Working as a digital nomad in Austria
- Graham Crewe
- Jan 9, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 4, 2023
Question: Is it possible to work as a digital nomad in Austria
It seems that everyone is talking about digital nomads at the moment. Advances in communications technology, particularly during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, changed many jobs and enabled many people to work from home...or in fact from anywhere.
What is a digital nomad?
A digital nomad is defined as:
"a person who earns a living working online in various locations of their choosing (rather than a fixed business location)." (Oxford Languages on Google)
Is it legal to be a digital nomad in Austria?
The short answer, if you are a "third country national" (i.e. from a country outside the EEA + Swizerland) is "no". At least not yet.
Austria, like a lot of EU countries, does NOT have a Digital Nomad Visa and in order to work remotely for a non-Austrian company/customer you would need unrestricted access to the workplace or the ability to be self-employed in Austria. Standard residency permits such as the RWR Permit and EU Blue permit would not really allow this. Please don't assume you can just work remotely, speak to a professional immigration and tax consultant.
Those with a Student Residency Permit can do freelance work as they can be self employed. There appear to be no limits to the number of hours worked. BUT Student Residency Permit holders must complete their course otherwise the permit won't get renewed - so be careful to balance your work and studies.
It would be illegal for you to work in Austria on a tourist Visa or Schengen Visa exemption. An Austrian Embassy overseas has confirmed this and advice has been received from Your Europe Advice regarding tourists from one third country. This even extends in theory to making a quick work phone call or replying to an urgent work email whilst on holiday. Of course, the chances of being caught completing the odd work-related task are virtually zero, but if you really are going the whole digital nomad distance and mixing working with travelling around on holiday then remember that you are not paying tax or social insurance like anyone in Austria who is working legally, you are breaking the law, and you could be in trouble if caught. See also "Other considerations" below.
Can I simply work for a non-Austrian employer whilst living in Austria?
If you are resident in Austria, you CANNOT just work remotely for a non-Austrian company; you need to have an Austrian approved health insurance policy, pay taxes and social security payments in Austria. It is strongly recommended that you seek professional advice from someone who specialises in legal matters and tax matters (some links below). There is also a Facebook Group for Self Employed in Austria, which is a useful source of information.
Most schemes involve working through an intermediary (employer of record) or a local branch office. Typically, you are employed or self-employed in Austria and not directly by the overseas employer. These schemes come with an associated cost; there are no cheap solutions!
It is not impossible for Companies to base employees in Austria working remotely, but they should not underestimate the cost and the complexities involved to do this legally.
The following information may be useful:
Austria, in many legal situations, applies the principle of responsibility by territory: If an activity happens on Austrian soil (e.g., somebody physically working in Austria) then that activity is subject to Austrian laws. It does not matter whether it is happening from an office, a ski apartment, across a conference table or via the internet and it doesn ́t matter where the clients are based.
Special thanks to the Vienna Business Agency, Business Immigration Office.
Can an EU/EEA citizen work as a digital nomad in Austria?
This gets complicated. It’s very difficult to provide a short and accurate guide for people from 29 different EEA countries working in Austria.
In principle an EU citizen enjoys freedom of movement and can live and work for up to three months in another EU country. So someone from another EU country can move to Austria and work remotely for three months. But even during this three months working as a digital nomad there are likely to be tax implications: you are paying taxes and social insurance contributions in one country but living in another. See also Other Considerations below.
If you wish to stay in Austria for longer than three months then you need to apply for an Anmeldebescheinigung to prove that you are not a burden on your host country. i.e. that you have work or sufficient financial resources to support yourself. See our article on moving to Austria from another EU country. In addition you need to pay health insurance contributions, either through your employer or independently. If you are paying for your health insurance yourself, it is important to ensure that it is an approved policy (see our article on approved health insurance policies). This unbroken record of Austrian health insurance contributions will be vital if you eventually want to apply for permanent residence.
In short, an EU citizen intending to work as a digital nomad in Austria for more than three months should obtain professional tax advice.
Other Considerations
There are several considerations around working remotely, this is not an exhaustive list:
Immigration law: Do you have a right to work in Austria under their immigration laws, and do you need a visa/residency permit to do so?
Employment law: Are you or your employer in scope of Austrian labour laws because of your working overseas?
Social Security law: Which set of social security laws prevail and what are the implications?
Data protection: Do you handle client data, and if you propose to do this in Austria, are you covered under your employer’s data privacy policy. Is it EU GDPR or something else?
Trade Licenses: For the self-employed and freelancers are there potential trade license issues /“Gewerberecht”, or limitations on the right to offer your services here in general
Employer liability: Are you covered for the work carried out overseas under any public liability insurance your employer may have? Same applies to any Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Health and safety: Your employer has certain legal responsibilities regarding your health and safety. If you are working remotely in Austria, which Health and Safety legislation applies?
Travel Insurance: Does this cover you and your equipment for carrying out Business activities overseas?
Summary
Do not assume you can just work remotely in Austria, seek professional advice and do it early!
Useful Links
Sources and further reading
Remote Work And Visa Considerations: What You Need To Know Nomadtalk.net, undated
Digital nomad visas: How does Austria compare with other countries? The Local, November 2022
Remote Work Policies and Digital Nomad Visas: The EU Landscape. Fragomen, October 2022
Want to move to Europe? Here are all the digital nomad visas available for remote workers. Euronews.com, November 2022
Why working from anywhere isn’t realistic, The Economist, May 2022
