years (with five years continuous residence preceding the application), are between 18 and 20 years of age and have not been convicted for certain offences or for a certain period. Foundlings are considered Austrian until proven to the contrary, but this rule only applies to infants up to six months old.29 22. In adoption proceedings, there are gaps in safeguards that result in some risk of statelessness as the acquisition of Austrian nationality applies only to children under 14, is not automatic and is subject to some discretion on the part of the authorities. The provisions for the acquisition of Austrian nationality by children born to Austrian nationals abroad are discriminatory.30 23. Birth registration law and practice in Austria is generally good and thus does not create a risk of statelessness. Parents must submit documents confirming their nationality and civil status, but this is facilitated when they are unable to present the documents and particularly in the asylum context. However, legal and practical barriers exist for stateless people to access late birth registration after the seven-day deadline.31 ISSUE 2 – Statelessness Determination and Status 24. Identifying stateless people in the country is the first step to providing adequate protection and rights enshrined in the 1954 Convention. Although statelessness may be identified in the context of other administrative procedures in Austria,32 the co-submitting organisations recommend that this is best fulfilled through a dedicated statelessness determination procedure, in line with UNHCR’s recommendation.33 25. Currently, there are three possibilities for stateless people to regularise their stay in Austria: through an application for international protection,34 naturalisation,35 or a residence permit.36 Statelessness may also be identified in administrative procedures such as an application for a 'Foreigners' Passport' (Fremdenpass) for legally residing stateless people (or those with undetermined nationality) without a valid travel document,37 a ‘Tolerated Stay Card’ (Duldungskarte) in cases of non-removability,38 or by civil registration offices in the context of birth registration, marriage or any other civil status case.39 29 Articles 8 and 14 Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz 1985, BGBl No. 311/1985 as amended by BGBl I No. 61/2018 (DE), Unofficial English translation (amended version as of BGBl I No. 56/2018). 30 See: https://index.statelessness.eu/country/austria. 31 Articles 9(1) and (2), 35(1), 36, 40(1) and 53(3)(1) Bundesgesetz über die Regelung des Personenstandswesens (Personenstandsgesetz 2013), BGBl I No. 16/2013 as amended by BGBl I No. 104/2018; Articles 2(2) and 11(1)(1) Verordnung der Bundesministerin für Inneres über die Durchführung des Personenstandsgesetzes 2013 (Personenstandsgesetz-Durchführungsverordnung 2013), BGBl II No. 324/2013 as amended by BGBl II No. 59/2019; Article 29(1)(11) 22a BFA-Verfahrensgesetz, BGBl I 2012/87 idF BGBl I 2019/53 (DE), Unofficial English translation (amended version as of BGBl I No. 56/2018). 32 ENS Statelessness Index Austria, Country Survey 2019, SDS10a, available here: https://index.statelessness.eu/sites/default/files/Index%20Survey%202019%20-%20Austria.pdf 33 UNHCR (2014), Handbook on Protection of Stateless Persons, http://www.unhcr.org/uk/protection/statelessness/53b698ab9/handbook-protection-stateless-persons.html. 34 Bundesgesetz über die Gewährung von Asyl (Asylgesetz 2005), BGBl I No. 100/2005 as amended by BGBl I No. 53/2019 (DE), Unofficial English translation (amended version as of BGBl I No. 56/2018) 35 Articles 8 and 10-14 Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz 1985, BGBl No. 311/1985 as amended by BGBl I No. 61/2018 (DE), Unofficial English translation (amended version as of BGBl I No. 56/2018) 36 Article 19(8)(3) Bundesgesetz über die Niederlassung und den Aufenthalt in Österreich (Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz), BGBl I No. 100/2004 as amended by BGBl I No. 25/2019 (DE), Unofficial English translation (amended version as of BGBl I No. 56/2018) 37 Articles 46a and 88(2) Fremdenpolizeigesetz 2005, BGBl I No. 100/2005 as amended by BGBl I No. 56/2018 (DE), Unofficial English translation (amended version as of BGBl I No. 56/2018) 38 Ibid. 39 Article 35(2)(2) Bundesgesetz über die Regelung des Personenstandswesens (Personenstandsgesetz 2013), BGBl I No. 16/2013 as amended by BGBl I No. 105/2018 6