In the first half of 2024, Austria saw a significant 66 percent rise in naturalisations, primarily driven by descendants of Nazi victims. According to Statistics Austria, other naturalisations also increased, but at a lower rate of 19 percent.
“In the first half of this year, two-thirds more people received a red-white-red passport than in the first six months of the previous year. This increase is mainly due to the rise in naturalisations of people persecuted by the Nazi regime and their descendants. From January to June 2024, 4,125 acquired Austrian citizenship, with all but seven living abroad. However, there was also an increase of 18.3 percent to 6,925 in the number of other naturalised citizens, all but 33 of whom are resident in Austria,” said Statistics Austria director-general Tobias Thomas.
READ ALSO: Will my children get an Austrian passport if born in Austria?
Between January and June, 11,050 individuals became Austrian citizens, compared to 6,658 in the same period last year. According to the Statistik Austria release, 4,151 of these new citizens live abroad.
A breakdown of those naturalised in Austria during the first half of 2024 reveals interesting demographics. Nearly half (48.6 percent, or 5,374) were women. Minors (under 18) also comprised a significant portion, accounting for 33.0 percent (3,644) of new citizens. Interestingly, one-fifth (20.5 percent, or 2,267) of the naturalised individuals were born in Austria.
The data shows that 37 percent of those naturalised were descendants of politically persecuted victims of the Nazi regime, a right they have held since September 2020. This group largely comprises citizens from Israel, the United States, and Great Britain.
For other naturalisations, the most common countries of origin were Syria, Turkey, and Afghanistan, with one in five new Austrians actually born in Austria. Furthermore, 3,244 people were naturalised based on long-term integration and/or German language skills.
The increase in naturalisations was observed in almost all federal states, with only Burgenland and Vienna experiencing a slight decrease compared to the first half of 2023.
READ ALSO: How foreigners can get fast-track citizenship in Austria
High hurdles for citizenship
Austria's naturalisation rate, which measures the proportion of non-citizens becoming citizens, remains low at 0.7 percent, significantly lower than that of other European countries.
The difficulty of the naturalisation process is a key factor. Applicants (the main exception is for victims of National Socialism and their descendants) usually need to reside in Austria for ten years, pay a substantial fee of approximately €2,000, and renounce any other citizenship. For EU citizens who already have the right to live and work in Austria, these obstacles often outweigh the benefits of becoming a citizen.
This trend is reflected in data from Statistics Austria.
Comments (2)