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Help from the Austrian government

For any questions about moving to or living in Austria, you may be able to get help from the:

• Austrian Embassy in London
• Austrian Federal Government

You can also read the Austrian government’s guidance on:

• settling in Austria
• effects of Brexit on British citizens resident in Austria

The UK government and the British Embassy in Vienna cannot give personalised advice on moving to, living or retiring in Austria.

Professional help in Austria

You can also get help from English-speaking professionals in Austria, including:

• lawyers
• translators
• notaries
• funeral directors

Help from the UK government

Read the travel advice for Austria to understand the risks you may face if you live in or visit Austria. This includes the latest information on:

• visas and entry requirements
• laws and cultural differences
• safety and security

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad.

Get help from the UK government abroad, including in an emergency.

Make sure you meet the entry requirements for Austria before you travel.

Visas and residence permits

Check which Austrian visa or residence permit you need to live in Austria.

You can get a visa or residence permit to:

• work
• study
• live with family in Austria
• live in Austria without working

For more information, read guidance on:

• applying for an Austrian visa
• types of immigration to Austria
• residence in Austria

Registering as a resident   

Once you arrive, you need to register your address in Austria within 3 days.

Read the Austrian government’s guidance on registering your residence.

If you have any problems or questions about registering your residence contact:

• the local registration office (‘Meldeamt’) at your local authority
• an English-speaking lawyer in Austria

Extending or replacing your visa or residence permit

Contact your local authority for information on how to:

• extend your residency permit
• replace a lost, damaged or stolen visa or residency permit

The Austrian government’s guidance on renewing residence permits for Austria explains who to contact in your area.

Permanent residency

You may be able to apply for permanent residency in Austria if you have lived there legally for at least 5 years.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to apply, read the Austrian government’s guidance on permanent residence permits (in German).

Citizenship

Austria generally does not recognise dual citizenship with the UK. This means that you may have to give up (renounce) your British citizenship to become an Austrian citizen.

However, children can be born with dual UK and Austrian citizenship if at least one parent is Austrian.

To find out if you’re eligible for Austrian citizenship:  

• read guidance on Austrian citizenship
• contact the Austrian Embassy in London

Help with visa, residency and citizenship applications

The British Embassy in Vienna cannot help with Austrian visa, residency or citizenship applications.

For any questions or issues, contact:

• the Austrian Interior Ministry (BMI) - read guidance on applying for an Austrian visa for contact information
• the Austrian Embassy in London
• an English-speaking lawyer in Austria

If you moved to Austria before 1 January 2021, and have been legally living there since then, you and your family members have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Residence documents if you moved to Austria before 1 January 2021

If you moved to Austria before 1 January 2021, you should have an Article 50 residence card (in German).  This shows that you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Under the new digital Entry/Exit system (EES), you’ll need an Article 50 residence card or other valid residence permit  when entering or leaving Austria. If you have one, you will not have to register with the EES to travel within the Schengen area. Without it, you may be wrongly identified as overstaying in the Schengen Area and denied entry to Austria or other Schengen countries.

If you do not have a residence document

If you were living in Austria before 1 January 2021, but do not have a residence document, you can still apply for an Article 50 residence card (in German) in certain cases.   

You’ll need to submit evidence to prove that:

• there were exceptional circumstances which meant that you did not apply for the residence card by the 31 December 2021 deadline
• you met the residency criteria at the time

If your application is unsuccessful, you may be able to:

• appeal the decision
• apply for a different residence permit for non-EU nationals

Consider getting legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Austria. If you cannot pay for a lawyer, read the European e-justice portal guidance on legal aid in Austria.

For more information on how to apply or appeal, read the Austrian government’s guidance on:

• effects of Brexit on British citizens resident in Austria
• permanent immigration

You can also contact your local district administration (‘Bezirkshauptmannschaft’) or magistrate (‘Magistrat’).

Renewing your residence document if you moved to Austria before 1 January 2021

You’ll need to renew your Article 50 residence card every 5 or 10 years, before it expires.

Contact your regional immigration authority for information on how to renew your residence card. Depending on where you live in Austria, this could be:

• your local district administration (‘Bezirkshauptmannschaft’) or magistrate (‘Magistrat’)
• some ‘MA35’ offices, if you live in Vienna

Bringing family members to Austria if you moved there before 1 January 2021    

The Austrian government’s guidance on the effects of Brexit on British citizens resident in Austria explains:

• which family members can join you in Austria
• how and when they should apply for their residence document

Children born to parents with rights under the Withdrawal Agreement after 1 January 2022

If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, any children you have after 1 January 2022 are also eligible for an Austrian Article 50 residence card.

You must apply for the card within 90 days of your child’s birth.  As part of the application, you must provide either:

• a valid UK passport for your child
• proof of application for a UK passport for your child

Read:

• our guidance on how to get a UK passport for your child
• the Austrian government’s guidance on the effects of Brexit on British citizens resident in Austria

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• apply for a British passport from abroad
• travel urgently without your British passport

If you have an Austrian residence permit or long stay visa, the time you spend in Austria does not count towards the 90-day visa-free period you can spend in the Schengen area.

Always carry your passport and residence document when entering, leaving or travelling within the Schengen area. If you’re asked to show your passport at border control, make sure you also show your residence document or other evidence of residence status. Your passport may be stamped if you do not.

If you have dual citizenship with an EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country, you should enter and leave Austria using your EU or EFTA passport. 

Dual citizens travelling to the UK 

When travelling to the UK, British citizens must carry a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement. Read guidance on dual citizenship.

European Entry/Exit System (EES)

Under the new digital Entry/Exit System (EES) there are new rules for entering, leaving or travelling within the  Schengen area. Non-EU nationals will need to have their photo and fingerprints taken or verified at the border. This data will be stored in a digital record and used to monitor how long visitors have spent in the Schengen area.

British nationals legally resident in Austria, and who have a valid residence permit or Article 50 residence card, do not need to register with the EES.

If you’re legally resident in Austria but do not have a residence permit or Article 50 residence card, contact your local district administration (‘Bezirkshauptmannschaft’) or magistrate (‘Magistrat’) for information on how to get one.

For more information about how the EES works, read:

• EU guidance on the EES
• guidance on the EES for UK nationals

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• plan your healthcare
• take medicine abroad

To find out how to get medical treatment:

• contact your health insurance provider
• read guidance on healthcare in Austria and health in Austria
• find English-speaking medical facilities and doctors for British nationals in Austria

Mountain rescue is not covered by standard Austrian health insurance.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers working abroad, including documents you may need from the UK government.

To work in Austria, you may need a work visa. Our guidance on travelling to Austria for work explains the different work permits and visas available to you. 

You do not need a work permit or visa if you have been living in Austria legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

To apply for a job, you may need to provide a:

• UK police certificate
• Austrian criminal records certificate (‘Strafregisterbescheinigung’)

If you live in Austria and were regularly commuting to work in another  EU or European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country before 1 January 2021, read guidance for frontier workers.

Recognition of qualifications

If you want to work in Austria, you may need to get your foreign qualifications recognised.   

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• drive abroad legally
• take your UK vehicle abroad
• get driving licence letters

The Austrian government provides information on driving in Austria, including guidance on:

• motor vehicles, including vehicle registration and tax
• driving licences, including how to apply for or convert a driving licence

For more information read guidance on:

• driving in the EU
• road travel in Austria, in safety and security in the travel advice for Austria

Driving in Austria using a foreign driving licence

You can drive in Austria for up to 6 months using a driving licence issued in:

• the UK
• Gibraltar
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• the Isle of Man

You cannot replace or renew any of these licences if you live in Austria.

Exchanging a UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man driving licence

To continue driving after 6 months, you must exchange your driving licence.

You should apply for the exchange before the 6 months is over. Applications may take time to process, and you’ll need your Austrian licence to drive legally. 

If you have lost your licence, you need a ‘certificate of entitlement’ to apply for an Austrian licence. You can get this from the authority that issued your licence, for example the DVLA.

The certificate must be translated into German. To do this, find an English-speaking translator in Austria.

Disabled drivers

You may be able to apply for an EU parking card for people with disabilities or an Austrian parking card for people with disabilities.

You can also read the Austrian government’s guidance on motor vehicles and disability.

If you have a UK Blue Badge and live in Austria, you must return it to the original UK issuing authority.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers tax, including paying UK tax and National Insurance. 

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Austria so that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.

Contact the Austrian tax authority (FAÖ) for any questions about double taxation relief.

Consider getting professional advice on paying tax in Austria. To do this:

• find a tax adviser (‘Steuerberater’) or accountant at Kammer der Wirtschaftstreuhänder (in German)
• find an English-speaking lawyer in Austria

Church tax     

All adult Roman Catholics who live in Austria must pay Church tax  (‘Kirchenbeitrag’)  if they register as Roman Catholic when registering their address.

Municipalities provide religious data based on your registration data (‘Meldezettel’ or ‘Meldebestätigung’).

Similar rules also apply to members of the Austrian Protestant and Old Catholic Churches.

This tax does not apply to members of the Church of England living in Austria.

You do not need to pay the Church Tax if you:

• are a student
• get social payments, like unemployment benefit or childcare allowance

National Insurance

Check if you need to pay National Insurance if you’re going to work in the EU, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

Claiming your UK pension

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• how to claim your UK State Pension
• where the UK government pays an annual increase in the State Pension

Your UK state pension is calculated differently if you’ve previously lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and now live in the EU.

Claiming an Austrian pension

Contact the Austrian Pension Insurance Institution (‘Pensionversicherung’)(in German) to find out whether you can claim an Austrian pension.

The Austrian government’s guidance on retirement explains the different types of pensions available.  

Claiming UK benefits

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to claim UK benefits abroad, including Child Benefit.

You can also read guidance on benefits and pensions for UK nationals in the EU, EEA or Switzerland.

Claiming Austrian benefits

You may be entitled to some Austrian benefits.

To find out if you’re eligible and how to claim:

• contact your local branch of the Austrian Social Insurance Institution (‘Sozialversicherung’)
• visit the Austrian Social Insurance Institution website (in German)

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers buying and renting property abroad. 

Contact an English-speaking lawyer in Austria if you’re considering buying property or land.

If you plan to study in Austria, you must apply for a temporary residence permit before you travel.

You do not need a temporary residence permit if you have been living in Austria legally since before 1 January 2021, as you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

For more information, read guidance on:

• studying in Austria
• university in Austria
• studying in the EU
• travel grants for students studying abroad or on placements (England)

You can also contact:

• your higher education provider in the UK or Austria
• the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF)
• the Austrian Embassy in London

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers moving abroad with children, including:

• getting permission to take your child abroad
• claiming UK Child Benefit abroad
• child maintenance payments if a parent lives abroad

Schools and education

The European Commission provides information about the school system in Austria.

All children must attend school or home school in Austria for 9 years, starting at age 6. Since 2010, 5 year olds  must also attend kindergarten.

For more information, read the Austrian government’s guidance on:

• schooling in Austria
• kindergarten enrolment

Childcare

Local authorities are responsible for early childhood education and care in Austria.

For more information, read the Austrian government’s guidance on childcare in Austria.

Births

If your child is born in Austria, register the birth with the Austrian authorities.

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to:

• register the birth with the UK authorities to get a UK birth certificate
• apply for your child’s first British passport

Deaths

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers:

• what to do after someone dies abroad
• how to register the death with the UK authorities

If someone dies in Austria, read guidance on:

• what to do when someone dies in Austria
• English-speaking funeral directors in Austria
• reporting a death in Austria

Marriages and civil partnerships

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get married or get a civil partnership abroad. 

The Austrian government provides information on partnership and marriage in Austria.

Divorce and separation

Read our guidance on moving, living or retiring abroad. This covers how to get a divorce or end a civil partnership.   

The European e-justice portal offers guidance on divorce and legal separation in Austria.

Consider taking legal advice from an English-speaking lawyer in Austria.

Read our guidance on documents for British people abroad. This covers: 

• legalising and certifying UK documents
• marriage and civil partnership documents
• affirmations and affidavits
• witnessing signatures

To find an English-speaking lawyer, translator or notary in Austria, read guidance on professional services if you’re abroad.