An Austrian passport confers on its holder a wealth of opportunities for personal and professional development, and enables him to live, study, and work in any of the European Union member states.
How can the chances of obtaining the coveted Austrian passport be maximized?
Approximately ten months ago, a comprehensive reform of the Austrian Citizenship Law came into effect which enables descendants of Austrian Holocaust survivors to obtain Austrian citizenship.
A modest estimate is that tens of thousands of Israelis now have the opportunity to acquire Austrian citizenship, and concomitantly, an Austrian passport.
European citizenship can open countless doors and opportunities throughout a person’s life, especially when it comes to an Austrian passport, which is regarded as one of the five best passports in the world.
What advantages accompany the obtaining of an Austrian passport?
An Austrian passport enables its holder, amongst other things, to reside, remain and benefit from subsidized academic studies in all European Union countries.
It facilitates visa-free entry to the U.S. and Australia, as well as residency in Switzerland.
And most importantly – the receipt of full social benefits in all European Union countries, the majority of which have some of the world’s most advanced welfare systems.
Entrepreneurs enjoy additional benefits such as purchasing real estate and obtaining more favorable credit terms from European banks.
In other words, an Austrian citizen residing in another European Union country is entitled to the same benefits as the nationals of that country.
What are the mandatory requirements for obtaining Austrian citizenship?
Advocate Eran Wagner, who is an expert in the acquisition of Austrian citizenship, explains that the new Austrian law, which came into force approximately ten months ago, constitutes a kind of “Law of Return” for Holocaust survivors and their descendants.
Under the new law, obtaining Austrian citizenship is contingent upon fulfilling a number of cumulative basic conditions:
- The Holocaust survivor was an Austrian citizen or a permanent resident alien and citizen of one of the countries which formerly belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, or was stateless, provided that he lived within the current borders of Austria.
In contrast to the previous law, the opportunity to obtain citizenship has been extended to encompass the descendants of permanent residents, rather than being limited to Austrian citizens only. - The Holocaust survivor was persecuted by the Nazis on racial grounds and left Austria between the years 1933 and 1955.
- The applicant for citizenship is a direct descendant of the Holocaust survivor, that is, a child, grandchild or great-grandchild.
An adopted child of the Holocaust survivor, or of his offspring, is also eligible for Austrian citizenship.
Departure from the former Citizenship Law through relaxation of the requirements for obtaining Austrian citizenship
Unlike the previous Austrian Citizenship Law, which significantly restricted entitlement to Austrian citizenship, the Holocaust survivor’s gender is now immaterial, citizenship is not precluded by service in a foreign permanent army, holding public office or possession of an additional foreign citizenship besides Israeli citizenship.
In practice, to submit an application for Austrian citizenship, it is necessary to present appropriate Austrian documentation of the Holocaust survivor, which forms the basis of the application, as well as additional translated and notarized documents establishing the connection between the Holocaust survivor and the applicant.
If, as is sometimes the case, the applicant does not have all the Austrian documents or the Austrian documents in his possession are incomplete, it is advisable to enlist the services of an Austrian genealogist who specializes in locating relevant documents archived in Austria.
Maximizing success rates by consulting with a professional and experienced attorney
It should be noted that submitting an application through an attorney knowledgeable in the field maximizes the chances of success.
Submitting an application without proper guidance may result in disappointment.
In a less grievous scenario, the application shall be inordinately delayed and entail unnecessary expenses and wasted time.
In a more serious case, however, the application may be rejected, necessitating an appeal to an Austrian court, which entails additional substantial expenses and does not necessarily guarantee the desired outcome.
Advocate Eran Wagner, a genealogist and notary public with 20 years of experience in handling European citizenship matters, specializes in Austrian citizenship applications and manages the Austrian Citizenship Forum on the LawGuide website.
*Please note, the information on this page does not constitute advice of any kind or a recommendation to take or refrain from taking proceedings.
Anyone relying on this information does so solely at his own risk.
The accuracy of the information may change from time to time.
