Four of the strangest reasons people were denied Austrian citizenship

Applying for Austrian citizenship can feel like pblocking an obstacle course, with even the smallest mistake putting your application at risk. 

A fine for leaving your car parked for too long, an unbuckled child in a car seat, or taking a phone call on a bicycle: all have been cited as reasons to deny or delay naturalisation.

A new report by Der Standard shows just how strict the process can be, especially when it comes to interpreting what counts as a “serious administrative offence”. 

Austria’s Citizenship Act requires applicants to show an “affirmative attitude towards the Republic” and a clean track record. But in practice, this can mean that even minor infringements – often bureaucratic or administrative in nature – are enough to derail years of effort.

READ ALSO: REVEALED: How long does it currently take to get Austrian citizenship?

Here’s a look at some of the strangest, smallest or most frustrating reasons people have had their citizenship delayed or denied in Austria.

Taking too long to use the bathroom

In one case, a taxi driver was reported for leaving his car parked outside a pub for too long while he used the toilet. 

According to the complaint, the police claimed a bathroom break should only take five minutes, not eight.

The resulting fine was clblockified as a “serious administrative offence” – enough to pose an obstacle to naturalisation.

As immigration lawyer Peter Marhold explained, such infractions often lead to the application being delayed or rejected. “These penalties then become an obstacle to the application,” he told Der Standard.

A river cruise without a pblockport

Sara H., a Lebanese-born hairdresser who has lived in Vienna for 17 years, first applied for citizenship back in 2014. Despite fulfilling the usual residency and family requirements – her husband and children are already Austrian – her application was derailed by a day trip to Bratislava in 2016.

READ ALSO: Five surprising Austrian citizenship rules you should know about

Sara joined her brother on a Danube River cruise. Although she showed her visa at boarding, she was fined €100 at a police checkpoint on the return journey for not having her pblockport with her. That fine, though minor, became a major issue at Vienna’s MA 35 immigration office and triggered a years-long legal process. 

She eventually took the case to court with Marhold’s help, but had to wait another three years before progress was made.

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Phone calls on a bike

While some cases are rejected outright, others show how inconsistent Austria’s interpretation of “serious” can be. 

One applicant had their naturalisation blocked after being fined for using their phone twice while riding a bicycle. According to case law from the Administrative Court (VwGH), such offences may indicate a lack of respect for public safety.

However, the Constitutional Court (VfGH) pushed back earlier this year, ruling that this kind of infringement should not count as an obstacle to naturalisation. Still, the strict interpretation by other courts and authorities remains the norm, and often forces applicants to appeal before being granted citizenship.

READ ALSO: The reasons your Austrian citizenship application might be rejected

The risks of becoming stateless

Some applicants go so far as to renounce their previous citizenships – only to find themselves stuck in limbo. That’s what happened to Aron J., who moved to Austria in 2007 and applied for citizenship in 2020. 

After three years, his application was initially rejected due to missing German-language doblockentation. When he appealed, the court agreed to grant him citizenship on the condition that he renounce his Israeli pblockport.

He did – and has now been waiting three months for a follow-up appointment. Despite efforts to reach out to city officials, including Vienna’s deputy mayor Bettina Emmerling (NEOS), Aron has received no resolution. 

Without a pblockport, he can’t travel. He’s also hesitant to drive, fearing another administrative fine could jeopardise the process further. “The whole situation is psychologically very stressful and degrading,” he told Der Standard.

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‘Bureaucratic absurdity’ under pressure

According to Vienna’s MA 35, which handles most citizenship applications, delays are due to federal legal requirements – including renewed background checks even after statelessness begins.

Officials must reblockess whether a “serious administrative offence” has occurred in the meantime. “We endeavour to keep the stateless period as short as possible,” the authority said in a written statement.

READ ALSO: Is your Austrian citizenship ‘safe’ after three years of naturalisation?

There are signs that change may be coming. Austria’s government has pledged to stop treating minor administrative offences as barriers to citizenship in the future, reportedly under pressure from the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and NEOS. But so far, no concrete reforms have been implemented.