FAQs Table of Contents

To try to help with some of the most popular queries, we have put together a collection of FAQs. Please feel free to contact us to suggest other topics.

• Visas, residence permits and citizenship

• Moving to: Austria | Salzburg

• Learning German

• Home (moving home, rented accommodation, rubbish, recycling, TV licence, pets...)

• Work (Looking for work, self-employment, starting a business...)

• Studying

• Kids, schools...

• Daily life (podcasts, hairdressers, parcels from abroad, bank payments, Handy.Signatur, volunteering...)

• Austrian Law (Lawyers, legal aid, domestic violence, pets, random laws)

• Medical/emergency/health (telephone numbers, out of hours services, English speaking doctors)

• Bicycles and cycling (renting, kids, cargo bikes...)

• Cars and driving (tax, importing, licences, parking in cities, winter tyres...)

• Public transport (apps, maps...)

• Outdoors/tourism (things to do, lakes, skiing, hiking, cycling...)

🛂 VISAS, RESIDENCE PERMITS AND CITIZENSHIP (top)

• START HERE >>> What's the difference between a visa and a residence permit?

• START HERE >>> Guide to Visas and Residence Permits

• Student visas and residence permits: A collection of FAQs

• Red-White-Red cards: Working abroad for holders of RWR cards

• Can I stay an extra 90 days in Austria after my Visa-D?

• Can I travel to the rest of the EU with only my Austrian Residence Permit?

• Health insurance: Which policies are approved for residence permits?

• Proof of German knowledge for residence permits: See below under LEARNING GERMAN

• Austrian Dual citizenship law

• I'm Austrian; how can I move to Austria with my non-EU spouse/partner?

• National service for male Austrian citizens (military service, civilian service)

• Working as a digital nomad: See WORK section

• EES and ETIAS explained: The EU's soon-to-be-launched border control systems

• Applying for the Austrian residence permit "Aufenthaltstitel: Niederlassungbewilligung ausser Erwerbstätigkeit" - Key information from someone who's done it

📜 MOVING TO AUSTRIA (top)

• START HERE >>> Free, publicly funded "Welcome services", both Austria-wide and in each province

• START HERE >>> Vienna Business Agency: Welcome to Vienna guide (PDF)

• EU citizens (not UK citizens) will find information here: Moving to Austria from another EU country

• British citizens should start here: https://www.britishinaustria.net

• Other "third country nationals (3CNs) should begin here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10158222774296309/

• Moving to Austria from a third country: tax exemptions on personal property

• Flowchart explaining the employment process for 3CNs from job offer to Type-D visa approval: https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10158454438371309/

• The Meldezettel/Meldebestätigung: Registering at a new address in Austria

• IMPORTANT >>> The Catholic Church Tax: You should read this before you register in Austria!

• Advice Centre for Migrants: Useful information for immigrants

• Cost of living comparison: Compare the cost of living in different Austrian cities

• 💬 Find a court certified translator

• Where will I find my local government office?

🛬 MOVING TO SALZBURG (top)

• Stadt Salzburg website. One group member has said this external site was “super useful” when you first arrive:

• 🪧 The government funded Salzburg innovation agency: Provides free and advice help to immigrants and entrepreneurs: http://innovation-salzburg.at

• Download their excellent newcomers guide: https://www.workinsalzburg.at/en/

😇 LEARNING GERMAN (top)

• Learning German

• Proof of German knowledge for residence permits

• Proof of German language for Austrian citizenship

🏰 HOME (top)

• START HERE >>> 🏯 Searching for rented accommodation: How not to be scammed and essential links

• Rental problems? Difficult landlord? The Mieterschutzverband

• Introduction to Social Housing and Housing Benefits in Austria

• Glossary: Austrian Limited-Profit Housing Associations (Österreichischer Verband gemeinnütziger Bauvereinigungen) A - K | M - Z

• 🏘 Home moving services (removal businesses)

• Guide to the language of renting in Austria: Article from The Local

• Renting accommodation: Agents' fees: Changes to the law from 1/7/2023

• 🐶 Pets: The law about pet ownership: Austria and various provinces

• 🗑 Which bins for which rubbish?

• Austria's Klimabonus scheme - Everything you need to know

• 🧵 Repair Cafés: SBG

• 📺 ORF Beitrag: The Austrian TV licence fee from 2024 | GIS: The former Austrian TV licence fee

• 🪠Plumber: https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10157361951541309/

• ⚡️Electrician: https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10157055254976309/

• 💔 Get broken stuff fixed (and claim money back for doing so) (All provinces): Subsidies for getting your broken things fixed (Reparaturbonus)

• 👗 List of Flea markets (all provinces)

• 🧹 Minimum wage rates for domestic employment: See below under "Austrian Law"

• The Dienstleistungsscheck (Household Service Vouchers) system for paying householder service providers

• 👩‍👧‍👦 Guide to the law for au-pairs: See below under "Austrian Law"

• Moving to Austria from a third country: tax exemptions on personal property: See above under "Moving to Austria"

📎 WORK (top)

• START HERE >>> 🇬🇧 Employers offering English speaking jobs in Austria (list): Employers offering English speaking jobs in Austria

• START HERE >>> 🏭 Looking for work — I don’t speak German yet Looking for a job in Austria?

• Looking for work: I am a qualified refugee/third country national: Mtop: Assisting qualified refugees and third party nationals to connect with employers

• Finding a job in the Austrian countryside

• 👷‍♀️ Applying for a job - "Third country nationals" (non-EU citizens) Applying for a job - "Third country nationals" (non-EU citizens)

• Recognition of qualifications from abroad

• Starting a business in Austria (links for all provinces)

• How much will I earn and what is the cost of living like in Austria?

• WKÖ: Hiring employees - the right way (useful for both employers and employees: know your rights!)

• The Dienstleistungsscheck (Household Service Vouchers) system for paying householder service providers

• Working as a digital nomad in Austria (remote working)

• 👩‍👧‍👦 Guide to the law for au-pairs: See below under "Austrian Law"

👩‍🎓 STUDYING (top)

• Where to start your search for Higher Education studies in Austria

• Studying in Austria...in English

🧒 KIDS, SCHOOLS… (top)

• START HERE >>> A guide to the Austrian education system

• Kids on bikes: See BICYCLES AND CYCLING below

• KiB children care ("Kinderbegleitung") - "insurance" for emergency childcare

• Babysitting: This article gives legal details and more: https://www.woman.at/a/babysitter

• How many days off can the partner (father) take for the birth of a child?

• Let us know what else you would like to see in this section using the comments below.

• 👼 For all your answers, try our Salzburg parents’ spin-off group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parents.englIsh.salzburg/

👽 DAILY LIFE (top)

• 🎙Winging It Podcast: Jonny Balchin interviews a range of English speakers living in Salzburg. Listen to some stories, find out more about the city, even find out how this group began... https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10158429604066309/

• 📆 Public holidays in Austria (basically only shops that are open on Sundays will be open): Public holidays, school holidays

• 📦 Tax on parcels from abroad: https://www.britishinaustria.net/faq/what-postal-charges-are-there-for-a-gift-valued-under-e-45-sent-by-a-friend-family-member-from-the-uk-or-another-third-country

• 💶 Filling in a bank payment slip (Zahlungsanweisung): Bank payment slips: Zahlungsanweisungen/Überweisungen

• Transferring money abroad: Be aware of the money laundering regulations

• 📱 Mobile phone guide

• ID Austria: What it is and how I get one (including eAusweis/Digital driving licence)

• 🔏 Handy-Signatur - What is it and how do I get one (note that this is being replaced by ID Austria in 2023): https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10158227716401309

• 🙋 Volunteering

🧑‍⚖️ AUSTRIAN LAW (top)

• 👔 List of English speaking lawyers

• Legal aid in Austria

• Dealing with domestic violence

• 👾 Reporting cybercrime

• 🧹 Minimum wage rates for domestic employment

• 👩‍👧‍👦 The law in Austria regarding au-pair work

• Guide to launching a legally compliant website in Austria

• 🐶 The law regarding dog ownership (see under "Home" above)

• The law regarding lawn mowing and using other other noisy equipment

• The law regarding snow clearing around your property

• 🤷‍♀️ Laws you didn’t know existed (snow clearing, car washing, dog ownership, lawn mowing…)

🩺 MEDICAL/EMERGENCY/HEALTH (top)

• 🚨 Emergency phone numbers: https://www.englishspeakers.at/post/emergency-telephone-numbers

• IMPORTANT >>> 💊 It’s out of hours (evening, weekend, public holiday) and I need a pharmacy: It's out of hours and I need a pharmacy... (all provinces)

• IMPORTANT >>> 👩‍⚕️ Out-of-hours doctor service: Out-of-hours doctor (Ärztenotdienst 141) (all provinces)

• IMPORTANT >>> 🦷 Out of hours dentist service (all provinces)

• English speaking doctors (General Practitioners): Finding a doctor (all provinces)

• Emergency psychological help in Austria

• Domestic violence helplines

• Find an English speaking physiotherapist in Austria

• Health Insurance:

  • Do EU/EEA Nationals and their family members need health insurance in Austria?

  • Validating your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) - when the back is covered in stars

  • Health insurance: Policies which are approved for residence permits See VISAS section

• FSME vaccination (ticks)

• Dealing with the heat in summer in Austria

• What to do when a foreign national dies in Austria

🚲 BICYCLES AND CYCLING (top)

• 🚲 Buying a second-hand bike: SBG

• 🚲 Kids on bikes: SBG

• 🚲 Bike rental: SBG

• 🚲 Borrowing a cargo bike (Lastenrad) for free: Austria | SBG

• 🚲 Where can I get my bike security coded? SBG

🚘 CARS AND DRIVING (top)

• 🅿️ Parking: What are the parking rules in Vienna and other towns and cities in Austria?

• 🚘 Driving: When do I have to swap my car's summer/winter tyres?

• 🚙 Driving: Do I need to exchange my foreign driving licence for an Austrian one?

• Driving licence: Getting an Austrian driving licence

• Driving licence: Getting a digital driving licence

• Driving licence: My driving licence is lost/stolen

• 👶 Driving: The law about baby/child seats: Child seats in cars

• 🚙 Changing address: Car number plate: If we move house in Austria do we need to change the car licence plate?

• 🚗 How long can I drive in Austria on foreign (EU) licence plates?

• 🚗 Importing a car from another EU country

• 🚘 Importing a car from outside the EU: https://www.britishinaustria.net/motoring-in-austria/importing-a-vehicle-to-austria/ (we can't do better than this post by our friends at British in Austria!)

• 🚗 Selling your car in Austria

• Vienna: Changing the parking Pickerl to a new car

• Car roadworthiness: The "§57a" Pickerl

• Driving on the Austrian Autobahn network: The Vignette

• Mobile phone use while driving in Austria

🚂 PUBLIC TRANSPORT (top)

• Public transport information and maps for every province in Austria: https://www.englishspeakers.at/post/austrian-local-public-transport-maps

• 🚉 Klimaticket: Unlimited travel on Austria's public transport network at a great annual price

🪁 OUTDOORS/TOURISM (CURRENTLY MOSTLY SALZBURG) (top)

• Salzburg city guided walk (for both tourists and locals who are on the tourist trail - with printable guide): Salzburg city walk (6.3km) and a slightly shorter one (5km, left bank only) in our hiking group.

• ⛲️ Things to do near Salzburg city (accessible by bike/public transport)

• 🗺 Things to do in the rest of Salzburg province: https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10156243521061309

• 🏖 Best lakes for Strandbad, swimming etc.: https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10156468964836309

• Family-friendly ski resorts in Salzburg region: Family friendly ski resorts close to Salzburg (Updated for winter 2023-24)

• Wild camping in Austria:Is it legal? Where?

• 🏔 Hiking/walking trails: Try our spin-off group: Hiking: English Speakers in Salzburg: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hiking.englIsh.salzburg/ Also: https://www.facebook.com/groups/english.salzburg/permalink/10156611641641309

• 🚴‍♀️ Cycling: Mountain biking trails, touring routes, family-friendly routes: Try our spin-off group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cycling.english.salzburg

• Guide to shooting sports in Austria

• Hunting Culture, Laws, and Licensing in Austria