1867
The Austrian Staatsgrundgesetz is the first constitutional law to address matters of citizenship. It stipulates that all citizens are equal before the law and that public offices are equally accessible to all citizens. For foreigners, access to these offices is contingent upon acquiring Austrian citizenship.

1918
Following the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy as a result of World War I, the Republic of German-Austria is proclaimed. Initially, a provisional constitution is issued, on the basis of which the German-Austrian Citizenship Act is enacted on December 5, 1918. According to this act, all individuals who were legally domiciled in a municipality of the German-Austrian Republic at the time of the law’s announcement were granted German-Austrian citizenship. Additionally, individuals who had resided in Vienna since 1914 could apply for citizenship by declaring their intention to faithfully belong to the German-Austrian Republic as loyal citizens. On Christian-social, social-democratic, and nationalist fronts, there are verbal attacks against Jewish war refugees, who are denied Austrian citizenship.

1925
The Federal Constitutional Amendment defines the distribution of competencies between the federal government and the states in various policy areas. The Citizenship Act is enacted, governing both state and federal citizenship, for which legal domicile is required. Citizenship can be acquired through birth, naturalization (requiring a minimum of four years’ residence), marriage, or assuming a public teaching position at a domestic university.

1938-1945
With the "Anschluss" (annexation) of Austria into the German Reich, individuals holding Austrian federal citizenship as of March 13, 1938, were treated as German nationals under the Regulation on German Citizenship in the Territory of Austria, dated July 3, 1938. The federal constitutional provisions last amended in 1929 and 1934 ceased to be effective. The Austrian Home Law was repealed in 1939.

1941
Under the 11th Regulation to the Reich Citizenship Law of November 25, all Jews residing abroad lost their German citizenship and became stateless. All their assets were confiscated by the German Reich.

1945
Following the proclamation of Austria as an independent republic on April 27, the Provisional State Government reinstated the Federal Constitutional Law of 1920, as amended in 1929, through the Constitutional Transition Act of May 1, 1945. Upon the first meeting of the newly elected National Council, the Constitution of 1920, as amended in 1929, was reactivated.

A Citizenship Transition Act (Citizenship Act of 1925) came into force. According to Austria’s official legal position that the country had been occupied from 1938 to 1945, Austrian citizenship was restored to all individuals who had been Austrian citizens as of March 13, 1938, provided they had not acquired a foreign citizenship during the occupation, as obtaining a foreign nationality automatically resulted in the loss of Austrian citizenship. Refugees and displaced persons of the Nazi regime who had acquired foreign citizenship between 1938 and 1945 consequently lost their Austrian citizenship. However, a facilitated process was introduced for reacquiring citizenship by "declaration" if a residence in Austria could be proven as of specific dates (January 1, 1915, or January 1, 1919). Giving up the new foreign citizenship was not required, but declarations had to be submitted by set deadlines (December 31, 1953).

1949
A new Citizenship Act was enacted. Citizenship could be acquired through descent, marriage, naturalization, or assuming a public teaching position at a domestic university. A permanent residence within the Republic's territory for at least four years was required for naturalization, with a legal claim to citizenship after 30 years of residence. Gender inequality persisted; married women were not eligible to apply independently and could only acquire Austrian citizenship if their husband was Austrian or submitted an application for the entire family. Displaced Austrian citizens who had acquired foreign citizenship had until January 19, 1950, to apply for reinstatement, provided they had "compelling reasons." Applications had to be submitted within one year.

1965
On July 15, a new Citizenship Act was introduced. A minimum of 10 years of permanent residence in the Republic was now required for naturalization. Partial gender equality was introduced by attempting to give wives independent citizenship status (further advanced in the 1983 amendment). Former Nazi regime refugees faced stricter requirements, as they were now required to renounce their non-Austrian citizenship.

1973
Former displaced Austrian citizens were required to prove permanent residence in Austria to regain Austrian citizenship, without special consideration for their unique circumstances. Renunciation of foreign citizenship was no longer mandatory.

1993
Significant improvements were made for former Austrian citizens displaced during National Socialism. For these individuals, reacquisition of Austrian citizenship no longer required renunciation of their new nationality or the establishment of residence in Austria, which were otherwise standard requirements. Apart from general conditions for naturalization (excluding residency periods) and renunciation of previous citizenship, only proof of fleeing as an Austrian citizen before May 9, 1945, was required.

2019/2020
In October 2019, the Austrian Parliament adopted an amendment to the Citizenship Act (StbG) to acknowledge historical responsibility toward Nazi persecution victims and their descendants. Observing implementation gaps, the law was expanded as of May 1, 2022.

The amendment allows descendants of Nazi victims to acquire Austrian citizenship through a simplified process. Since September 1, 2020, applications have been accepted. The StbG provisions enable individuals who suffered persecution and their descendants to acquire Austrian citizenship via a declaration without renouncing their current nationality.

The definition of "Nazi victims" was broadened, extending the recognized emigration date from May 9, 1945, to May 15, 1955. Additionally, nationals of successor states of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and stateless persons were recognized as Nazi victims. It is important to note that the law now includes not only the victim generation but also their direct descendants (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren etc.).