Immigration Information

Austrian immigration policy

Travel Documents:
Valid Passport - Nationals of some states only need a passport that has expired within less than five years or an official identification card. Accompanying Children either need their own passport or must be registered on one of their parent's passports, in which case they must be accompanied by the passport-holder.

Visas:
The following do not need a visa: nationals of any of Austria's neighbouring states, of EU member states and many other states. Information may be obtained from the Austrian Embassy or consulate in your country as well as the Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs. An up-to-date list can be found at http://www.bmaa.gv.at/service/index.html.en

According to the Schengen Agreement nationals of non-member states who require a visa can travel to Austria with a valid Schengen visa issued in any Schengen state, without having to obtain an additional Austrian visa, as long as the visa is not restricted to other countries.

Passport Control:
Since 1 April 1998, border controls are no longer made at the borders to the Schengen states Germany and Italy. This also applies to flight traffic at the Austrian airports for flights to other Schengen states (except Greece).
To be able to present proof of identification in case of random control checks, travellers must, however, carry along their travel documents in the Schengen region as well.

Travelling with animals (also applies to travellers from the EU region):
Pets such as dogs or cats from 12 weeks of age need a valid vaccination certificate (rabies) in German or with an officially certified German translation. The vaccination must have been performed at least 30 days before entering the country, but no longer than one year in advance. A maximum of 3 animals may be brought into the country.

Job Opportunities in Austria for Foreign Citizens

Citizens of EEA countries:
Since the EEA treaty entered into force, citizens of EEA member countries have been placed on an equal footing with Austrians as regards employment in Austria, for which they no longer require special permission.
EEA citizens who want to work in Austria can contact their regional Euro-Advisers or the nearest job centres in their own countries, who will forward their applications to the Euro-Advisers in Austria.

Citizens of non-EEA countries: (Except Switzerland and Liechtenstein)
Citizens of non-EEA countries are subject to the provisions of the Employment of Foreigners Act of 20 March 1975 (BGBl.218/75) as currently applied. This regulates the conditions and procedures under which a foreigner can obtain the work permit which is necessary for taking up employment in Austria. According to §4 of the Act, the basic condition for the issue of employment permission is that the situation and developments in the Austrian job market are such as to permit the employment of foreigners, and that there are no important public or economic interests which would dictate otherwise. Furthermore, §12a of the Act lays down restrictions on the maximum numbers of foreigners permitted to work in Austria.
The present job situation, with a high number of native Austrians and foreigners unemployed, offers little opportunity for the employment of additional foreigners. The Austrian employment service is endeavouring to hold the number of foreigners working in the country at its present level, in order to safeguard places for native Austrians, young foreigners of the second generation and unemployed older foreigners who have lived for many years in Austria.

Customs Regulations

Entry into Austria from a member state of the European Union (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and Spain):
In general, customs controls are no longer made; however spot checks are possible at any time.
For direct flights (without stopover in a non-member state) from an EU state to another EU state, the exit for EU Travellers may be used.
Note: If the departure originated in a state outside the EU, and a stopover or transit stay was made in another EU state before entering Austria, then the regulations for travellers from non-member states apply.

Permissable Quantities:
Quantities for the import into Austria from EU countries of articles for personal use that are free of duty charge:
• Cigarettes: 800
• Cigarillos (at the most 3 g each): 400
• Cigars: 200
• Tobacco: 1 kg
• Spirits: 10 litres
• Wine (of which max. 60 litres of sparkling wine): 90 litres
• Beer: 110 litres
Duty Free-Purchases are no longer possible for direct flights within the EU.

Entry into Austria from a non-European state (non-member state):
Import quantities and import quantity restrictions for commodities from non-member states. Maximum quantities permissable for the import into Austria out of non-member states of merchandise free of customs duties for personal use or as gifts:

•  Tobacco products (per person, 17 years or older):
  200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos (cigars with at the most 3 g each) or 50 cigars or 250 grams tobacco or
  a proportionate combination of these items
  Attention!! For travellers residing in Austria who are arriving by land from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia or the Samnaun Valley (not the rest of Switzerland), less quantities are permitted!
• Alcoholic beverages (per person, 17 years or older):
  1 litre of spirits with an alcohol content of more than 22 volume percent or 2 litres of spirits, wine aperitifs, alcohol, sake or the like with an alcohol content of 22 volume percent or less; sparkling wines, liquor wines or a proportionate combination of these items and 2 litres of non-sparkling wine 50 g perfume and 0,25 litres eau de toilette Medication for personal use during the trip
• Other commodities are duty free up to a cumulative value of € 175.- per traveller
  ATTENTION!! In contrast to the regulations for air travel, if the commodities are brought into the country from across common borders to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia, the maximum amount for other commodities decreases to € 125.

Travellers may not combine their duty allowances. The travel requisites needed for personal use during the length of stay may be brought into Austria free of duty charge and without any formalities, as long as there are no import restrictions (the receipts of new commodities, i.e. photography equipment, must be brought along.

Inter-State Social Insurance

Austria's international links in the field of social insurance have been steadily expanded since the early 1950s. A whole series of agreements has been concluded with other countries. In general, these are based on the following principles: Equal treatment for citizens of the treaty countries in the area of social security; Contribution periods in the partner country to be taken into consideration for the award and calculation of benefits; Calculation of part-pensions according to the proportion of contribution periods in each country (pro-rata temporis method); Cover for occupational accidents and illnesses which happen in the partner country; Export of payments to beneficiaries in the partner country; Payment of sickness and accident benefits through the health insurance institution in the partner country.
On 2 May 1992 the then seven member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the then twelve members of the European Community (EC) and also the Community as an organisation signed the "Agreement on the European Economic Area". This EEA Agreement came into force on 1 January 1994. Under its terms the secondary EC law on social security (in particular the directives and guidelines) was also to be applied in Austria, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and (since 1 May 1995) Liechtenstein.
One of the fundamental goals of the EEA is equality of treatment and non-discrimination for the citizens of the 18 member countries of the European Economic Area. The EEA citizens therefore have the right to live and work in any of the EEA countries. And their accumulated social security rights are not lost by transferring from one member country to another.
This does not mean that social security systems are uniform throughout the EEA. At the moment there is no legislation which demands a general harmonisation of the legal provisions of the member countries. The relevant EC papers repeatedly stress that such steps are not planned for the future.
While the guidelines commit members to a degree of development of their domestic legislation, the directives - like the agreement on social security to which Austria is also a partner - have the function of coupling and coordinating the national legal provisions. This has not involved any changes to the relevant Austrian legislation.
By applying the directives (EEC) 1408/71 and (EEC) 574/72 the EC law brings a partial improvement in matters of social security by comparison with the legal situation arising from the social security agreement to which Austria has acceded, whereby the most important changes are in the areas of health insurance and pensions.
Austria's accession to the European Union (EU) on 1 January 1995 entailed no alteration in the social security situation, since the above-mentioned legal basis had applied in full ever since the EEA agreement came into force.
In addition to the EEA agreement there are two other multilateral instruments currently in force for Austria - the European Agreement on Social Security between Austria, Luxembourg, Turkey, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Spain and Italy, and the Quadrilateral Agreement between Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
The last-named multilateral agreement covers inter alia claims for and assessment of pensions when the applicant has had contribution periods in three or all four countries.
A distinction must be made between the agreements where the area of application is restricted to within certain specified limits, and the others in which such limits are not specified.
These agreements are presently the basis for transfer payments covering more than 300,000 pensions and allowances to a total value of over 10,000 million schillings, including more than 140,000 benefits transferred by the partner states to individuals resident in Austria.
The staff of the international organisations based in Vienna (International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), UN High Commissioner for Refugees) are also covered by social security agreements. The agreement between Austria and UNIDO has been applied to the staff of all the other United Nations organisations based in Vienna with the agreement of the Austrian government by an exchange of notes between the Republic of Austria and the United Nations Organisation. A further agreement with the European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva covers the reintegration of Austrians employed there into the Austrian social security system.
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia: Austria's agreement on social security with the former Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia is being applied to the citizens of its successor republics Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) until such time as new agreements are concluded with those countries.