These two routes are often grouped together but are very different. Austria grants citizenship by exception at its discretion, with no published price. Montenegro closed its citizenship by investment route at the end of 2022.
Information, not advice. Figures are indicative and current as of June 2026. Always confirm the present rules with the official program authority and a licensed professional before you act.
Austria can grant citizenship by exception under section 10(6) of its Citizenship Act, where the federal government confirms that a grant is in the special interest of the Republic because of a person's extraordinary achievements. This is discretionary. It is not a programme with a price list, and there is no published investment threshold.
Montenegro ran a citizenship by investment programme that closed to new applicants on 31 December 2022. It is shown here as a closed route. So this compares a rare discretionary grant with a route that no longer accepts applications.
Austria publishes no investment figure for citizenship by exception. The route turns on extraordinary achievement and a finding of special interest to the state, assessed case by case, rather than on a set payment. We do not quote a price, because there is no official one to quote.
Montenegro's programme is closed, so there is no current price either. Earlier figures combined a government contribution with an approved investment, but those no longer describe an available route.
Austrian citizenship by exception has no fixed timeline. Cases are individual and can take a long time, with no guaranteed outcome. Montenegro is not accepting new citizenship by investment applications, so there is no live timeline to describe.
Austrian citizenship carries a European Union passport and, unusually for this kind of route, can be held alongside an existing nationality where granted by exception. Montenegrin citizenship is a passport of a country outside the European Union, but it is not reachable through a new investment now that the programme is closed.
Austria's route suits only a small number of people with genuinely extraordinary achievements that the state recognises as in its special interest, and it cannot be bought to order. Montenegro is closed and is relevant only as background. For almost everyone, neither of these is a practical investment route to a passport, and any plan should start from that reality.
| Item | Austria citizenship by exception | Montenegro citizenship by investment |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Open but discretionary | Closed since 31 December 2022 |
| Basis | Extraordinary achievement in the special interest of the Republic, section 10(6) Citizenship Act | Closed, formerly investment plus government contribution |
| Published price | None, assessed case by case | Not applicable, route closed |
| Outcome | Citizenship by exception, where granted | Citizenship, route closed |
| Authority | Federal Government and Federal Ministry of the Interior | Government of Montenegro |
Figures are indicative and current as of June 2026. Federal Ministry of the Interior, Austria publishes the binding detail. Verify before you act.
No. Austria has no citizenship by investment programme with a price. Citizenship by exception under section 10(6) is discretionary and turns on extraordinary achievement found to be in the special interest of the Republic.
No. The programme closed to new applicants on 31 December 2022. Treat older figures as historical and do not rely on them.
Where citizenship is granted by exception, it can generally be held alongside an existing nationality. Confirm your own position with the Austrian authority, since rules and individual circumstances vary.
Information, not advice. Figures are indicative and current as of June 2026. Always confirm the present rules with the official program authority and a licensed professional before you act.
The rules for this route changed recently. Confirm the current position with current guidance before you act.
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