Naturalizations in Austria: Number continues to rise

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According to Statistics Austria, 17,649 people obtained Austrian citizenship in the first three quarters of 2025.

This represents an increase of 11.5 percent compared to the same period last year (15,824). Of these, 10,885 people (61.7 percent) live in Austria, while 6,764 people (38.3 percent) reside abroad.

Almost all of the naturalized citizens living abroad were Nazi victims and their descendants: 99.7 percent of this group do not live in Austria. With a share of 38.2 percent (6,745 persons), they once again formed the largest group of newly naturalized citizens.

For several years now, descendants of Nazi victims have been able to apply for dual citizenship—this option has led to a significant increase in naturalizations. After a slight decline in 2023, the numbers have been rising again since the middle of last year, increasing by 10.5 percent in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period the previous year.

Almost a third have been in Austria for over six years

The second largest group of naturalized citizens, at 31.2 percent, were people who had been residing in Austria for at least six years. The most significant proportion of naturalized citizens living in Austria were previously citizens of Syria (19.1 percent), followed by Turkey (10.8 percent), Afghanistan (8.0 percent), Bosnia and Herzegovina (4.8 percent), and Iran (4.7 percent).

One-fifth (20.2 percent) of the newly naturalized citizens were born in Austria, and 32.3 percent were under the age of 18. Women accounted for 50 percent of the total.

Legal entitlement in three-quarters of naturalizations

More than three-quarters of all naturalizations (76.7 percent or 13,536 persons) were based on a legal entitlement. This included 5,511 persons who had been resident in Austria for at least six years and had particularly compelling reasons, such as proven German language skills, sustainable integration, birth in Austria, EEA citizenship, or asylum status. A further 560 persons were naturalized based on marriage to an Austrian citizen.