Why: he wanted a second option for his future
The client had a clear goal.
He wanted to be prepared for change in the world.
To have an additional place where he could live.
To be able to use another travel document.
And still to go on living in Austria.
He was looking for more independence for himself and his family.
The crucial point was Austrian law.
If you voluntarily acquire a foreign citizenship by application, § 27 of the Austrian Citizenship Act can mean you automatically lose your existing one.
Nobody had explained this consequence to him in the original sales conversation.
Who: an entrepreneur responsible for his daughter
Austrian.
Early fifties.
Self-employed.
Divorced.
Father of a daughter who is still a minor.
Joint custody.
So the decision went beyond his own international plans.
It could directly shape his child's future citizenship.
And that is exactly why his existing Austrian citizenship had to be protected.
When: one conversation prevented a far-reaching mistake
The decisive legal question was settled in a single conversation.
After that, putting the plan into practice took just under six months.
The chosen solution relied on residence procedures that could be completed faster than the corresponding naturalisation procedures.
Within a few months, the client had created additional international options without giving up his Austrian citizenship.
Where: Panama as an extra option, Austria stayed home
The additional residence was established in Panama.
His main home stayed in Austria.
He had to give up neither his business nor his familiar everyday life.
The international structure was built while he carried on living at home.
He gained an additional legal anchor outside Europe and kept the life he had.
What was built: more freedom without acquiring a second citizenship
- A permanent residence permit in Panama. It was based on the Qualified Investor route.
- A special Panamanian travel document. It was applied for on the basis of the residence permit and did not itself confer citizenship.
- A residence permit and a company in Serbia. This created a further base in Europe.
- Deliberate protection of his Austrian citizenship. No foreign citizenship was acquired.
This gave the client additional residence rights and a travel document of his own, without triggering the statutory loss of citizenship through acquiring a new one.
How much: what does international freedom cost an Austrian?
The costs depend on the residence route chosen, the investments required and the supporting structures.
You will find the terms that matter for acquiring an additional citizenship on the programme pages, for example Dominica and Sierra Leone. For Austrian citizens, the legal position under §§ 27 and 28 is especially important before any such acquisition.
The Panamanian Qualified Investor route also has a deadline that every calculation must take into account.
We discuss the individual costs and requirements of the residence solution in a personal consultation.
Why this exact combination: one wrong decision would have cost him his citizenship
- § 27 of the Citizenship Act was the decisive starting point. Voluntarily acquiring a foreign citizenship by application generally means losing Austrian citizenship by operation of law. Whether or not the other country reports the acquisition makes no difference.
- His daughter, a minor, had to be protected. She could have lost her Austrian citizenship together with her father, and with it her EU citizenship.
- The Panamanian travel document created an additional option. It expressly conferred no citizenship and therefore did not itself trigger a loss under § 27. At the same time, it was a travel document whose issue did not depend on Vienna.
The foundation was his Panamanian residence status.
Serbia completed the structure with a further European base, with a company and a right of residence.
The result was more freedom to act internationally, without the client having to sacrifice his Austrian citizenship.
What was ruled out: three decisions with far-reaching consequences
The Caribbean passport he was originally offered
The client had already looked closely at this offer.
Acquiring it without a valid prior approval could have cost him his Austrian citizenship under § 27.
His daughter, still a minor, would have been affected too.
Approval under § 28 as the condition for acquiring a second citizenship
In principle, this would have been the route the law provides for keeping Austrian citizenship despite a voluntary acquisition.
The approval, however, would have had to be final before the acquisition.
The outcome of such a procedure is uncertain.
For the residence and travel document solution he actually wanted, this step was not needed.
Acquiring it in secret and hoping it would never come to light
He asked about that too.
We expressly advised against it.
A loss under § 27 that has already happened is not undone just because the authorities do not hear about it at first.
Later proceedings could affect not only the father but his daughter as well.
What the plan was made of: three building blocks for more freedom
Panama Qualified Investor
A permanent right of residence outside Europe
The foundation for the additional Panamanian structure.
Panamanian travel document
Another travel document without acquiring another citizenship
An extra way to travel that does not itself trigger a loss under § 27.
Serbia
A European base with a company and a bank account
Another legal and economic anchor within easy reach.
As an Austrian, you need to take particular care with any additional citizenship. The right solution can give you more international freedom while protecting what you have already built for your family. Let's talk in person about whether approval for a genuine second passport is an option for you, or which legal alternatives meet your goals.
Book a consultation