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Almost one in three new Austrian citizens lives abroad, while Syrians remain the largest group among residents naturalized in Austria.
VIENNA — Austria granted citizenship to 19,930 people between January and the end of September 2026, marking a continued rise in naturalizations across the country. The figure represents an increase of 2,281 people, or 13 percent, compared with the same period last year.
A notable feature of the latest figures is the high proportion of new citizens living outside Austria. Of the total number of naturalizations, 5,759 individuals, or around 29 percent, reside abroad. Despite this significant share, the number of citizenship grants to people with foreign residences declined by 14.9 percent compared with the previous year.
Among the 14,171 people naturalized while residing in Austria, Syrians accounted for the largest group. A total of 3,486 former Syrian nationals received Austrian citizenship, representing roughly one-quarter of all naturalizations among residents. They were followed by nationals from Afghanistan (1,522), Turkey (1,496), Iran (645), and Bosnia and Herzegovina (565).
Regional differences were also pronounced. Vienna recorded 5,037 naturalizations, a surge of 53 percent compared with the same period in 2025. Carinthia experienced the strongest increase, with naturalizations rising by 78 percent. In contrast, Upper Austria was the only province to report a significant decline, with figures falling by 18 percent.
A key factor behind the large number of citizenship grants to people living abroad is a special provision introduced in September 2020 for victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants. Under the regulation, eligible applicants can obtain Austrian citizenship without being required to renounce their existing nationality.
During the first nine months of 2026, five victims of Nazi persecution and 5,731 descendants were granted Austrian citizenship. However, this category also recorded a decline, with naturalizations under the provision falling by 15 percent compared with the previous year. Many of those affected live in Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom.
The data also highlight the relatively young age profile of many new citizens. A total of 6,421 people, or 32 percent of all naturalized individuals, were under the age of 18. Meanwhile, 4,389 new Austrian citizens had already been born in Austria.
More than two-thirds of all naturalizations were granted on the basis of a legal entitlement under Austrian citizenship law.
While overall naturalizations continue to increase, the decline among applicants living abroad suggests that recent growth is increasingly being driven by people who are already residents of Austria.
- source: heute.at/picture:
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