Austrian citizenship by naturalisation — and then your parents (2026)
Austrian citizenship by naturalisation needs, as a rule, 10 years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, 5 of them settled, German at B1, a civics test, own income at the § 293 ASVG reference rates and giving up your old citizenship (oesterreich.gv.at, migration.gv.at, 2026). In Vienna the grant alone costs €1,236 to €1,678 (wien.gv.at, checked 30 October 2026). Afterwards, non-EU parents whom you, or your spouse or registered partner, support can apply as relatives of an Austrian.
Where are you on the road to Austrian citizenship?
Pick the line that matches your situation today. Each one leads to the section that answers your next question.
I have lived here less than 10 years
Count your years and check which permit you hold: student years count as lawful, but not as settled.
The details are under residence years.
I have 10 years and want to apply
Check German B1, the civics test, 36 months of income and the fees in your province.
Work through all requirements below.
I am already Austrian
Non-EU parents whom you, or your spouse or registered partner, actually support can now apply for a permit as your relatives if you live in Austria permanently and have not used EU free movement for more than three months. They need a liability declaration and all-risk insurance. Other parents need another route.
Start with bringing your parents.
I am not yet Austrian but want my parents here
We found no relatives’ permit through which a non-EU permit holder can sponsor them (one narrow NAG exception, for parents of people granted protection as unaccompanied minors, is explained further down). They need their own settlement permit unless your spouse or registered partner is Austrian (living here permanently, without having used EU free movement for more than three months), or an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living here under EU law, and your parents are actually supported. The parents section below has the details.
Our guide can I bring my parents to Austria? compares the routes.
Austrian naturalisation in 9 official facts
| Requirement | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Residence | 10 years lawful and uninterrupted, 5 of them settled | oesterreich.gv.at |
| Time abroad | At most 20 % of the period; in Vienna at most 2 years on the 10-year route | wien.gv.at |
| Income | Own fixed and regular income at the § 293 ASVG reference rates, 36 months within the last 6 years | § 10 StbG |
| German | Module 2 of the integration agreement = B1 | migration.gv.at |
| Civics test | Democratic order, history of Austria and your province; written multiple-choice test | § 10a StbG |
| Clean record | No conviction for intentional offences with a prison sentence, no pending proceedings | § 10 StbG |
| Old citizenship | As a rule, you must give it up | wien.gv.at |
| Authority | The citizenship department of your provincial government (in Vienna: MA 35) | oesterreich.gv.at |
| Processing time | Depends on the extent of the investigations; no fixed period | wien.gv.at |
How many years do you need to live in Austria for citizenship?
Austrian citizenship on the standard route needs ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence in Austria, at least five of them as a settled resident (niedergelassen) (oesterreich.gv.at, last update 29 January 2026; § 10 (1) 1 StbG). Three words in that sentence decide whether your years count.
| Term | Meaning | Counts | Does not count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawful (rechtmäßig) | You were officially allowed to live in Austria | Time with a residence title or another legal right to stay; ask the citizenship authority whether time on a visa counts in your case | Overstays, time without a title |
| Uninterrupted (ununterbrochen) | At most 20 % of the period spent abroad | Holidays and trips within the limit | In Vienna: more than 2 years abroad in total (10-year route) |
| Settled (niedergelassen) | A residence title that counts as settlement | Red-White-Red Card, settlement permit | Aufenthaltsbewilligung (for example a student permit) |
The date that counts is the day the decision is issued, not the day you apply (oesterreich.gv.at). Recognised refugees have their own 10-year variant. Shorter routes after six years exist for specific groups (see Austrian citizenship after 6 years); in Vienna one option is German at level B2, and the time abroad is then limited to one year, two months and twelve days (wien.gv.at). If you came as a student, the clock for “settled” starts with your first settlement title. Both permits are explained on our student residence permit and Red-White-Red Card pages.
What are the requirements for Austrian citizenship?
Austrian citizenship requires, beyond the years, German at B1, a passed civics test, sufficient own income, a clean criminal record, and, as a rule, you give up your previous citizenship (migration.gv.at; §§ 10 and 10a StbG). Work through this checklist before you apply.
- Residence: ten years lawful and uninterrupted, five settled; list every trip abroad with dates.
- German B1: Module 2 of the integration agreement, for example an integration exam certificate from the Austrian Integration Fund (migration.gv.at). If you met Module 1 (A2) for your permit renewal, see German for the residence permit for the earlier levels.
- Civics test: a written multiple-choice exam on Austria’s democratic order and the history of Austria and your province, held by the provincial government; exemptions for children under 14, lasting health conditions and certain school subjects passed in Austria.
- Income: fixed and regular own income for 36 months within the last six years, including the last six months (next section).
- Clean record: no conviction for intentional offences with a prison sentence, no pending criminal proceedings, and past conduct that shows a positive attitude to the Republic and no danger to public order.
- Old citizenship: as a rule you must give it up (wien.gv.at).
The law was last amended in 2026 (version of § 10 StbG in force from 12 June 2026, BGBl. I No. 39/2026). Check the current text on RIS before you file.
How much income do you need for Austrian citizenship?
Austrian citizenship requires fixed and regular own income that reaches the § 293 ASVG reference rates, proven as an average over 36 months within the six years before your application, and the last six months must be among them (§ 10 (5) StbG).
We found no single euro figure in the law, because the reference rates change every year and depend on your household. For orientation, the 2026 § 293 ASVG reference rate for a single person, which is the rate the citizenship income test refers to, is €1,308.39 net a month (bmi.gv.at, 2026; the Interior Ministry publishes the same figure for residence permits). For citizenship, your income over the 36-month assessment period is compared with the average of these reference rates over the last three years (§ 10 (5) StbG). Regular expenses such as rent, loan instalments, garnishments and maintenance paid to people outside your household reduce the income that counts; only an amount up to €386.43 a month (2026, § 292 (3) ASVG) is disregarded once (§ 10 (5) StbG). Official salary figures and sectoral minimum wages are on minimum wage and average salary in Austria. If you cannot earn through no fault of your own (a disability or a permanent serious illness), the income condition counts as met when a medical report shows it (§ 10 (1b) StbG).
What does Austrian citizenship cost?
Austrian citizenship costs an adult in Vienna €163 for the application, €60 for the assurance notice and €1,236 to €1,678 when citizenship is granted (wien.gv.at, checked 30 October 2026). We found no explanation of the range and no date on the city page, so confirm the figure at your appointment.
| Step | Adult | Minor child (extension) |
|---|---|---|
| Application | €163 | about €90 |
| Assurance notice (Zusicherungsbescheid) | €60 | — |
| Grant of citizenship | €1,236 to €1,678 | about €432 |
| Each record of a hearing | €6 | €6 |
Fees in other provinces were not on the official pages we checked; ask your provincial citizenship office. For residence-permit fees see Austria visa and permit fees.
Can you bring your parents to Austria after naturalisation?
Parents of a naturalised Austrian can get the Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger (settlement permit for relatives) if the Austrian child lives permanently in Austria and has not used EU free movement for more than three months, and the child, or the child’s spouse or registered partner, actually supports them (§ 47 (3) Z 1 NAG); the same applies to parents-in-law. This permit has no quota. Parents whom neither you nor your spouse or registered partner support fall outside this case. They may possibly qualify as other relatives under § 47 (3) Z 3 NAG if you already supported them in their home country, if they already lived in your household there, or if serious health reasons make your personal care essential; ask the authority. Otherwise they need the quota settlement permit on their own income (§ 44 NAG, see settlement permit quota). While you still hold a non-EU permit yourself, we found no family permit for your parents through you; the NAG’s one exception covers parents of a recognised refugee, or a minor with subsidiary protection, who was an unaccompanied minor when applying for protection (§ 46a (5) Z 2 and 3 NAG). Unless your spouse or registered partner is Austrian, lives in Austria permanently, has not used EU free movement for more than three months, sponsors them and either of you actually supports them, they need their own settlement permit, which our Austria retirement visa page covers. If your spouse or partner is an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living here under EU law and either of you actually supports your parents, the residence card route may apply instead.
| Point | Before: you hold a non-EU permit | After: you are Austrian |
|---|---|---|
| Permit for your parents | Own settlement permit (except gainful employment) | Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger (parents you, or your spouse or registered partner, actually support) |
| Quota | Yes | No |
| Income | Parents’ own: €2,616.78 single, €4,128.24 couple (spouses or registered partners living together) (2026) (base; more if regular costs exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG) | You, or your spouse or registered partner, support them, and a liability declaration is signed |
| Fee | €218 | €218 |
| Health insurance | All-risk cover that pays in Austria | All-risk cover that pays in Austria — not your ÖGK co-insurance |
| Work | No | No labour-market access |
Two documents decide the file. First, the liability declaration (Haftungserklärung): you promise, certified by an Austrian notary or court, to pay for your parents’ housing and maintenance for at least five years (§ 2 (1) 15 NAG; the BMI form states five years). Our Haftungserklärung guide explains each field. Second, health insurance: each parent needs cover that “covers all risks” and pays in Austria (§ 11 (2) 3 NAG); for this national residence title the Interior Ministry says travel insurance is “in any case not sufficient” (bmi.gv.at, our translation). Parents are not co-insured on your ÖGK card when they arrive; the rules are on our ÖGK co-insurance page. If you used an EU-law right of residence for more than 3 months in another EEA country or Switzerland and, directly after that stay, returned not merely temporarily (§ 57 NAG), the residence card route may apply instead, as explained on parents of EU citizens.
Worked example: from Red-White-Red Card to Austrian citizen to sponsor
Illustrative example: Ravi came to Vienna on a Red-White-Red Card in 2016. He later switched to the Red-White-Red Card plus; both are settlement titles (§ 8 (1) Z 1 and 2 NAG), so all ten of his years also count as settled years. His trips home add up to about seven months, well under the 20 % limit. He passed the integration exam at B1, took the civics test and showed his payslips for the last three years. In Vienna he paid €163 for the application and €60 for the assurance notice, then gave up his Indian citizenship and paid the grant fee.
Now his widowed mother, 67, wants to live with him. As an Austrian who never used EU free movement (no § 57 case), Ravi sponsors her for the Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger: she applies, as a rule, in person at the Austrian embassy in New Delhi (parents are not among the in-country groups of § 21 (2) NAG) with a certified liability declaration from Ravi, proof that he supports her, a German certificate, a housing contract and all-risk health insurance that pays in Austria. The permit fee is €218 (oesterreich.gv.at, 2026). What her insurance has to cover, and what the routes cost, is on parents of Austrian citizens.
Naturalised? Your parents’ permit needs all-risk insurance
The Angehöriger permit asks for health insurance that covers all risks and pays in Austria for each parent — travel cover is not enough, and ÖGK co-insurance does not apply on arrival. Check the routes and minimum terms first.
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Frequently asked questions
How many years do you need to live in Austria to become a citizen?
Austrian citizenship by naturalisation needs, as a rule, ten years of lawful and uninterrupted residence, at least five of them as a settled resident (oesterreich.gv.at; § 10 StbG). “Uninterrupted” means you spent at most 20 percent of the period abroad; Vienna puts the ceiling for the 10-year route at two years in total (wien.gv.at). Shorter six-year routes exist for specific groups, for example with German at level B2 — check them with your provincial citizenship office.
What German level do I need for Austrian citizenship?
Austrian citizenship by naturalisation needs German at B1, as a rule. The law asks for German at the level of Module 2 of the integration agreement, and migration.gv.at says Module 2 “is generally required for the granting of citizenship” and stands for independent use of German “at B1 language level” (migration.gv.at). There are exemptions; check them with your citizenship office. Some six-year routes ask for B2 (wien.gv.at).
How much does Austrian citizenship cost in Vienna?
Austrian citizenship costs an adult in Vienna €163 for the application, €60 for the assurance notice (Zusicherungsbescheid) and €1,236 to €1,678 when citizenship is granted, plus €6 for each record of a hearing (wien.gv.at, checked 30 October 2026). Extending the grant to a minor child costs about €90 for the application and about €432 for the grant. Other provinces set part of the fee themselves; ask your citizenship office.
Can I keep my old passport when I become Austrian?
As a rule, you cannot keep your previous citizenship when you become Austrian: Vienna states that you must give it up (wien.gv.at), and migration.gv.at lists the loss of the previous nationality as a general requirement (migration.gv.at). Exceptions exist — ask the citizenship office before you apply.
Does a student residence permit count towards Austrian citizenship?
A student residence permit counts as lawful residence, but not as settled residence. oesterreich.gv.at says an Aufenthaltsbewilligung — the permit type students hold — does not count as being settled (oesterreich.gv.at). For the standard route you need at least five of the ten years on a settlement title such as the Red-White-Red Card or a settlement permit.
How much income do I need for Austrian citizenship?
Austrian citizenship needs fixed and regular own income, averaged over 36 months within the six years before you apply, that reaches the average of the § 293 ASVG reference rates of the last three years; the last six months before the application must be included (§ 10 (5) StbG). We found no single euro figure in the law, because the reference rates change every year and depend on your household. Rent, loan instalments, garnishments and maintenance paid to people outside your household lower the income that counts; only an amount up to €386.43 a month (2026, § 292 (3) ASVG) is disregarded once. If you cannot secure your livelihood through no fault of your own, for example because of a disability or a permanent serious illness shown by a medical report, the income condition counts as met (§ 10 (1b) StbG).
Can my parents move to Austria once I am an Austrian citizen?
Yes, parents of a naturalised Austrian can get the Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger if you, or your spouse or registered partner, actually support them (your spouse’s or partner’s parents qualify the same way), you live in Austria permanently and you have not used EU free movement for more than three months (§ 47 (3) Z 1 NAG). Parents whom neither you nor your spouse or registered partner support fall outside this case; they may possibly qualify under § 47 (3) Z 3 NAG (ask the authority), otherwise they need the quota settlement permit on their own income (§ 44 NAG). For the Angehöriger permit you must always sign a liability declaration; each parent needs, as a rule, German A1 before entry (exemptions exist, for example for health reasons; § 21a NAG) and all-risk health insurance that pays in Austria (§ 11 (2) 3 NAG). The fee is €218 (oesterreich.gv.at, 2026). Full route: parents of Austrian citizens.
Official sources
- oesterreich.gv.at: naturalisation after ten years (last update 29 January 2026)
- migration.gv.at: citizenship requirements and integration agreement (Modules 1 and 2)
- City of Vienna: naturalisation and fees
- § 10 StbG and § 10a StbG (Federal Legal Information System)
- § 47 NAG — relatives of Austrians, § 11 NAG, oesterreich.gv.at: settlement permit for relatives
- Interior Ministry: health insurance for residence permits
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