Austria is one of Europe’s wealthiest countries, offering a very high quality of life to its people. With awe-inspiring natural attractions and a well-developed and stable economy, Austria makes for an outstanding place of residence
Austria Citizenship by Investment
As a citizen of Austria, you can live and work in the country and anywhere else in the EU at any time. The Austrian passport has an excellent reputation and offers very comprehensive visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel, including to Hong Kong (SAR China), Japan, Singapore, and the USA. It is without a doubt among the best travel documents in the world and ranks among the top 10 strongest passports on the Henley Passport Index. When you acquire citizenship under the Austrian Citizenship Act, you and your family enjoy full citizenship for life, which can be passed on to future generations by descent.
Benefits of Austria citizenship by investment
- Visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to 189 destinations
- The right to reside anywhere else in the EU and Switzerland
- High quality of life
- Excellent transport and communications
Requirements of Austria citizenship by investment
Under the citizenship by investment provisions, an applicant is required to invest actively in the Austrian economy, for example in the form of a joint venture or direct investment in a business that creates jobs or generates new export sales. Significant direct investment is generally required. Passive investments in government bonds or real estate, for example, do not qualify.
In addition to standard documentary requirements (such as passports, birth, and marriage certificates), a completely clean personal record (certificate of no criminal record), a comprehensive CV, and business background information, as well as impeccable references must be provided by all applicants.
The Austrian Citizenship Act generally requires the applicant to abandon their current citizenship as a precondition for being granted Austrian citizenship. However, in case of a grant of citizenship under the provisions of Article 10 (6) of the Citizenship Act, the former citizenship can be legally maintained, that is, the applicant may not be required to give up their present citizenship.
Austria citizenship by investment procedures and time frame
The grant of citizenship on the basis of a capital contribution involves various procedures and requires government approval at several levels. It is therefore essential that the applicant is properly advised from the beginning, that each individual case is carefully prepared, and that informal approvals from the key ministries are obtained before the investment is made and the formal application process is started.
Henley & Partners advises on suitable capital contribution opportunities, liaises with the various government agencies and ministries, and, finally, prepares and lodges your application with the government. The procedure involves a thorough background check. Citizenship documents are issued after the citizenship application has been approved.
The average time frame for an application is 24–36 months. Successful applicants receive full citizenship of the Republic of Austria by decision of the Government of Austria and can apply for a passport immediately afterwards. Passports are issued within a few days.
The grant of citizenship is not published and not reported to any other country, as it falls within the government provisions relating to privacy or official secrets.
Performance guarantee
The granting of citizenship is at the sole discretion of the Government of the Republic of Austria, and we are unable to guarantee that applications will be approved. However, great care has been taken to provide the best possible safeguards for persons entering the application process. Prior to taking on any mandate, a written agreement is made between the applicant and Henley & Partners defining the responsibilities of both parties.
Austrian Residence by Investment
An Austrian residence permit allows you to travel to all Europe’s Schengen Area states without a visa. A residence permit is initially issued for one year and can then be renewed without problems or interruptions. After 10 years of legal residence, and in certain circumstances after six years, it is possible to apply for Austrian citizenship.
Benefits of an Austrian golden visa
- Opportunity to establish residence as a person of independent means
- Visa-free access to all Europe’s Schengen Area states
- Possibility for citizenship eligibility after 10 years of residence
- Attractive lifestyle and healthy environment
- Excellent transport and communications
Austria golden visa requirements
Only a select number of applicants will be chosen, due to the strict annual quota of around 300 individuals in place. To acquire residence under the Austria Private Residence Program, applicants must fulfil all the following requirements. They must:
- Have a minimum of EUR 40,000 in liquid funds on a bank account, the amount of which will increase depending on the size of their family.
- Provide proof of permanent residential real estate (either purchased or leased), where they and their dependents will live.
- Have private healthcare insurance.
- Have documented German language skills (at A1 level).
Applicants are also required to:
- Personally submit the mandatory documentation to the Austrian consular or diplomatic representation in their current country of residence.
- Obtain a special visa at the Austrian embassy, once their residence application has been approved, which will enable them to travel to Austria to collect their residence permit from the relevant authority.
Procedures and time frame of the Austrian golden visa
In the course of the application process, applicants must personally submit mandatory documentation to the Austrian consular or diplomatic representation in their current country of residence. Due to the strict quota constraints for some residence permits, timing of the submission of the application is of prime importance. Once the permit is granted, the applicant must pick up a special visa at the Austrian embassy, which allows the applicant to travel to Austria to collect the residence permit at the relevant authority.
There is a minimum processing period of one month, but applications usually take three months to be approved. Once the residence permit is issued, it must be collected in person from the issuing authority in Austria. In addition, all non-EU and non-EFTA citizens must sign an integration agreement if they will be residing in Austria for more than 24 months. The residence and settlement permits are issued in the form of a card and can be renewed each year.