Austrian Citizenship by Investment? The 2026 Merit Route

How Austria naturalises on merit

Austria has written the merit route into its constitution. Section 10(6) of the Citizenship Act is a constitutional provision: citizenship is granted when the Federal Government confirms that your extraordinary achievements, both those already made and those still to be expected, place the grant in the special interest of the Republic. The decision lies with the government as a whole, prepared by the Ministry of the Interior and by the ministries responsible for your field, each of which gives a reasoned opinion on your case.

The route is in active use. The Federal Government decides on the cases prepared for it at regular intervals, at least once every half calendar year. Most recently, on 8 July 2026, the Council of Ministers approved applications under Section 10(6).

The facts from the official source

Legal basis: Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz 1985 (Citizenship Act, BGBl. Nr. 311/1985, last amended by BGBl. I Nr. 39/2026), § 10(6) (a constitutional provision); Verordnung der Bundesregierung über das Verfahren zur Erlangung einer Bestätigung gemäß § 10 Abs. 6 StbG (Federal Government regulation on the procedure for obtaining this confirmation), BGBl. II Nr. 39/2014

Competent authority: Federal Government, on the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of the Interior; decision issued by the provincial government

Requirements, procedure and fees under the law, the regulation and the catalogue of criteria, as of November 11, 2026
Principle	the Federal Government confirms that granting citizenship is in the Republic's special interest because of the extraordinary achievements already made and still to be expected (§ 10(6) StbG, a constitutional provision) Source
What is waived	the ten-year residence period (§ 10(1), point 1), proof of a secure livelihood (point 7) and the duty to give up your current citizenship (§ 10(3)) Source
German and citizenship test	proof of German and the citizenship test are waived for a grant under § 10(6) (§ 10a(2), point 1) Source
What still applies	no prison sentence for intentional or fiscal offences, no pending criminal proceedings, no significant harm to Austria's international relations, a positive attitude towards the Republic, no threat to public peace, order and security, no harmful ties to foreign states and no bar to a grant under § 10(2); only once this has been established does the file go to the Ministry of the Interior (BGBl. II No. 39/2014, § 1(2)) Source
Who is eligible	natural persons whose achievements are currently far above the average in their field and can be expected to continue; catalogue of criteria adopted by the Council of Ministers on 25 February 2014 for science, business, sport and the arts, with other fields counting if they carry comparable weight; no honorary grants, and decorations alone are not enough Source
Business criteria	owner or senior role with decisive influence, high economic output of the company, a relevant number of jobs in Austria, substantial investments or projects in Austria (above all ones already made), an international outlook and the promotion of Austria's economic ties; mere flows of money are not enough Source
Minimum amount	neither the law, the regulation nor the catalogue of criteria names one Source
Residence	no minimum stay in Austria; the procedural regulation expressly provides for applicants without a principal residence in Austria (BGBl. II No. 39/2014, § 2(3)) Source
Competent provincial government	the government of the province where you have your principal residence; without a principal residence in Austria and if you were born abroad, the Vienna provincial government (§ 39 read with § 49(2) StbG) Source
Procedure	application to the provincial government, referral to the Ministry of the Interior, reasoned opinions from the competent federal ministries, recommendation by the Ministry of the Interior, decision by the Federal Government at regular intervals and at least once every half calendar year (BGBl. II No. 39/2014, §§ 1 to 5); the law sets no fixed overall duration Source
Spouse	the grant is extended to a spouse living in the same household; minimum stay, settlement, five years of marriage and giving up the current citizenship are waived (§ 16(2) StbG) Source
Children	unmarried minor children are included, with settlement and renunciation waived (§ 17(4) StbG); for children with a significant disability there is no age limit (§ 17(3)) Source
Federal fees	163 EUR for the application (89 EUR for minors), 1,448 EUR for the grant under § 10 StbG, 322 EUR to extend it to children (§ 17), 1,126 EUR to extend it to a spouse (§ 16); plus provincial administrative charges, which differ from province to province (Gebührengesetz 1957, § 14) Source
Current citizenship	may be kept, by your spouse and children too; an Austrian who later acquires another citizenship by application loses the Austrian one unless permission to retain it was granted beforehand (§§ 27, 28 StbG) Source
Most recent use	the Council of Ministers decided on applications under § 10(6) StbG on 8 July 2026 and approved them Source

What the merit route spares you

Ordinary naturalisation requires ten years of residence, proof of a secure livelihood, German, the citizenship test and giving up your current citizenship. Under Section 10(6), none of that applies. You do not need a principal residence in Austria: the procedural regulation expressly provides for applicants who have none. If they were born abroad, the Vienna provincial government handles their case.

What remains is the check on you as a person. You must not have been sentenced to prison for an intentional or fiscal offence, there must be no criminal proceedings pending against you, and you must pose no threat to public peace, order and security. Only once the provincial government has established this does your file go to the Ministry of the Interior.

Who meets the criteria

The route is open to natural persons whose achievements are currently far above the average in their field. The catalogue of criteria adopted by the Council of Ministers on 25 February 2014 names four fields: science, business, sport and the arts. Other fields count if they carry comparable weight, and not every criterion has to be met at once.

In business, what counts is a senior role with decisive influence, the performance of your company, a relevant number of jobs in Austria, substantial investments or projects in Austria (above all ones already made) and an international outlook. Mere flows of money are not enough, and no rule sets a minimum amount. That makes this a route built for entrepreneurs whose importance to Austria shows in real projects. In science, an international reputation and work in or for Austria count; in the arts, a major contribution to Austrian cultural life and international renown; in sport, outstanding results and being ready to compete for the national team straight away.

Your family and your current passport

The grant extends to your spouse, if you share a household, and to your unmarried minor children. For your spouse, the minimum stay, settlement and five years of marriage are waived. For children with a significant disability, there is no age limit.

You keep your current passport, and so do your spouse and children: under Section 10(6), the duty to renounce is waived for the whole family. One rule applies afterwards: once you are Austrian, if you apply for another citizenship, you need permission to retain your Austrian one first.

What the grant costs

The federal fees are set out in the Fees Act: 163 EUR for the application and 1,448 EUR for the grant. Extending it costs 322 EUR for children and 1,126 EUR for your spouse. On top come provincial administrative charges, which differ from province to province.

More on Austria from us

Austrian citizenship by descent
The second way to an Austrian passport without moving: the Section 58c declaration for descendants of those persecuted.
Dual citizenship for Germans
What has applied since 2024 if you are German and take on a second citizenship.
Second passport for entrepreneurs
What a second citizenship does for your travel, your partners and your company.
Serbia
The national interest route, decided by the Serbian government.

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Questions about Austria

Can I get Austrian citizenship through an investment?

Not for a fixed sum. In business, what counts are substantial investments and projects in Austria, above all ones already made, the jobs you have created and your senior role in the company. Under the catalogue of criteria, mere flows of money are not enough, and neither the law nor the regulation names a minimum amount.

Do I have to live in Austria?

No. The ten-year residence period does not apply, and the procedural regulation expressly provides for applicants without a principal residence in Austria. If you have no principal residence there and were born abroad, the Vienna provincial government handles your case.

Can I keep my current passport?

Yes. For a grant under Section 10(6), the duty to give up your current citizenship is waived for you, your spouse and your children. Whether your home country allows a second citizenship depends on its own law.

Do I need to prove my German?

Not as the main applicant. For a grant under Section 10(6), proof of German and the citizenship test are both waived (§ 10a(2), point 1 StbG).

How long does the procedure take?

The law sets no fixed time limit. The Federal Government decides on the cases prepared for it at regular intervals, at least once every half calendar year. Most recently, the Council of Ministers approved applications under Section 10(6) on 8 July 2026.

What fees apply?

The federal fees are 163 EUR for the application and 1,448 EUR for the grant. Extending it costs 322 EUR for children and 1,126 EUR for a spouse. On top come provincial administrative charges, which differ from province to province.

Austria: citizenship for extraordinary achievements, with no waiting period