Austrian Citizenship for Descendants of Victims of National Socialism: Section 58c

Austria provides a special citizenship pathway for people persecuted by National Socialism and for their direct descendants. The framework is intended as a form of historical redress and allows qualifying descendants to acquire Austrian citizenship by declaration rather than through the ordinary naturalisation process.

The relevant provision is Section 58c of the Austrian Citizenship Act. The rules were substantially broadened by legislation adopted in 2019 and were expanded again with changes that entered into force on 1 May 2022. Because the qualifying history can differ from family to family, archival and civil-status research is often an important part of preparing a complete documentary record.

What Section 58c does

Section 58c covers several historical situations connected with National Socialist persecution. Depending on the facts, the qualifying ancestor may have been an Austrian citizen, a national of a successor state of the former Austro-Hungarian monarchy, or a stateless person with a relevant connection to Austria who was persecuted or had reason to fear persecution and was forced to leave, deported or otherwise affected in a way recognised by the law.

The legal assessment is made by the Austrian authorities. The purpose of preliminary research is therefore not to replace that assessment, but to identify the historical facts and documents that allow the authority to evaluate the case.

Who counts as a direct descendant?

The Austrian government describes direct descendants broadly along the descending family line. This can include children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as later generations. Certain adopted minors can also fall within the definition. Each applicant must still prove the direct relationship to the qualifying persecuted person through documentary evidence.

Does the persecuted ancestor have to apply first?

In descendant cases, the historical ancestor does not need to acquire Austrian citizenship first before later generations can submit their own declarations. Different descendants of the same ancestor can therefore prepare their own applications, although the historical evidence concerning the ancestor may overlap substantially.

What about existing nationality?

Austria's Section 58c procedure is designed so that applicants do not have to renounce their existing nationality under Austrian law. However, nationality law differs from country to country. Applicants who hold another citizenship should check whether their current country imposes its own consequences when another nationality is acquired.

Documents commonly involved

The exact documentary requirements depend on the applicant and the ancestor, but a well-organised file generally separates personal documents, family-line documents and historical evidence.

• The applicant's valid identity or travel document and civil-status records.

• Birth and marriage certificates that establish each generation from the persecuted ancestor to the applicant.

• Records showing the ancestor's former nationality, residence or other relevant connection to Austria.

• Evidence of persecution, departure, deportation, displacement or another circumstance relevant to Section 58c.

• Name-change, adoption or other records needed to reconcile differences between documents.

• Translations, certifications or additional records requested by the Austrian authority handling the declaration.

Why archival research matters

Families affected by persecution often have incomplete records. Documents may be spread across municipal archives, civil registries, immigration files, community archives and collections created during or after the Second World War. Research is therefore often about reconstructing a sequence of facts from several institutions rather than finding one decisive certificate.

A clear timeline can help: where the ancestor lived, which citizenship or legal status they held, when persecution affected them, when they left or were deported, and how the present-day applicant descends from them. That structure makes later requests to archives more targeted and makes the resulting evidence easier to organise.

What Citizenship Restore does

Citizenship Restore is a Swiss nonprofit association focused on historical preservation and support for descendants of people persecuted under the Nazi regime. We provide educational information, archival research, document recovery, preliminary eligibility guidance and subsidized support for qualifying families.

We do not make legal determinations and cannot guarantee approval. The competent Austrian authorities decide whether the requirements of Section 58c are satisfied in each individual case.

Official information and further reading

For the current procedure and documentary guidance, consult the official Austrian government information on citizenship for victims of National Socialism and their direct descendants.

Next step

If your family history may fall within this pathway, you can use our preliminary eligibility questionnaire to organise the basic facts.

For information about archival and subsidized assistance, see our nonprofit programs.