Citizenship for descendants of victims of Nazi persecution

Who counts as persecuted

• Austrian citizens, citizens of a successor state of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, or stateless people, who lived mainly in Austria and left before May 15, 1955 because they were persecuted, or feared persecution, by the Nazi party or German Reich authorities, or for supporting the democratic Republic of Austria
• Austrian citizens who lived outside Austria between January 30, 1933 and May 9, 1945 and would have faced persecution if they had returned
• People deported abroad before May 9, 1945, and people who died as a result of persecution before then
• People who lost Austrian citizenship shortly before leaving because a marriage gave them another nationality

Which descendants

Direct descendants, with no limit on generations: children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and so on. Children adopted as minors count too. The wider groups of descendants have been able to apply since May 1, 2022.

How to apply

1. Do the online questionnaireOn Austrian embassy websites, in German, English, Spanish and Hebrew. It gives a first assessment and a list of the documents you need.
2. Gather the documentsSee the list below. Give exact names, dates and places for your ancestors, as the authorities use them to find records.
3. Submit the declarationThrough the Austrian embassy or consulate for where you live, which sends it to the Vienna state government (MA 35), or to MA 35 directly. If you live in Austria, to your state government office.
4. Wait for the decisionMA 35 checks the file and may ask questions. You receive a written decision, usually through the embassy.
5. Then apply for a passportAt the embassy or consulate.

Documents

• A valid passport and a current photo
• Your birth certificate
• Marriage certificate or other civil status documents, if your name has changed
• A criminal record certificate no more than 8 months old when you file
• Documents about your persecuted ancestor, such as proof of their citizenship or residence in Austria and of emigration, deportation or persecution
• Birth and marriage certificates linking each generation to you
• German translations by a sworn, court-certified translator for anything not in German or English, and apostilles or legalization unless exempt

Check your other citizenship first

Austria doesn’t ask you to give up your citizenship. But a few countries take theirs away when you voluntarily acquire another, and Austrian citizenship takes effect as soon as your declaration reaches the authority. So check your own country’s rules before you send it. British and American citizens don’t lose their citizenship by acquiring another.