How Much Does Austrian Citizenship Cost? Fees by Province in 2026

Austrian citizenship is among the most expensive to obtain in Europe, and the cost is one of the things applicants tend to underestimate. The headline figure is not a single national fee. It is a federal fee that applies everywhere, plus a provincial charge that varies a great deal depending on which Bundesland you live in.

This guide breaks down the parts so you can build a realistic budget before you apply.

The federal fee

The federal fee is the same across Austria. For an adult, the main conferral fee is in the region of 1,448 euros when citizenship is granted, and there is a separate application fee of around 163 euros. Lower federal amounts apply in some cases, for example where there is a legal entitlement to citizenship, and the fee for a child is lower than for an adult.

These are federal charges set at the national level, so they do not change from province to province.

The provincial charge is where it varies

On top of the federal fee, each of Austria's nine provinces adds its own administrative charge, and this is where the totals diverge sharply. Some provinces charge a few hundred euros. Others charge well over a thousand, and several link the amount to your income, so higher earners pay more.

To give a sense of the spread reported across provinces:

Vienna adds a relatively modest charge for confirming the grant of citizenship.
Burgenland and Carinthia tend to sit at the lower end, in the low hundreds of euros.
Upper Austria applies an income-based provincial charge that can push a single adult's total well beyond 2,000 euros.
Lower Austria uses a sliding scale tied to income, and the provincial charge can exceed 1,300 euros for higher earners. Lower Austria moved to raise its fees from the start of 2026.
Salzburg and Tyrol are among the more expensive, with combined federal and provincial costs that can approach or exceed the higher end of the range.

Because the provincial element changes regularly and depends on your circumstances, treat these as illustrations of the pattern rather than fixed quotes. The authoritative figure for your case is the one your own provincial authority gives you.

What a realistic total looks like

Once you combine the federal fee with the provincial charge, very few adult applicants pay less than around 1,500 euros, and in several provinces a single adult can realistically expect a total in the region of 2,000 to 3,000 euros or more, especially on the income-based scales.

For a family, the cost multiplies, although children are charged less than adults. It is worth adding these figures up for everyone in your household before you commit.

The costs people forget

The fees above are the official charges, but they are not the whole budget. You should also plan for:

The cost of an accepted German language certificate at the required level.
Official translations and, where needed, legalisation of foreign documents such as birth and marriage certificates.
Any costs connected to renouncing your previous citizenship, which can include fees charged by your country of origin for a release.
Travel and time off for appointments, the test and the ceremony.

A point worth knowing about refunds

Application fees in Austria are generally not refunded if your application does not succeed. That is one of the strongest reasons to confirm your eligibility, your residence period and your income position before you lodge anything, rather than applying in hope.

Because the provincial figures change and depend on your income and family situation, confirm the current amounts with the citizenship authority of your province, and use oesterreich.gv.at as your starting point. For a complicated case, a qualified adviser can help you estimate the full cost.

In the meantime, the citizenship test is free to prepare for. PassCitizen has all the Austrian citizenship test questions, by topic and by Bundesland, with full mock tests and no account needed.

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