Vienna’s municipal department MA 35, responsible for handling residence and citizenship applications, is once again facing public scrutiny after new data revealed a sharp increase in complaints in 2024 — especially concerning citizenship procedures.
According to the Vienna Administrative Court’s newly released annual report, the number of formal legal complaints submitted in connection with MA 35 rose to around 17,700 last year — up by approximately 1,400 from the year before.
The most significant spike was in the area of citizenship law, where cases are often legally complex and lengthy. A total of 941 complaints were lodged in this category alone, a dramatic increase from 564 the year prior — representing a 67 percent year-on-year rise.
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The court described the development as “problematic,” warning that the growing caseload would place increasing strain on judicial resources. It called for more staff to be allocated to cope with the rising volume, particularly in naturalisation cases, which remain among the most time-consuming.
Political pressure and contradictions
The new figures have prompted sharp criticism from opposition parties in Vienna. The Greens described the numbers as being in “blatant contradiction” to repeated claims from the NEOS-led city government department that the situation at MA 35 was improving.
NEOS city councillor Christoph Wiederkehr, responsible for the department, has previously insisted that MA 35 was on the path to reform. But the surge in complaints adds to doubts about how much real progress has been made.
For many international residents and legal professionals, the court’s report will come as no surprise. Delays, inconsistent processing, poor communication and lack of transparency have long been common complaints when dealing with MA 35, particularly among those applying for Austrian citizenship.
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A history of dysfunction
The fresh criticism lands nearly three years after the City of Vienna publicly launched a reform process to address MA 35’s long-standing issues. In 2021, following a wave of public backlash and media coverage, the city promised improvements — including a dedicated call centre, more digitalisation, and an increase in staffing.
By early 2023, officials claimed progress: case processing times had dropped, digital systems were in place, and more procedures were being completed. But those assertions were already being challenged by NGOs and lawyers working with affected residents.
A 2023 report by human rights group SOS Mitmensch documented 15 core problem areas — including lost documents, premature rejections, and limited communication. Some MA 35 employees interviewed for the report admitted to recording unresolved cases as “complete” for internal statistics.
At the time, attorney Julia Ecker said that while reform efforts appeared genuine, major issues persisted. “There is still a lot that needs to be done,” she noted.
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