Generally, you need to stay in Austria for a minimum of 10 years in order to apply for citizenship. Alternatively, you can file your application if you are married for at least 5 years to an Austrian citizen. The main criteria for the process are:
- Sufficient knowledge of the German language
- You will loose your previous citizenship. Only under certain circumstances, you may be eligible for multiple citizenship
- No pending criminal proceedings
- No pending procedure for ending your stay in Austria
- Supportive attitude towards the Republic of Austria (whatever that means!)
- No threat for law, order and security in Austria
- Ability to earn a livelihood
As you may have noticed, some points are pretty subjective. The judgement of your individual case will depend on the impression you make to the officer who is working on your case. Since Austrian laws are increasingly restrictive, you will need to be very careful that your application is completely correct, legal and in line with the rules. Even if your application is fully in order, the process still can last for a year or longer. We highly recommend you to contact the responsible authorities at least a year in advance in order to give you time for proper preparation of your application.