Mag. Balazs Esztegar LL.M.
Attorney-at-law Vienna


Piaristengasse 41/10
1080 Vienna, Austria
Tel. +43 1 997 4102
Fax +43 1 997 4102-99
office@esztegar.at

Austrian Citizenship

The quarterly English-language magazine "The Global Citizenship Review" deals with citizenship law and thematically related issues. At the invitation of the editorial team, attorney-at-law Balazs Esztegar, as an expert on Austrian citizenship law, explained the granting of Austrian citizenship in the special interest of the Republic of Austria in issue 1/2018.

In general, the granting of Austrian citizenship requires a legal and uninterrupted residence in the federal territory of at least 6 years. In addition, applicants for citizenship have to fulfil numerous other personal and economic requirements. However, the provision of section 10 para 6 StbG, which is of constitutional rank, contains a special condition of conferral. Several of the otherwise required conditions do not apply, 

if the Federal Government confirms that the granting of citizenship is in the special interest of the Republic because of the extraordinary services already rendered by the foreigner and those still to be expected from him.

In these cases, the applicant for citizenship does not have to prove the required duration of residence in Austria, nor the existence of a secure livelihood. Moreover, if naturalisation is in the special interest of the Republic of Austria, he or she may also retain his or her previous nationality, so that as a rule, this conferral of citizenship leads to - perfectly legal - dual citizenship

The "extraordinary achievements" to be proven by the applicant may have been made in different fields. Sports, arts and science are particularly eligible. But extraordinary achievements in the economic sphere are also conceivable, even though "buying" citizenship is not possible. Austrian citizenship law does not recognise a "golden investment" that is possible in other legal systems.  

The Federal Government has to confirm that the granting of citizenship is in the special interest of the Republic of Austria.