More naturalizations in Austria, Upper Austria is the only federal state with a decline

Data basis and methodology

The data source for the comparison is the continuously updated surveys by Statistics Austria on the granting of citizenship. The authority regularly publishes the half-year results in summer, followed by a detailed annual balance in February of the following year. The figures now presented constitute the first complete half-year overview for 2026.

Among the countries of origin of those naturalized, Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey again rank among the strongest groups across Austria, followed by persons from Iran and other states. In Upper Austria, the origin categories correspond in their basic tendency to the federal trend, albeit at a lower level. Statistics Austria has not broken down the absolute application numbers and processing times in Upper Austria in the current publication.

Countries of origin and possible causes

Statistics Austria does not name possible causes for the decline in Upper Austria in its communication. It also remains open whether the decline is due to fewer applications, longer procedures, or a higher number of negative decisions. The role of the responsible district authorities and the state government in processing applications is likewise not examined in the statistics.

At the federal level, the positive trend predominates. In previous reporting years, the authorities attributed the increase, among other things, to catch-up effects after the pandemic, to accelerated procedures, and to a growing number of long-term residents who met the requirements for naturalization. Statistics Austria does not provide specific reasons for the first half of 2026 in the present publication.

A direct comparison of the federal states is only possible to a limited extent, since region-specific factors such as economic strength, age structure, and migration history of the resident population influence the application behavior. Vienna, Carinthia, and other federal states recorded partly significant increases, while Upper Austria remained the only region below the previous year's value. The exact percentages for the other federal states are listed in Statistics Austria's half-year press release.

No data is yet available for the second half of 2026. Experience shows that the authorities decide on a large proportion of applications in the second half of the year, as many applicants submit their documents after the spring collection deadline. The final annual statistics for 2026 will be published by Statistics Austria in early 2027.

Requirements and outlook

Naturalization in Austria is tied to several requirements, including at least ten years of lawful residence, sufficient knowledge of German, and successful completion of the Citizenship Examination Act. Persons from third countries must prove Union citizenship, unless they already possess it. These minimum standards apply regardless of the federal state, although supplementary state-level regulations can influence the procedures.

With the latest half-year balance, an updated overview of the granting practice is available for the first time for 2026. Statistics Austria intends to publish the complete annual figures, as usual, at the beginning of next year. Until then, it remains open whether Upper Austria will make up the decline in the second half of 2026 or continue the negative trend.