visa-free countries
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With historic cities like Vienna, glorious castles and palaces, and stunning views of the Alps, Austria is undoubtedly steeped in character.
The country also offers a high quality of life, world-class healthcare, excellent state education, and a strong economy.
Read moreIf you have developed a taste for Austrian cuisine such as apple strudel and wiener schnitzel, you will feel at home in the country’s traditional restaurants.
As you will in the concert halls where they play faithful renditions of classic compositions from the likes of Austrian greats such as Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart.
What are the Austrian citizenship requirements for the descendants of the victims of Nazi persecution?
Your ancestor holds or held Austrian citizenship or citizenship of one of the successor states of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, the Kingdom of the Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, and Poland), or was a stateless person residing in Austria.
Your ancestor was forced to flee Austrian borders before May 1955, for fear of persecution under Nazi rule or due to the after-effects of the war.
Your ancestor had reason to fear, or had suffered, persecution by organs of the Nationalsozialistische deutsche Arbeiterpartei the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) or authorities of the German Reich.
You’re on the direct line of ancestry to a victim of Nazi persecution i.e., a son/daughter, adopted child, grandson/granddaughter, great grandson/great granddaughter, etc.)
The Latitude team has global experts in over 20 countries. We can advise in 14 languages. Let us help you find the perfect investment migration solution.
The Latitude team has global experts in over 20 countries. We can advise in 14 languages. Let us help you find the perfect investment migration solution.
We send you our dedicated Austrian genealogical intake form. Using the information you provide us, we ascertain your eligibility for Austrian citizenship by descent.
Upon receiving the signed agreement and retainer payment, our legal team will complete all necessary government forms and supporting documents. We will liaise with the Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten (Austrian Foreign Ministry) on your behalf.
Before submitting your documents, we comprehensively review your application to ensure your file complies with the Austrian Foreign Ministry's requirements. Our legal team will complete its final checks before submitting the relevant forms.
The Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten will undertake its own due diligence and reviews all the paperwork. We will continue to work closely with them throughout the process to ensure your application is timely and efficiently processed.
The Austrian Foreign Ministry will assess your application, and upon approval, you must pay any applicable government fees. We will then arrange for all relevant citizenship certificates to be sent out. Following this, we can help you apply for an Austrian passport.
This citizenship program is an effort on Austria’s part to right, and take responsibility for, its historical wrongs. Additionally, the country is taking initiative for reconciliation and showing respect to Holocaust survivors and their descendants who suffered under, and due to, Nazi rule in Austria.
If you descend from a qualifying Austrian citizen who was discriminated against by the Nazi party (or who had reason to fear discrimination from the Nazi party), we’ll help you gather various vital historical and genealogical records. This will allow you to recreate your family tree and show evidence of your ancestor’s fear of or actual experience of persecution by the Nazi regime. This will serve as the evidence that will form your application for Austrian citizenship by descent.
Normally, it takes between four and six months after all relevant documentation has been acquired, translated, legalized, and submitted to the proper government authority. Once you are a citizen, you’ll be eligible for an Austrian passport.
Yes, Austria allows dual citizenship, but only in the case of descendants of victims of Nazi persecution.
However, in almost all other cases, Austrian dual citizenship is not permitted.
No, your ancestor need not be Jewish for you to be eligible. The Nazis discriminated against people from all walks of life.
Therefore, if you can show your ancestor was a victim of Nazi persecution and can prove you meet the other criteria, you will be eligible, whether you are Jewish or not.
There are no history or language exams, and no residency requirements for those seeking Austrian citizenship via the citizenship for descendants of victims of Nazi persecution route.
The Austria passport is among the world’s five most powerful travel documents. Currently, it ranks 4th strongest. The Austrian passport allows visa-free travel to 191 countries, including the EU Schengen Zone, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.
Our team operates in over 20 countries worldwide, securing second citizenship or residency in desirable locations and unlocking a brighter future.
Visa-free travel to 191 countries
4-6 months application processing time