Salzburg | June 22, 2025 — A man living in Salzburg has been denied Austrian citizenship after a court ruled that his past convictions, including a violent knife attack over a decade ago, still pose a legal barrier to naturalization, reported by “Kronen Zeitung”.
The applicant, a construction worker in his early 30s and holder of EU permanent residency status, applied for citizenship in August 2023 for both himself and his young child. However, Austrian authorities rejected his request, citing Section 10, Paragraph 1 of the Citizenship Act, which bars individuals convicted of intentional crimes from obtaining citizenship.
According to court documents reviewed by the Salzburg Regional Administrative Court, the man was convicted in 2012 of intentionally causing serious bodily harm. He and an accomplice reportedly attacked another man, inflicting deep knife wounds to the face, shoulder, and hand. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison. He was also convicted of property damage in 2015.
While the applicant argued that his criminal record had been cleared and that he had remained offense-free for more than ten years, the court clarified that the official expungement of his record would not take effect until 2027. This delay alone was sufficient to deny the application, according to the ruling.
Further complicating his case, the court noted the existence of several outstanding traffic violations, suggesting a continued disregard for legal norms. In its decision, the court stated there was still no “positive prognosis” regarding the applicant’s conduct, a key requirement for naturalization.
The ruling underscores Austria’s strict stance on criminal history in citizenship applications and signals that even long-past offenses can weigh heavily in decisions concerning public safety and integration.
