Life in Austria

The first thing to do after moving. Without a registered address you will struggle to open a bank account, get an e-card and much more.

Temporary protection gives you the right to live and work in Austria. It is confirmed by the blue Ausweis für Vertriebene card. Here is how to get it, how long it is valid and how to switch to a long-term status.

ID Austria is the state's electronic "key" for logging in to online services (FinanzOnline, ELGA, MeineSV, oesterreich.gv.at and hundreds more) and for signing documents electronically. It replaces the Handy-Signatur.

The e-card is a plastic card proving that you have health insurance. You show it at the doctor's and pay nothing on the spot for covered services.

Not sure whether you need a doctor or an ambulance? Call 1450 — free and around the clock. Here is a short map: which number and which doctor for which situation.

In Austria anyone lawfully staying in the EU has a right to a basic account — even without a fixed address and even as an asylum seeker. A bank cannot simply refuse.

Once a year the tax office recalculates the tax on your wages. Often this shows you paid too much, and the difference is paid back to your account. It is also called Steuerausgleich.

What to know before signing a lease in Austria: who pays the agent, what deposit is normal and how to get it back.

A licence from outside the EU/EEA is valid in Austria only for a limited time. The key is to act within 6 months of registering your main address.

AMS is the public employment service. If your job ends, register as early as possible: benefit is paid only from the day you apply, never retroactively.

A monthly payment for every child — regardless of the parents' income or job. The child tax credit (Kinderabsetzbetrag) is paid together with it automatically.

Municipal kindergartens in Vienna are free for families with their main residence in Vienna — you only pay for meals. The key is not to miss the enrolment period.

All children who live in Austria long-term must attend school, whatever their citizenship. Public school is free, and children with little German get support to learn it.