Country Profile
Austria is a landlocked but wealthy nation and has been a member of the European Union since 1995. For centuries, it played a role as one of Europe’s dominant powers, its reins being held by the Hapsburg dynasty. Key turning points in its history include the 1683 Battle of Vienna, which halted Ottoman expansion into Europe, and Austria’s declaration of war against Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand – one of the triggers for World War I. Today, Austria is highly industrialised, and exports and tourism are key drivers of GDP.
- Official name: Republic of Austria
- National anthem: Land of Mountains, Land by the River
- Location: Europe
- Capital city: Vienna
- Official language: German
- Sovereignty: 15 May 1955, the date of the signing of the Austrian State Treaty
- Government type: Federal democratic republic
- Head of State: Federal President
- Head of Government: Federal Chancellor
- Basis of legal system: German civil law
- Currency: Euro
- Climate: Temperate
Programme Profile
- Derived from Article 10, Paragraph 6 of the 1985 Nationality Act, which gives leave to the Federal Government to grant citizenship where a person displays actual or expected outstanding achievements
- Limited to those who can guarantee a positive attitude towards Austria, and who do not pose a danger to law and order, public safety, or other public interests
- Operates intermittently – between 1985 and 2020, 1,436 persons naturalised under Article 10(6) of the Nationality Act
- Bar on persons whose relations with foreign states would be detrimental to Austria, or who, upon becoming Austrian nationals, would damage the country’s international relations
- Two-year process involving filing the application in person (unless the applicant is incompetent to act) and significant communication with various Government representatives
- Exemption, under Article 10(a)(2) from having to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of German and Austria’s history and democratic system
- Travel requirement (also acceptable if to an Austrian diplomatic or consular authority) to give the oath of allegiance (with some exceptions)
- Although Austria generally disallows dual nationality, Article 10, Paragraph 6 specifies that applicants are permitted to retain their original citizenship