Austria's Section 58c: Over 37,000 Citizenships Restored

Austria opened a special citizenship pathway in September 2020 for people whose ancestors were persecuted by the Nazi regime and forced to flee. Codified in Section 58c of the Austrian nationality law, it lets direct descendants reclaim Austrian, and therefore EU, citizenship. New figures from Austria's statistics agency, published in August 2025, show the program has now restored citizenship to more than 37,000 people since it began.

A diaspora program, not immigration

In the first half of 2025, about 4,352 people acquired Austrian citizenship under Section 58c, a modest increase over the same period in 2024 and more than a third of all Austrian naturalizations in those six months. Almost all of them, 4,343, live outside Austria. That distribution makes the point plainly: this is families reconnecting across borders, not people relocating to Austria.

Where applicants live

• Israel led the period with roughly 2,409 people
• The United States followed with about 1,088
• The United Kingdom accounted for around 432

Why this route stands out

Unlike most Austrian naturalization paths, Section 58c does not require giving up your existing citizenship, so a US applicant can hold both passports. It reaches not only direct victims but their children and grandchildren, and the legal pathway is comparatively streamlined, though documentation standards are strict. Applicants abroad usually work through an Austrian embassy or consulate.

For Americans with a grandparent or great-grandparent who fled Austria under persecution, this is both a practical route to EU citizenship and a form of historical redress. It sits within a broader European trend toward restitution citizenship alongside Germany's constitutional provision for the descendants of those stripped of nationality. This is general information, not legal advice. Run the free eligibility check to see your path.