Austria · Descent · Citizenship

Austria Citizenship by Declaration for Descendants (§ 58c)

Eligible direct descendants of people persecuted by the Nazi regime can acquire Austrian citizenship by declaration under Section 58c.

Value scoreCheckingPassport data under review

5-year costCheckingone applicant, not recoverable

DecisionCheckingComparable time under review

Official program page

Value: what the Citizenship by Declaration for Descendants (§ 58c) gives you

Passport reach 25 pts weightChecking

Path to citizenship 25 pts weight100

Work, family, healthcare 20 pts weightChecking

Stay rule 15 pts weightChecking

Tax on foreign income 10 pts weightChecking

Policy stability 5 pts weightChecking

Passport: visa-free destinations: Checking
Years to permanent residence: Checking
Years to citizenship: ImmediatelyOfficialAustrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, checked 2026-11-15For eligible descendants, the declaration is a direct citizenship route.
Leads to citizenship: Checking
Can work for a local employer: YesOfficial, secondaryEuropean Union, checked 2026-11-15Once recognised as a citizen, an applicant can work for a local employer in Austria without an immigration work permit.
Same application for spouse and children: NoOfficialAustrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, checked 2026-11-15Family members file their own declarations.
Public healthcare: Checking
Minimum stay per year: Checking
Tax on foreign income: Checking
Dual citizenship allowed: YesOfficialAustrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, checked 2026-11-15This specific statutory route permits retaining an existing citizenship. It is an exception to Austria’s general naturalisation practice.
Rule changes, last 24 months: Checking

Cost: what the Citizenship by Declaration for Descendants (§ 58c) costs over five years

Government fees: $0OfficialAustrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, checked 2026-11-15Vienna-processed declaration for an applicant born and living abroad: no federal or Vienna declaration charge. Other provinces may charge.
Non-refundable contribution: $0OfficialAustrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, checked 2026-11-15The declaration does not require a contribution or investment.
Due diligence: Checking
Compulsory extras, first year: Checking
Renewal fees, first 5 years: $0OfficialAustrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, checked 2026-11-15The resulting citizenship has no residence-permit renewals.
Investment you may get back: Checking
Minimum income per month: Checking
Extra for a spouse and two children: Checking
Typical adviser fees (not in the total): Checking

USD estimates use the 13 November 2026 reference rates of the European Central Bank, Central Bank of Armenia and Central Bank of the UAE, and the Central Bank of Uruguay rate for UYU. The Panamanian balboa uses its official one-to-one parity.

Speed: how long the Citizenship by Declaration for Descendants (§ 58c) takes

Official processing time: Checking
Reported processing time (median): Checking
Approval to card or passport: Checking

Sources

Staatsbürgerschaft für Verfolgte und deren Nachkommen, Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. Checked 2026-11-15.
Citizenship by declaration FAQs, Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. Checked 2026-11-15.
Working in the EU – your rights, European Union. Checked 2026-11-15.

Every figure on this page last reviewed 2026-11-15. General information, not legal advice. Spotted an error? Email us from the contact page.

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