Regaining Austrian Citizenship by Declaration

All former Austrian citizens who were forced to leave Austria for racist or political reasons prior to May 9, 1945 and subsequently lost Austrian citizenship because they obtained citizenship of an other country may regain Austrian citizenship by declaration. This includes persons who suffered persecution by the NSDAP or the authorities of the Third Reich as well as persons who feared or even suffered persecution because they defended the democratic Republic of Austria.

Required Documents

• documents of civil status (birth certificate, marriage certificate)
• proof of legal change of name (if applicable)
• proof of academic degree (if applicable)
• proof of former Austrian citizenship (such as Heimatschein, excerpt from Heimatrolle)
• proof of foreign citizenship
• proof of date of emigration from Austria (such as old Meldezettel with notice of departure, old passport with exit visa)
• extract from the register of convictions (certificate of conduct) at your current residence (not applicable to Austria, Germany and Great Britain)

Please take note

• to regain Austrian citizenship by declaration you do not need to renounce your current citizenship.
• you regain Austrian citizenship once your declaration has been received by the relevant authorities. It is recommended that you first discuss with the authorities of your current home whether or not you will have to renounce your current citizenship.
• foreign documents must be submitted with an official German translation by a certified (court) interpreter.
• no fees will be charged for regaining citizenship by declaration.

Telephone Enquiries

If you have any further questions, please contact your responsible case officer:

• For last names starting with A to G: +43 1 4000-35114
• For last names starting with H to P: +43 1 4000-35115
• For last names starting with Q to Z: +43 1 4000-35116