Living in Austria

Residency and visas

You may want to check the entry requirements for Austria.

You must register with the Austrian authorities if you want to stay in Austria. You need to:

• get a residence registration Form (Meldezettel) within 3 days of moving into your new home
• get a registration certificate (Anmeldbescheinigung) within 4 months of arriving in Austria

For more information you can:

• read the Austrian Government’s guidance on residence registration and guidance on registration certificates

• read the Austrian Government’s EU Exit guidance for residency in the event of a no-deal EU Exit

In the event of changes to residency rules or registration processes after the UK leaves the EU, we will update this guidance as soon as information is available.

Passports and travel

You can apply for or renew your British passport from Austria. If you cannot get a passport in time for your trip, you may need to get an emergency travel document.

See our travel advice for Austria and sign up for up-to-date information on local laws and customs, safety and emergencies.

Passports and travel after the UK leaves the EU

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, new travel rules will apply. You should have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland).

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.

You should check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. You’ll need to renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK nationals will not need visas for short stays elsewhere in the EU. You will be able to stay up to 90 days in another EU country, within a 180 day period. You should retain evidence of travel (e.g. train and plane tickets), in case these are requested by national authorities. If you hold a residence permit from an EU Member State, you will be able to transit through other EU Member States to reach your country of residence. We will update this guidance as more information becomes available.

If you are a UK national resident in Austria and the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Austrian Government strongly advise that you start your application for new residency documents before you travel outside the country. After you apply, you will be issued with an A4 application certificate which you can show as proof of residence when re-entering Austria. These application certificates will only be issued from the day the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, nothing will change until the end of 2020. In this time you can continue to travel freely in the Schengen area with your UK passport. What happens after 2020 will form the next part of negotiations.

Healthcare

You must make sure you are correctly registered for healthcare as a resident in Austria. Unless you have private insurance or your healthcare is paid for by the UK, you should pay contributions for medical care to a local social insurance organisation(Sozialversicherungsträger). Your employer will normally deduct health insurance contributions from your salary and make the payments on your behalf.

You can read the NHS guidance on who is able to access healthcare in Austria and how to register.

If you live in Austria and receive an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit, you may currently be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You will need to apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate.

If you are resident in Austria, you should not be using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from the UK to access healthcare in Austria.

• you may use an EHIC to access state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland
• the EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home
• an EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance
• for more information you can read our travel advice pages and advice on foreign travel insurance

You can read the NHS guidance on healthcare and studying abroad.

You can find an English-speaking doctor by region in Austria. You can search for an English-speaking doctor in Vienna.

Find a list of English-speaking medical facilities and practitioners in Austria.

You should also check your prescriptions are legal.

Mountain rescue is not covered by standard Austrian health insurance.

Healthcare after the UK leaves the EU

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, your current rights on access to healthcare in Austria will remain the same until 31 December 2020, as long as you remain a resident in Austria.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, your access to healthcare may change. If you are a permanent or temporary resident you should review the status of your healthcare cover.

The UK has proposed maintaining current healthcare cooperation with Austria for S1 form holders until the end of December 2020. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, and there is no arrangement with Austria to continue reciprocal healthcare, those receiving coverage through the S1 form will not be covered.

You should take action now to confirm your residency status and decide what steps you need to take to ensure access to healthcare if the UK leaves the EU without a deal. UK nationals will be able to return to the UK for treatment.

Your EHIC may not be valid in the event the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The UK has offered to maintain the EHIC scheme should the UK leave the EU without a deal, however this is reliant on Austria continuing to accept UK EHICs.

For a full list of recommendations and more information, please see the Austrian Government’s presentation on healthcare if the UK leaves the EU without a deal (pdf).

You should read the NHS guidance on healthcare for UK nationals living in Austria and how it may change after UK leaves the EU.

Working in Austria

If you are registered as a resident in Austria, you have the right to work in Austria. Read our guidance on working in another EU country.

You may need to apply for a:

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

Working in Austria after the UK leaves the EU

If you’re planning to start a business, provide a service, or do a job in a regulated profession after the UK leaves the EU, further guidance can be found here.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, your right to work will stay the same until the end of the implementation Period.

Education and professional qualifications

The European Commission has published guidance on professional qualifications. Where UK nationals have already been recognised by an EU country as holding valid professional qualifications, these will remain valid after the UK leaves the EU. If you hold qualifications obtained in the UK before the UK leaves the EU, you should get recognition in a EU27 Member State before EU Exit day.

Find information on where to request a recognition of your qualifications in Austria.

For more information see studying in the European Union after Brexit.

Money and tax

The UK has a double-taxation agreement with Austria to make sure that people do not pay tax on the same income in both countries.

If you are an Austrian resident, you must declare your global income to the Austrian authorities, no matter which country it came from. You can ask the relevant tax authority about double taxation relief.

You should read guidance about:

• telling HMRC if you leave the UK to live abroad
• tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• paying income tax in Austria
• financial services if there is no Brexit deal

We recommend you get professional advice on paying tax in Austria. You can find a tax adviser (Steuerberater) or accountant at Kammer der Wirtschaftstreuhänder (German language) or find an English-speaking lawyer.

National Insurance

You may be able to pay National Insurance while abroad so that you protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

Money and tax after the UK leaves the EU

The UK leaving the European Union will not change existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Austria. You should direct individual taxpayer questions about double taxation to the relevant tax authority.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, it may become more expensive to use your UK bank card in the EU. Read more about using a bank card, insurance or other financial service in the EU.

Pensions

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad .

If you retire in Austria, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pension Centre to claim
• your Austrian State Pension if you worked in Austria
• pensions from working abroad, if you’ve worked in other EU countries

Life certificates for UK State pensions

If you get a life certificate from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible – your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Pensions after the UK leaves the EU

The UK Government will continue to pay a state pension to those eligible in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

The UK government will uprate your UK state pension for the fiscal year 2019/2020 in any scenario.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal and you work and pay social security contributions in Austria, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your Austrian pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after the end of the implementation period.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Austrian government has proposed that they will continue to take periods of work in the UK before the UK left the EU into account when claiming Austrian contributions-based benefits. We will update this guidance when there is a formal agreement on this.

You can read our guidance on pensions if the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Benefits

You may still be able to claim some benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in Austria. You should:

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live abroad
• use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while you’re abroad

If you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks, many income-related benefits such as pension credit and housing benefit cannot be paid to you.

You may be eligible to claim some Austrian social security benefits.

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC if you are asked for this.

Benefits after the UK leaves the EU

The UK government will continue to pay the UK state pension, child benefits, and disability benefits to eligible people living in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal and you work and pay social security contributions in Austria, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for Austrian contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after the end of the implementation period

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Austrian government has proposed that they will continue to take periods of work in the UK before the UK left the EU into account when claiming Austrian contributions-based benefits. We will update this guidance when there is a formal agreement on this.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, you can read our guidance on benefits and pensions in a no deal scenario.

Driving in Austria

If you are resident in Austria, you should exchange your UK licence for an Austrian one before the UK leaves the EU, as your licence may no longer be valid after the UK leaves the EU. You can still use your Austrian licence in the UK for short visits or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test if you return to live in the UK.

For information on driving in Austria, read our guidance on:

• what you need to drive abroad
• driving rules in Austria

If you are in Austria and your UK driving licence is lost, stolen or expires you will not be able to renew it with the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). You will need to apply to the DVLA for a ‘certificate of entitlement’ in German to be able to apply for an Austrian driving licence.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Austria

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

If you have your main residence in Austria, you may use your car with foreign number plates for one month in Austria. You must register your car, pay a one-off fuel consumption tax called NoVA (Normverbrauchsabgabe) at your local tax office and exchange your UK number plates for Austrian plates at your nearest vehicle registration office (Kfz-Zulassungsstelle). You can read the European Union’s guidance on car registration rules and taxes in Austria. Third-party car insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) is compulsory.

You need proof of insurance before you can be issued with your number plates (Autokennzeichen) and car registration document (Zulassungsschein). Your insurer can advise you how to get these.

Driving after the UK leaves the EU

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, driving licence rules will stay the same during the implementation period.

Please read our guidance on driving in the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, you have 6 months from the EU Exit date to exchange your UK licence for an Austrian one.

Voting

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter if you would like to vote

If you’re resident in Austria, you can vote in local municipal and European parliamentary elections.

You cannot vote in general or regional elections in Austria.

Voting after the UK leaves the EU

Once the UK leaves the EU, UK nationals will no longer be eligible to vote in local and European elections.

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in Austria, you will need to register a birth abroad.

If someone dies in Austria you can:

• read our guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad
• read guidance for UK nationals on bereavements in Austria
• find a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Austria

Find out how you can get married abroad.

Find out about notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Austria.

You may also need:

• to find English-speaking lawyers in Austria
• to find translators and interpreters in Austria

Accommodation and buying property

Read guidance on how to buy a property abroad.

Property ownership laws in Austria vary by province.

Pets

When the UK leaves the EU, you will still be able to travel to and from the UK with a cat, dog or ferret. But the rules will change. You can read guidance on pet travel to Europe if there is no deal.

While the UK is still an EU Member State you’ll be able to travel with your pet to the EU under the current pet travel rules using your current EU pet passport.

If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you’ll have to visit your vet to get a pet passport.

Read guidance on returning your cat, dog or ferret to the UK.

For moving pet horses and other equines read guidance on export horses and ponies: special rules.

Emergencies

As well as the European emergency number 112, Austria also has:

• 122 for the fire brigade
• 128 for gas-related emergencies
• 133 for police
• 140 for mountain rescue
• 141 for doctors
• 142 for telephone counselling
• 144 for rescue/ambulance
• 147 for emergency services for children and young people

You can find Austria – emergency numbers.

If you’re the victim of crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British Embassy Vienna.

Returning to the UK

You should read our guidance on:

• bringing your family to the UK
• returning to live in the UK in the case of no-deal
• access to higher education, 19+ further education and apprenticeship funding
• importing vehicles back to the UK
• bringing your pet back to the UK
• checking your tax status after returning to the UK

Tell the UK and Austrian authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently. To help prove you are now living in the UK, you should de-register with your:

• local registration office (Gemeindeamt or Magistrat)
• health insurance provider (Krankenkasse)
• bank and local service providers

To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.

If you get UK State Pension or benefits payments, you must tell the International Pension Centre and your local social insurance organisation

If you get healthcare in Austria through the S1 form, you must contact the Overseas Healthcare Team on +44 (0)191 218 1999 and your local social insurance organisation to make sure your S1 is cancelled at the right time.

Disclaimer

Please note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Austrian authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.