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• sign up for email alerts to this guidance
• follow the British Embassy in Austria on Facebook and Twitter

The Withdrawal Agreement

If you were legallyliving resident in Austria before 1 January 2021,2021

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For information on livinggetting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in EuropeAustria see our coronavirus travel advice.

Visas and residency

If you were legally resident in Austria before 1 January 2021, you need to apply for a new ‘Article 50’ residence card.

In Vienna, you will need to make an appointment at the MA35 (local immigration office) in Arndtstrasse.

In other regions, you will need to apply at your regional authority (the “Magistrat” or “Bezirkshauptmannschaft”). Use this tool to find the responsible authority for your area (in German only).

Check in advance if coronavirus restrictions are affecting office opening times or procedures.

You are allowed to leave your home during the current lockdown to apply for an Article 50 card. If a local office is closed due to lockdown, you can make the application in writing. You will be invited to come in person when the office is open again.

You must apply for the card before 31 December 2021. Read the Austrian government guidance on the residency registration process.

If you have been living in Austria for more than 5 years

If you have been living in Austria continuously for more than 5 years, your ‘Article 50’ card will be valid for 10 years.

If you or your family members have a long-term residence certificate for EU/EEA nationals (Bescheinigung des Daueraufenthalts) or a permanent residence permit (Daueraufenthaltskarte or Daueraufenthalt-EU), you can exchange this for the new ‘Article 50’ card for free. Administrative charges might apply.

If you have permanent residency rights in Austria but do not have a long-term residence certificate (or pre-2006 equivalent), you may be asked to bring supporting documents to show you have been living in Austria.

You may also be eligible for permanent residence before 5 years, read the EU guidance on residency rights.

If you have been living in Austria for less than 5 years

If you have been living in Austria for less than 5 years, you will be eligible for an ‘Article 50’ residence card with 5 years’ validity. You will need to provide evidence of your personal situation (as a worker, student, self-sufficient person, British family member or British spouse of an Austrian national) and proof of comprehensive health insurance.

Once you have been living in Austria for 5 continuous years you will be eligible for permanent residency.

MovingIf toyou Austriahave a diplomatic ‘Legitimationskarte’

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Passports

Check yourand passport is valid for travel before you book your trip.

You can apply for or renew your British passport in Austria.

YouCheck mustthe have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel toadvice mostfor countries in Europe (not including Ireland). This requirement does not apply if you are entering or transiting Austria andfor arepassport invalidity scope of the Withdrawal Agreement.requirements.

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Renew your passportBritish beforecitizenship, booking your travel if you doshould notenter haveand enoughleave timeAustria leftusing on your EU /or EFTA passport.

AsIf ayou non-EEAstay national,in differentAustria borderwith checksa willresidence applypermit when travelling to other EU or Schengenlong-stay areavisa, countries.this Youdoes maynot havecount totowards useyour separate90-day lanesvisa-free fromlimit EU,for EEAthe andSchengen Swiss citizens when queueing. You may also need to show a return or onward ticket.area.

Entry requirements

YouIf canyou travelvisit to other Schengen area countries foroutside upAustria, tomake 90sure daysyou indo anynot 180-dayexceed periodthe withoutvisa-free a visa for purposes such as tourism.

To stay longer than 90 days in any 180-day period,period. toYou workare orresponsible study, or for businesscounting travel,how long you muststay meetunder the entrySchengen requirementsvisa setwaiver, outand by the country you aremust travellingcomply to.with Thisits could mean applying for a visa or work permit.conditions.

Periods of time authorised by a visa or permit will not count towards the 90-day visa-free limit.

Different rules will apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area.area. Check each country’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

Travel

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Healthcare

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State healthcare:Your S1

Ifpassport youmay havebe astamped registeredon S1entry form and wereexit. livingThis inwill Austrianot beforeaffect 1 January 2021, your rights toin accessthe healthcarecountry willor staycountries thewhere sameyou iflive youor arework. either:

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residence.

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EuropeanWithdrawal HealthAgreement, Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you aredo residentnot inneed Austria,any youextra mustmonths noton use your UK-issuedpassport EHICto forenter healthcareor inexit Austria.EU countries.

Healthcare

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Forand morethe informationNaTHNaC read our guidance on healthcare when travelling inwith Europemedicines and advice on foreign travel insurance.

You should also read our guidance on:

• finding an English-speaking doctor in Austria
• searching for an English-speaking doctor in Vienna
• finding English-speaking medical facilities and practitioners in Austria
• healthcare when travelling in Europe
• advice on foreign travel insurance
• checkingbringing yourmedicine prescriptionscontaining area legalcontrolled drug into the UK

Mountain rescue is not covered by standard Austrian health insurance.

Working in Austria

If you were legally resident in Austria before 1 January 2021, you have the right to work, as long as you remain resident.

If you are planning to come to Austria to work you may need a visa. Read the Austrian government’s guidance on work visas and migration to Austria

• to

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

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

  Frontier workers

  IfRead:

  • working youor liveproviding services in Austria
  • EU andguidance wereon regularlyworking commuting to work in anotheran EU or EFTA country before 1 January 2021 you may need a permit to show that you are a frontier worker. You must also apply for a residence card in Austria.

  If you livewere inliving the UK or another EU or EFTA country and regularly commuted to work in Austria before 1 January 2021 you need a certificate. You should apply for a “Bestätigung gemäß § 3 Absatz 8 Ausländerbeschäftigungsgesetz für “Artikel 50 EUV – Grenzgänger und Grenzgängerinnen” certificate at the regional office of the Austrian Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice).

  Read the Austrian government guidance on working in Austria.

  Education and professional qualifications

  You willhave be eligible for the sameright tuitionto feeswork asbut Austrian nationals, as long as you were legally resident in Austria before 1 January 2021. You must now apply for aan residenceArticle card50 inresidence Austria.card.

  Read our guidance on:

  • continuing your studies in the EU
  • healthcare for students in Austria

  Moving to Austria to study

  If you arelive planning to study in Austria, make sure you meet all visa requirements before you arrive. Contact the relevant Higher Education provider in Austria toand checkwere whatregularly feescommuting you may have to pay

  Readwork the Austrian Agency for International cooperation in Educationanother andEU Researchor (OeAD)EFTA websitecountry forbefore more1 informationJanuary on2021, entryread and admission requirements. Read our guidance onfor studyingfrontier in the European Unionworkers.

  Professional qualifications

  You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in Austria. When doing this, you will be subject to the third country regulations.

  If you are offering a professional service in Austria and are unsure whether your qualification or professional status is currently recognised – it may not be if you are not currently an active (fee-paying) member of the relevant business chamber – find out whether you need to take any further action:

  • ENIC NARIC is the information centre for the academic and professional recognition of qualifications
  • the Austrian single point of contact for service providers
  • the business chamber that covers your professional area, such as the Chamber of Lawyers, the Chamber of Auditors and Chamber of Doctors
  • the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (teachers only)

  If you are unsure which is the relevant organisation, contact the National Contact Point in Austria.

  IfRead yourguidance qualificationon:

  • recognition wasof officiallyprofessional recognisedqualifications
  • how byto theget relevant regulator in Austria before 1 January 2021, make sure you understand the terms of your recognitionqualification decisionrecognised byin checking with that regulator.
    Austria

  Recognition of legal qualifications

  If you’re a UK-qualified lawyer working in Austria, using either an Austrian or UK professional title, you should contact the local Bar Association in the region in which you are working or the Austrian Federal Bar Association for specific advice.

  If you were living in Austria before 1 January 2021

  If the relevant regulator in Austria officially recognised your professional qualification before 1 January 2021, or you started the recognition process by this date, make sure you understand the terms of your recognition decision. Seek advice from the regulator if needed.

  MoneyStudying in Austria

  If you plan to study in Austria, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel.

  Contact the relevant higher education provider in Austria to check what fees you may have to pay.

  Read the Austrian Agency for International cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD) website for more information on entry and admission requirements.

  Read guidance on:

  • continuing your studies in the EU
  • studying in the European Union
  • healthcare for students in Austria

  If you were living in Austria before 1 January 2021

  Read about studying in the European Union for those who were already living in Austria before 1 January 2021.

  Money, tax and banking

  The UK has a double taxation agreement with Austria to make sure that you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

  Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Austria have not changed following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

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

  Read guidance about:on:

  • tellingtax HMRC if you leave the UK to live abroad
  • tax on your UK income if you live abroad
  • paying income tax in Austria

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• EU shouldguidance get professional advice on paying tax inand Austria.customs, Youincluding canonline findshopping afrom taxthe adviserUK
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National Insurance

Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Austria.

Banking UK banking

Whether UK banks can provide services to customers living in the EEA isdepends aon matter of local lawlaws and regulation. Your bank or finance provider should contact you if they need to make any changes to your product or the way they provide it. If you have any concerns about whether you might be affected, contact your provider or seek independent financial advice.

Read the Money and Pension ServiceService’s MoneyHelper guidance on banking, insurance and financial services changes for more information on cross-border banking.

Pensions

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Austria.

YouIf willyou needare tomoving or retiring abroad, you must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and taxtax.

Read our State Pension guidance if you arehave movinglived in Australia, Canada or retiringNew abroadZealand. and you are claiming or waiting to claim your UK State Pension.

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

Read the Money and Pension Service Moneyhelper’s guidance on pension and retirement changes for more information on cross-border pensions.

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a life‘life certificatecertificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you needmust torespond report changes as soon as possible.possible Your- your payments may be suspended if you don’t.do not.

Benefits

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Austria.

YouIf willyou needare tomoving or retiring abroad, you must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.tax.

Check which UK benefits you can claim while abroad and how to claim them.

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

You can request proof from HMRC of the time you’ve worked in the UK and of your UK National Insurance record.

Austrian benefits

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

If you were legallyliving in Austria before 1 January 2021

If you were lawfully resident in Austria before 1 January 2021 and continue to live in Austria, you have the same access to Austrian benefits as EU nationals. Until 31 December 2021, this is not dependent on having applied for or received your Article 50 card.

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

You

Accommodation canand requestbuying proofproperty

Property ofownership thelaws timein you’veAustria workedvary inby theprovince.

Read UKguidance fromon HMRChow ifto youbuy area askedproperty for this.abroad.

Driving in Austria

If you are resident in Austria, you must exchange your UK licence for an Austrian one within 6 months of arriving. If you were living in Austria before 1 January 2021, you must now exchange your UK licence for an Austrian one beforeif 30you Junewish 2021.to drive in Austria.

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

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

If you are resident 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.

Driving in the UK with an Austrian licence

You can use your Austrian licence in the UK for short visits, or exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Austria

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

If you bring your personal vehicle with you from the UK when moving to Austria, you have to apply for an exemption (“Abgabenbefreieung”) to not pay any import duty. If you import a car from the UK after moving to Austria, you will have to pay import duties based on the value of your car, and potentially tariffs, depending on the origin of the vehicle.

Read the Austrian government’s guidance on taxes when moving to Austria.

You can also read the European Union’s guidance on car registration rules and taxes in Austria.

Third-party car insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) is compulsory in Austria.

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

Voting

You cannot vote in general, regional or local elections in Austria.

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

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

Births, deathsdeaths, marriage and gettingcivil marriedpartnerships

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

If someone dies in Austria you can:

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

  Find out how you can get married or a civil partnership abroad.

  FindYou outmay aboutalso need:

  • notarial and documentary services for British nationals in Austria.

    You may also need to find:

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

    Accommodation and buying property

    Property ownership laws in Austria vary by province.

    Read guidance on how to buy a property abroad.

    Pets

    If you have a pet passport issued by Austria or another EU member state, you can use it to travel with your pet to Great Britain and elsewhere in the EU.

    A GB-issued EU pet passport is not valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. You should speak to your vet before you travel to get the necessary pet travel documents and ensure you’re compliant with the EU Pet Travel Regulations.Regulations.

    Read guidance on:

    • bringing your pet to GB
    • travelling with your pet in the EU
    • travelling to Northern Ireland with your pet

    Check the rules of the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel.

    Emergencies

    AsYou wellcan asdial the European emergency number 112,112 in Austria alsofor has:the police, ambulance or fire brigade, or dial:

    • 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

  • 116 can000 findfor Austriareporting –missing emergency numbers.
    children

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

  Returning to the UK

  TellCheck the COVID-19 travel guidance for entering the UK.

  Tell andthe Austrian and UK 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.

  Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax,bringing accessfamily tomembers, servicestax and bringingaccess familyto members.services.

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