Civil Documents

Austrian citizens may ask the Consulate General in New York, if need be, to help them obtain civil documents. However, a fee will be charged and the following must be true:
a) Austrian citizens living within the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate need civil documents from Austria.
b) Austrian citizens living outside the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate need civil documents from governmental agencies located in the area covered by the Consulate. In the latter case, the documents requested will be sent to you via the headoffice in Vienna or an Austrian Embassy/Consulate abroad.

Please note: Due to strict Austrian privacy laws, documents and official certificates can be requested only by the subject, the spouse, the children, and the parents. Thus, the following information must at least be included in the request:
a) Purpose for which document is needed,
b) Relationship to the person whose record is requested,
c) Proof of that relationship by sending e.g. copy of your passport, copy of marriage certificate etc.

Non-Austrian citizens are kindly asked to apply at their Embassy or Consulate. The Austrian Consulate General in New York is NOT authorized to help non-Austrian citizens obtain civil documents from Austria. However, you may directly contact the competent authority in Austria (the request has then to be written in GERMAN).

A. Documents from Austria

a) Civil documents
(Certificates of Birth, Marriage, and Death)

Please contact the local Vital Records Registry (Standesamt) of the village/town/city concerned and request the document you are looking for to be issued on an "international" form (to avoid any translation hassles later on). The addresses and phone numbers of all Vital Records Registries in Austria are listed in the Austrian phone directory and at the Behördenwegweiser.

Please note that until 1938 (in Burgenland till 1895) the registration of births, marriages, and deaths was done by the local churches and religious communities. Starting in 1870 and lasting till 1938, civil documents of individuals without a religious affiliation were issued by the county government. In the province of Burgenland, civil documents have been issued by the towns and villages since 1895.

Tip: Civil documents issued by Austrian authorities in general need an apostille to be both valid and recognized in the United States (see link: "Authentication"). Thus, please do not forget to apply for an apostille as well when requesting an Austrian civil document.

b) Driver's License

If you have lost your driver's license or your driver's license has been stolen, you can apply at the Austrian Consulate General for a duplicate to be issued. It will be issued in Austria only, therefore it takes about 6 weeks until you receive it. To apply the following documents have to be provided:
- Application form (in German only)
- ID (passport)
- 1 passport picture (same criterias as for Austrian passports)
- if applicable: lost/stolen police report
- proof of residence in Austria (Meldezettel)

The fee is Euro 45,60 and has to be paid when you receive your driver's licence in USD according to the excange rate.

c) Other documents and certificates

Certificates of good conduct (criminal record) from Austria can be requested via the Consulate General or one of the Honorary Consulates. Further information can be found by following the link to "Certificate of good conduct (criminal record)."
Copies of Austrian divorce decrees can be obtained by directly contacting the District Court which has issued the decree. It is recommended to call first. Addresses and phone numbers are listed at the Behördenwegweiser.

Personal Identity Cards ("Personalausweis"; some countries accept them as travel documents) can also be obtained through the Austrian Consulate. You would need to provide the same documents as for the application of a new passport. You can download the application form for a personal ID card (Personalausweis) here.  

B. Documents issued by governmental authorities and agencies located in the area covered by the Consulate

Austrian citizens living in Austria who need official documents and certificates from governmental authorities and agencies located in the area covered by the Consulate are kindly asked to directly contact either the governmental agency (e.g. village, county) in the US or the citizen help desk at Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vienna.

Addresses, phone numbers, and links to governmental authorities and agencies in the US are listed at:
New York State
New York City
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Connecticut
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maine