British in Vienna: First Residence Permit Handed Out
The first British citizen living in Vienna has received her approved residence permit. After the UK has left the EU on December 31, 2020, about 12,000 Britons living in Austria will need to apply for a residence title by the end of 2021. British Ambassador to Austria Leigh Turner is pleased by the processing of the Austrian officials so far.
British Ambassador to Austria Leight Turner (left), the first British citizen in Vienna who received her residence permit, Pamela Small (middle), and Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr (right). / Picture: © Magistrat der Stadt Wien / PID / Fürthner
After the United Kingdom has left the EU on December 31, 2020, it is necessary for British citizens living in Austria to apply for an Austrian residence title.
Already 1,000 British nationals living in Vienna have submitted their applications, which corresponds to approximately one fifth of the British nationals living in the capital.
Deputy Mayor and City Councillor for Integration Christoph Wiederkehr, in the presence of British Ambassador Leigh Turner, handed over the first of around 5,000 residence titles to Pamela Small, a British resident here, on January 25, 2021.
"I am delighted that today I was able to hand over the Austrian residence title to the first of around 5,000 British citizens living in Vienna. While it is regrettable that Britain is now no longer a member of the European Union, British citizens remain an important part of our society and our labor market. It is important that the procedures are handled as unproblematically as possible and that those Britons who live in Austria are legally secured as quickly as possible," said the Deputy Mayor.
The British Ambassador Leigh Turner was also present and is delighted that the processing by MA35 is working so well:
"I am very pleased that today the first British woman in Vienna has received her new Article 50 residence certificate. Also in other parts of Austria new identity cards have already been handed out. In other provinces there are still delays in the application process due to the lockdown but both the Ministry of Interior and the provinces are working hard to organize the process as orderly as possible. This gives the approximately 12,000 Britons in Austria the security they need," Turner said.
He furthermore adds:
"The feedback from the British community has been overwhelmingly positive so far. I would like to thank the Ministry of the Interior, the City of Vienna and especially all employees of MA35 for their good cooperation and call on all Britons to submit their applications. The deadline is the end of the year."
Information about the application process for British citizens in Vienna can be obtained here.