on average within the last 6 years before the time of application.

Austrian citizenship can also be acquired by descent. If you were born on or after 1 August 2013 and your father is an Austrian citizen, your parents must have acknowledged paternity within 8 weeks of your birth. This can be done at the Austrian Embassy in London. If your parents are not married and your father is Austrian, he must acknowledge paternity within 8 weeks of your birth or the fact that he is your father must be determined by a court. If you are a minor under the age of 14 and you were adopted by an Austrian citizen, you can obtain Austrian citizenship by application.

Austrian citizenship can also be acquired by birth. Foundlings under the age of 6 months are legally presumed to have Austrian citizenship. Children automatically become Austrian citizens at the time of their birth if their mother is an Austrian citizen. If their parents are married and only the father is an Austrian citizen, the child is also automatically an Austrian citizen.

Austrian citizenship can also be acquired by victims of the National Socialist regime and their descendants. This can be done by directly contacting your local Austrian diplomatic representation (Austrian Embassy or Consulate General) and arranging the further procedure in an individual consultation.

Frequently asked questions