Moving to Austria from the U.S.
How the retiree permit and its quota work in 2026, what the Red-White-Red Card and the Blue Card ask of you, where Americans apply, and what tax, health insurance, rent and paperwork involve, with figures taken from official sources and dated.
Austria in 2026: Late Quotas, New Fees, New Rent Rules
Austria has changed its permit fees, its decision deadlines, its rent rules and its tax scale since 2024, and the quota regulation that governs the retiree permit has come late or not at all. The changes, newest first.
- November 15, 2026 (coming): pensioners pay the e-card service fee for the first time: €26.85 for 2027, withheld from the pension10.
- September 25, 2026: no settlement regulation for 2026 had been published; the most recent, NLV 2025, came out on December 18, 20251112. See the quota below.
- August 7, 2026: an amendment to the Settlement and Residence Act took effect. For applications filed from that date, permits without a shorter deadline must be decided within 90 days; the deadline does not cover the retiree permit, long-term residence or family permits. Red-White-Red Card and Blue Card holders who lose their job get at least six months to look for a new one132.
- July 29, 2026: the Budget Accompanying Act 2027–2028 changed the flat-rate rules for gains on “old” property in section 30(4) of the Income Tax Act, for sales after December 31, 202614.
- July 2026: VAT on basic foods fell from 10% to 4.9%15.
- June 30, 2026: the land-register fee exemption for a first home ended; it covered applications that reached the land register by that date1617.
- April 2026: new EU pet-travel rules from April 2118; the EU’s Entry/Exit System replaced passport stamps on April 1019; regulated rents rose by a capped 1% on April 120; and an electricity social tariff began for households exempt from the ORF broadcasting fee15.
- January 1, 2026: one flat residence-permit fee of €218 (€275 for long-term residence)2122; the rent indexation law (Mietpreisbremse) and a five-year minimum fixed term when the landlord is a business2324; indexed tax brackets, with the 55% top rate extended to 20292526; and the KlimaTicket Ö at €1,40027.
- December 18, 2025: NLV 2025 set 385 retiree places for all of Austria, down from 420 in NLV 20241228.
- June 1, 2025: the health insurance contribution on pensions rose to 6%29.
- July 1, 2024: Vienna began requiring a permit, limited to five years, for short-term rentals outside residential zones30.
Who Austria Suits, and Who It Frustrates
Austria suits retirees with a steady pension who can plan around a quota and learn some German, and professionals with an Austrian job offer. It frustrates anyone who needs certainty of a place in a given year, who wants to keep working remotely for a U.S. company, since no permit we found covers that, or who hopes to hold two passports.
In its favor
- A published income test for retirees: €2,616.78 a month for a single person and €4,128.24 for a couple in 2026, measured after running costs7.
- No inheritance or gift tax since August 1, 2008, though larger gifts must be reported3132.
- Under the tax treaty, U.S. Social Security paid to an Austrian resident is taxable only in the United States, and that rule is one of the exceptions to the treaty’s saving clause33.
- Residents who are not otherwise insured can buy public health insurance from the ÖGK for €565.25 a month in 202634.
- Tenants under the Tenancy Act are well protected: a landlord can end a lease only for important reasons and only through the court, and since 2026 increases on indexed rents have been capped. Leases wholly outside the Act, such as those in a building with no more than two separate units, get neither protection2423.
- One KlimaTicket Ö covers all public transit in Austria for €1,400 a year, or €1,050 from age 6527.
- A U.S. car license is converted without a practical driving test35.
Against it
- The retiree permit depends on a quota: by our reading of the law, 385 places for all of Austria in 2026, 130 of them in Vienna, handed out in order of application; when none is left, the application is rejected without further proceedings212.
- German at A1 for the first retiree permit, and A2 within two years122.
- Holders of the retiree permit may not work in Austria, and no official page we read names a digital-nomad permit222.
- Citizenship takes ten years as a rule, and you must in principle give up U.S. citizenship39.
- Income tax reaches 48% above €70,365 and 50% above €104,859 of income, and capital income is taxed at 27.5%2536.
- Americans need approval to buy a home in Vienna, and the rules differ from state to state3738.
- Public self-insurance pays benefits only after a six-month wait, unless you had recent statutory coverage34.
Which Permit Fits You, and What It Takes in 2026
Anyone who is not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and wants to live in Austria for more than six months needs a residence permit for a specific purpose; for shorter stays, no residence permit is granted1. Most permits share the same base conditions: health insurance that covers all risks and pays out in Austria, accommodation of a kind that is usual in the area, income at least at the levels in section 293 of the General Social Insurance Act, and no threat to public order. The Red-White-Red Card and the EU Blue Card are exempt from the accommodation and income conditions, because the salary test takes their place, and the researcher permit is exempt from the accommodation condition2. Many authorities also want a recent criminal record certificate with a first application, ideally no more than three months old1.
Where Americans apply
As a rule, you file the first application in person at the Austrian consulate for your U.S. home, before you travel, and wait for the decision outside Austria. You cannot file it with the visa service provider or at an honorary consulate39. The consulate checks the application and forwards it; the residence authority for the place where you will live decides, and the consulate cannot influence how long that takes. If you need a visa to enter Austria and collect the approved permit, you apply at the consulate for a D visa within three months of being notified39.
The migration portal lists exceptions. People who may enter Austria without a visa, as Americans may, can also file a first application inside Austria during their visa-free stay. It does not extend that stay: when it runs out, you must leave and wait for the decision abroad1. Work permits differ. A Red-White-Red Card or Blue Card application can also be filed by your prospective employer with the residence authority in Austria408. If you file a Red-White-Red Card application in person in Austria during a lawful stay, you may remain even after the visa-free period ends40. Blue Card applicants may also file in person in Austria during a lawful stay, but that does not extend the stay2.
| Consulate | For residents of | Visa centers |
|---|---|---|
| Consular Section of the Embassy, Washington, DC | Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands | Houston, Miami, Washington, DC |
| Consulate General, New York | Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin | Chicago, New York |
| Consulate General, Los Angeles | Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, U.S. Pacific Islands | Los Angeles, San Francisco |
Source: Embassy of Austria, consular districts41. The Austrian consulate in San Francisco sends residence-permit applicants to Los Angeles41. Visas, both Schengen and national D visas, are filed at the VFS Global centers; the job-seeker visa is the exception and is filed at the Embassy or consulate itself42.
| Route | Made for | Money or salary test | What you get | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Settlement permit “gainful employment excepted” | Retirees and people living on their own means | €2,616.78 a month single, €4,128.24 a couple, plus €403.76 per child, after running costs; a quota place; German A1721 | 12 months, renewed for 12, then for 3 years; no gainful employment (Vienna: you may not work in Austria)222 | NAG §44 |
| Red-White-Red Card, very highly qualified workers | Highly qualified people, with or without a job offer | 70 of 100 points; a six-month job-seeker visa exists, but visa-free visitors do not need it43 | A two-year card2 | NAG §41 |
| Red-White-Red Card, other key workers | People with a job offer who score 55 points | €3,465 gross a month in 2026, plus special payments, and a labor-market test4044 | A two-year card, or the contract plus three months if shorter2 | AuslBG §12b |
| Red-White-Red Card, shortage occupations | Skilled workers in an occupation on the annual shortage list | Pay under the collective agreement; 55 points45 | A two-year card, or the contract plus three months2 | AuslBG |
| EU Blue Card | Graduates of a three-year degree, or IT specialists with three years’ experience in the last seven, with a binding job offer | €55,678 gross a year in 2026, including special payments; a labor-market test; no points8 | Two years, or the contract plus three months if shorter28 | AuslBG §12c |
| Red-White-Red Card, self-employed key workers | Business owners whose activity brings an overall economic benefit | For example, at least €100,000 of investment capital, new jobs or a transfer of know-how; no points46 | A Red-White-Red Card46 | AuslBG |
| Red-White-Red Card, start-up founders | Founders of an innovative company | At least €30,000 of capital, at least half of it equity; 50 of 85 points; a business plan and controlling influence47 | Leads to the Red-White-Red Card plus after two years47 | AuslBG |
| Student | Students at a university, university of applied sciences or private university; a university course must carry at least 40 ECTS credits | €777.58 a month under 24, €1,308.39 from 2448 | An employment permit for up to 20 hours a week without a labor-market test; a one-off 12-month renewal after graduating48 | NAG |
Links go to the current statute text. In dollars at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026, €2,616.78 is about $2,974, €3,465 about $3,939 and €55,678 about $63,2894.
What the permits cost
Since January 1, 2026, a residence permit costs one flat fee of €218 for a temporary permit and €275 for long-term residence – EU21. Before that, Vienna charged €192 for children under six and €212 for everyone else, and those fees still apply to applications filed before 202622. At the consulates in the United States you pay in dollars: $256 for a temporary residence-permit card, $322 for a permanent one and $229 for a national D visa ($114 for a child under six), in cash, by postal money order or by cashier’s check; personal checks and credit cards are not accepted49. The job-seeker visa costs €19543.
How long a decision takes
Red-White-Red Card, Blue Card and researcher permit decisions must be made within eight weeks of the application2. For applications filed since August 7, 2026, most other permits must be decided within 90 days, which can be extended by 30 days in exceptional, complex cases132. That deadline does not apply to several permits, among them the settlement permit “gainful employment excepted”, long-term residence – EU and permits for family members under sections 46, 46a, 47 and 692. For the retiree permit and long-term residence, the migration portal states a limit of six months after the application is received1. For visas, the Embassy suggests applying early, as early as six months before you travel42.
Retiring to Austria: the quota permit
Austria has a permit for people who settle without working: the settlement permit “gainful employment excepted” (Niederlassungsbewilligung – ausgenommen Erwerbstätigkeit) in section 44 of the Settlement and Residence Act. It needs two things beyond the base conditions: a quota place, and fixed, regular monthly income of twice the reference rates in section 293 of the General Social Insurance Act2. For 2026 the reference rates are €1,308.39 for a single person, €2,064.12 for a couple and €201.88 per child50, so the test is:
| Household | Reference rate (§293 ASVG) | Twice the rate: the test | In dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single person | €1,308.39 | €2,616.78 | about $2,974 |
| Married couple or partnership | €2,064.12 | €4,128.24 | about $4,693 |
| Each child, in addition | €201.88 | €403.76 | about $459 |
Sources: ASVG section 293 and the federal portal, as of January 1, 2026507. Dollar amounts are our arithmetic at the ECB rate4.
What counts as income. The official examples are Austrian or foreign pensions, business profits earned abroad, and income from assets, savings or shareholdings1. Vienna asks anyone relying on bank or savings balances to explain where the money came from22. We found no official figure for how much in savings would stand in for a monthly income, so if savings are your main resource, ask the authority or an immigration lawyer before you apply.
How rent and other costs are counted. The federal portal says the income must reach these amounts after deducting running costs7. The law is more precise: regular outgoings reduce your income, in particular rent, loan payments, garnishments and maintenance paid to people outside your household, but an amount up to a figure set in the General Social Insurance Act is disregarded once2. For 2026 that figure is €386.4351. Vienna asks for proof of regular expenses such as rent, building operating costs (Betriebskosten), loan payments and maintenance22.
Does Your Income Meet the 2026 Test for the Retiree Permit?
Choose your household, then enter your regular monthly income and your regular monthly outgoings in euros: rent with operating costs, loan payments and maintenance. As section 11(5) of the Settlement and Residence Act describes, we subtract your outgoings from your income but disregard up to €386.43 of them once, and compare the result with the 2026 test to the cent2517. Dollar figures use the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4.
A check of the income figure only, by our arithmetic. The permit also needs a quota place, German A1, health insurance, accommodation and a clean record, and the authority decides which income counts and how your outgoings are set against it. Meeting the figure does not by itself mean a permit will be granted.
The 2026 quota: no regulation has been published. No 2026 settlement regulation (Niederlassungsverordnung) had been published in the Federal Law Gazette by September 25, 2026; the latest is NLV 2025, published on December 18, 20251112. Section 13(7) of the Settlement and Residence Act says that if the regulation is not issued in time, “the most recently applicable regulation is to be applied, with the proviso that at most one-twelfth of the number of residence permits may be issued in each month” (our translation)2. The words “most recently applicable” replaced “of the previous year” in the August 2026 amendment13. By our reading of section 13(7), the NLV 2025 figures therefore continue to apply in 2026: 385 places for all of Austria for people settling without gainful employment and their family members, 130 of them in Vienna, issued at no more than one-twelfth a month212. No official page we found states a 2026 figure, and a 2026 regulation could still be published, so check before you book.
| State | Places a year | One-twelfth a month |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna | 130 | 10.8 |
| Carinthia | 45 | 3.8 |
| Salzburg | 40 | 3.3 |
| Styria | 40 | 3.3 |
| Tyrol | 40 | 3.3 |
| Lower Austria | 30 | 2.5 |
| Vorarlberg | 30 | 2.5 |
| Upper Austria | 25 | 2.1 |
| Burgenland | 5 | 0.4 |
| Austria | 385 | 32.1 |
Source: NLV 2025, section 212. The national total and the monthly figures are our arithmetic. NLV 2024 had 420 such places, 75 of them in Styria; NLV 2025 gave Styria 402812.
How the quota is handed out
- First come, first served. Applications are entered in the state’s quota register by the date and time they are filed. If no place is left, the application is rejected without further proceedings2.
- Family members need places too. A spouse or child joining you also gets this permit, and also needs a quota place; a newborn child does not22.
- Renewals need no place. Once you hold the permit, you renew it without a quota place22.
- Booking. For quota applications filed in person in Vienna, MA 35 works by appointment only and posts the booking details from October each year22; at a U.S. consulate, the consulate takes the application39. Styria took e-mail requests from December 4, 2024 for applications filed on January 2, 2025; its page had not been updated for 2026 when we checked52. If you apply through the Embassy in Washington, it asks you to contact it about an appointment for this permit53.
- Who decides. MA 35 in Vienna; in Graz, the Styrian provincial government; in Lower Austria, the provincial government office for quota applications; elsewhere the district authority or, in a statutory city, the city government71.
German, documents and renewals
At the first application you must show German at A1, with a diploma no older than one year from the ÖSD, the Goethe-Institut, telc or the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF)122. By accepting the permit you commit to completing Module 1 of the Integration Agreement, German at A2, within two years2254. Vienna also asks for a criminal record certificate from your country of citizenship, no more than three months old, proof of accommodation such as a lease or purchase contract, proof of income and of regular expenses, and health insurance that covers all risks and pays out in Austria, such as ÖGK self-insurance or an accepted private policy22. For a renewal it also wants a current credit report from a creditor-protection association, such as the free report from KSV 187022.
The permit runs for 12 months and is renewed for 12 more; once you have lived in Austria for two years and completed Module 1, the next one runs for three years221. Vienna says that with this permit you may not work in Austria22. Plan your health insurance early: the ÖGK’s self-insurance pays benefits only after a six-month waiting period unless you had recent statutory coverage (see health insurance)34.
Working for an Austrian employer
Austria has no statutory minimum wage; minimum pay is set by collective agreements for each sector55. Its work permits instead use their own salary tests. For other key workers, the law sets at least half of the monthly maximum contribution base plus special payments44; that base is €231 a day in 202656. The migration portal gives the minimum as €3,465 gross a month in 2026, together with 55 points and a labor-market test40. For the EU Blue Card, the law sets the average gross annual salary of full-time employees most recently published by Statistik Austria44, which the migration portal gives as €55,678 a year in 2026, special payments included8; that is the figure Statistik Austria published as the median for full-time, full-year employees in 202457. Key-worker points come from qualifications (up to 30), work experience (up to 20), languages (up to 25) and age (15 under 30, 10 under 40)40.
Does an Austrian Job Offer Meet the 2026 Salary Floor?
Choose the test and enter the gross salary in the offer, in euros: a year for the Blue Card, including special payments, or a month for other key workers, without them. We compare it with the 2026 figure to the cent840, and convert at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4.
A salary check only. The Blue Card also needs a degree or IT experience, a binding job offer and a labor-market test; the key-worker card needs 55 points and a labor-market test. Meeting a floor does not by itself mean a permit will be granted.
Other work routes and the Red-White-Red Card plus
- Very highly qualified workers need 70 of 100 points. They can come on a six-month job-seeker visa, but people who may enter without a visa do not need one43.
- Shortage occupations need 55 points and pay under the collective agreement, in an occupation on the annual list. When we checked, the portal still linked the list for 202545; confirm the 2026 list before you rely on it.
- Graduates of Austrian universities can stay 12 months to look for work, and then get a Red-White-Red Card without points or a labor-market test, at the pay usual for graduates5844.
- Researchers can get a settlement permit for researchers, issued for two years2.
- Changing employer. Blue Card holders can start a new job after a 30-day waiting period, or at once after 12 months in Blue Card employment; Red-White-Red Card holders wait 45 days8. Since August 2026, someone whose permit is tied to an employer may start the new job provisionally 45 days after applying to change13.
- The Red-White-Red Card plus. After 21 months of work under the card’s conditions within 24 months, Red-White-Red Card and Blue Card holders can switch to the Red-White-Red Card plus, which gives free access to the labor market259.
Founders, investors and remote workers
Self-employed key workers must show an overall economic benefit, for example an investment of at least €100,000, new jobs or a transfer of know-how46. Start-up founders need at least €30,000 of capital, at least half of it equity, and 50 of 85 points47. For shorter work, there is a temporary residence permit for the self-employed who have a contract to provide services for more than six months48.
No golden visa. None of the residence permits listed in section 8 of the Settlement and Residence Act is granted for buying property or investing money2. The nearest things are the self-employed route above and citizenship “in the special interest of the Republic”, which needs the federal government to confirm extraordinary achievements3.
No digital-nomad visa. No official page we read names one, and the list of permits in section 8 has no remote-work permit2. The retiree permit rules out work in Austria22. If you plan to keep working for a U.S. employer, take the question to an Austrian immigration lawyer before you apply.
Moving as a family
Spouses and registered partners must be at least 21 when they apply, and children under 18 can join you; the income, housing and insurance conditions apply, and family members generally need German at A1, with exceptions60. Family members of Red-White-Red Card and Blue Card holders need no quota place, and those of very highly qualified workers, Blue Card holders and researchers do not have to show German before they arrive6059. Family members of a retiree need a quota place of their own22.
After the first permit
- Long-term resident – EU (permanent): after five years of continuous settlement, with Module 2 of the Integration Agreement, German at B1. The card runs for five years and the fee is €27525421. More than ten months abroad in total, or more than six in one stretch, breaks the five years; for Blue Card holders the limits are 18 months in total or 12 in one stretch outside the European Economic Area. The status lapses after more than 12 months in a row outside the European Economic Area, or 24 months if it was granted to a Blue Card holder2.
- Citizenship after ten years of lawful, continuous residence, at least five of them settled, or after six years with German at B2, or at B1 with three years of volunteer work of a kind the law lists, work in education, social care or health, or a role in an interest group or representative body; spouses of Austrians can apply after six years with five years of marriage3. You also need German at B1 and a pass in a written multiple-choice test on Austria’s democratic order and the history of Austria and your state, taken at the provincial government, a clean record, and your own income averaged over 36 of the last 72 months, including the last six, at the average section 293 rates of the last three years361.
- Giving up U.S. citizenship. Austria generally does not allow dual citizenship for people who naturalize: you must give up your previous citizenship insofar as this is possible and reasonable, and citizenship cannot be granted if you fail to take the steps needed to leave your former nationality93. Ask your provincial government about fees before you apply; we did not confirm them.
- Other routes. The law gives a claim to citizenship after 30 years of main residence, or 15 with proven integration3. If your family was persecuted by the Nazi regime, the Embassy in Washington has a separate page on citizenship for persecuted persons and their direct descendants62.
General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Austrian authorities apply these rules case by case, and quota places depend on timing; check the official source for your route and, if your case is not simple, speak to a licensed immigration lawyer.
The Order of Operations, Step by Step
The sequence for an American applying for the retiree permit from the United States, the usual path for retirees. Work permits differ: the Red-White-Red Card and the Blue Card can also be filed by your Austrian employer with the residence authority in Austria, and the labor-market test takes the place of the quota408.
- Choose the route by what you will live on: a pension or investment income points to the settlement permit “gainful employment excepted”, an Austrian job offer to the Red-White-Red Card or the Blue Card21.
- Plan around the quota. Find out when your state takes quota applications: for applications filed in person in Vienna, MA 35 posts booking details from October each year; if you file at a U.S. consulate, the consulate takes the application, and the Embassy in Washington asks you to contact it about an appointment223953.
- Pass a German A1 exam with an accepted provider; the diploma must be no older than one year when you apply1.
- Arrange health insurance that covers all risks and pays out in Austria, and that bridges any waiting period234.
- Secure accommodation and get the lease or purchase contract, which you file as proof22.
- Order your criminal record certificate so that it is no more than three months old at filing, and gather proof of income and regular expenses22.
- File in person at the consulate for your district and pay $256 for the card, or, if you are in Austria on a visa-free stay, file there, remembering that filing does not extend the stay39491.
- After approval, get the D visa if you need one to enter and collect the permit: apply at the consulate within three months ($229)3949.
- Register your address within three days of moving in (the Meldezettel), with the landlord’s signature on the form63.
- Apply for ÖGK self-insurance, if that is your plan, with your registration confirmation and residence permit34.
- Open a bank account. Anyone lawfully resident in the EU has a right to a basic account with an Austrian bank64.
- Convert your U.S. license within six months of first taking up residence35.
- Settle your tax position with a cross-border adviser: a home in Austria makes you tax resident from the day you take it up, and any stay of more than six months does so from the first day656667.
What Things Cost, From Official Figures
Start with the biggest line, rent. Statistik Austria’s microcensus puts the average rent of a main-tenancy apartment in the second quarter of 2026 at €10.5 per m² a month including building operating costs, or Betriebskosten, which comes to €694.7 per apartment and is 3.3% more than a year earlier. Of that, €7.9 per m² was rent and €2.7 operating costs68. The figures include VAT but not heating, and they cover all leases, old and new; Statistik Austria publishes them for Austria and each state, not for towns6869.
New leases cost more than the average. In 2025, apartments on leases of under two years cost €12.37 per m² including operating costs, against €10.20 for all main tenancies and €7.15 for leases of 20 years or more. Outside municipal and cooperative housing, leases of under two years averaged €13.516970. Half of all private main tenancies were fixed-term in 202570.
| State | Towns on this page | Per m² a month | Per apartment a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salzburg | Salzburg | €12.17 | €781.36 |
| Tyrol | Innsbruck, Kitzbühel | €12.02 | €778.01 |
| Vorarlberg | Bregenz | €11.78 | €786.35 |
| Vienna | Vienna | €10.58 | €694.35 |
| Styria | Graz | €9.82 | €624.62 |
| Upper Austria | Linz | €9.35 | €624.23 |
| Lower Austria | Baden | €9.19 | €641.10 |
| Carinthia | Klagenfurt, Villach | €8.09 | €542.64 |
| Burgenland | — | €7.65 | €593.89 |
| Austria | — | €10.20 | €674.57 |
Source: Statistik Austria, microcensus housing costs 2025, table 269. Vienna is a state, so its figure is the city figure; for the other towns the state figure is only a stand-in. In the second quarter of 2026, rent without operating costs averaged €8.5 per m² in private buildings from before 1945, €10.7 in private buildings from 1945 on, €6.5 in cooperative housing and €5.7 in municipal housing68.
What the State Average Means for the Size You Need
Choose a state and the floor area you need. The estimator multiplies the 2025 state average rent including operating costs by the area69, sets it beside the national average for leases of under two years, and converts at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4. Averages mix old and new leases, so treat the result as a starting point, not a quote.
By our arithmetic from Statistik Austria’s 2025 averages, which include operating costs and VAT but not heating. Rents in the CPI rose 4.4% in the 12 months to August 202615. For a budget, use current listings in the town you choose, with a margin.
Prices in general
Consumer prices were 3.2% higher in August 2026 than a year earlier, up from 2.8% in July; on the EU-harmonized measure the rate was 2.9%15. Motor fuel cost 26.3% more and heating oil 48.1% more, while electricity was 10.7% cheaper, helped by cuts to the electricity levy and the renewables charge from January 2026, a social tariff since April 2026 for households exempt from the ORF broadcasting fee (about 7% of households), and a summer grid tariff that cut network charges by 20% between 10:00 and 16:00 through September15. VAT on basic foods fell from 10% to 4.9% in July 2026, and food was still cheaper in August than a year before15.
The rest of the monthly budget
- Electricity and gas. Suppliers set their own prices; the regulator sets only network charges71. On September 1, 2026, E-Control priced a year of electricity for an average household using 3,500 kWh at €1,141.14 from Wien Energie’s most-used product, with the cheapest offer in Vienna at €994.09. Across the incumbent local suppliers the range ran from €890.91 (Tiwag, Tyrol) to €1,218.11 (Energie Klagenfurt), network charges, taxes and levies included. Gas for 15,000 kWh a year cost from €1,573.96 (TIGAS) to €2,301.07 (Energie Klagenfurt) from the local suppliers, with Wien Energie at €2,250.66; E-Control’s figure for EVN, €2,334.87, is extrapolated from its current price71. By our arithmetic, Wien Energie’s price works out at about 32.6 cents per kWh including fixed charges, and €1,141.14 is about $1,297 a year.
- Public transit. The KlimaTicket Ö covers all public transit in Austria for a year for €1,400 (about $1,591) for passes starting on or after January 1, 2026, up from €1,300 from August 1, 2025. Under-26s, people aged 65 and over and people with disabilities pay €1,050; up to four children aged 6 to 15 can be added for €140; and you can pay in monthly installments at no extra cost27. For Vienna alone, Wiener Linien lists its annual pass at €467 paid at once, or €461 in digital form72; we could not re-check that price on September 25, 2026, so confirm it before you budget.
- Pay, for context. Austria has no statutory minimum wage; collective agreements set minimum pay by sector, and in most cases pay comes 14 times a year, 12 monthly salaries plus a Christmas bonus and a vacation bonus55. In 2024 the median full-time, full-year employee earned €55,678 gross (about $63,289); across all employees, part-time included, the median was €38,043, and the median gross pension was €28,66057. Median monthly pay, including a share of the two bonuses, was €3,713 gross and €2,711 net73.
- Buying, for context. House prices were 3.9% higher in the first half of 2026 than a year earlier, and in the second quarter the index reached a new all-time high, above its previous peak of the third quarter of 2022; see renting and buying for prices by state74.
Dollar amounts are converted at the ECB reference rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4. Build your own full budget, line by line and in both currencies, in the Relocation Planner workbook.
Public Coverage, Private Coverage and the Medicare Question
Your permit depends on coverage
A residence permit is granted only if you have health insurance that covers all risks and pays out in Austria2. Vienna accepts, for example, self-insurance with the ÖGK or an accepted private policy for the retiree permit22. ÖGK self-insurance needs a residence in Austria, a registration confirmation and a residence permit, so for a first application from abroad you will usually need a private policy34. Insured people receive an e-card; cards issued since 2020 to anyone 14 or older carry a photo, which is usually taken from an official register such as your residence-permit file75.
Public self-insurance for people who do not work
| Item | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Monthly contribution | €565.25 (about $643); it can be reduced on application if your income is low3476 |
| Who can join | People whose residence is in Austria and who are not compulsorily insured in Austria, the EU/EEA or a country with an agreement; non-EU applicants need a valid residence permit and a registration confirmation (Meldebestätigung)34 |
| Waiting period | Six months before benefits start, waived only after recent statutory coverage in Austria, the EU/EEA or a country whose agreement adds up insurance periods3476 |
| Minimum term | Six months34 |
Whether time in U.S. insurance or Medicare shortens the waiting period is a question for the ÖGK; we could not confirm it. Plan how you will be covered for the first six months. Your social insurance number, ten digits made up of a serial number, a check digit and usually your date of birth, is issued the first time you deal with social insurance, including when you take out self-insurance77.
Pensioners: two changes to know about
- A 6% contribution on pensions. Since June 1, 2025, the health insurance contribution on pensions has been 6%29. Whether and how a contribution applies to U.S. Social Security is not settled by any official source we found; ask the ÖGK before you move.
- The e-card fee. The e-card service fee for 2027 is €26.85, due on November 15, 2026. Pensioners, previously exempt, pay it for the first time on that date, withheld from the pension; co-insured spouses and children remain exempt10.
Prescriptions and the fee cap
The prescription fee is €7.55 per item since January 1, 2026. Prescription fees are capped at 2% of your annual net income, but everyone who is not exempt pays at least 41 fees in a year before the cap applies78. The cap covers prescription fees only; other charges are not part of it.
Emergency and advice numbers
| Number | Service |
|---|---|
| 112 | European emergency number79 |
| 144 | Ambulance79 |
| 133 | Police79 |
| 122 | Fire department79 |
| 140 | Mountain rescue79 |
| 141 | Out-of-hours doctor79 |
| 1450 | Health advice by phone when it is not an emergency; the number is printed on the e-card7975 |
We found no official national data on waiting times for doctors or on unfilled family doctor posts, so we give none.
Medicare does not follow you
Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, and Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad80. Most Medigap plans include foreign travel emergency coverage, but it pays 80% after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 in a lifetime, and only for emergencies that start in the first 60 days of a trip81. That is travel coverage, not residence coverage.
Whether to keep paying the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) is a real decision: if you drop Part B and re-enroll later, the premium rises by 10% for each full 12-month period you could have been enrolled but were not, usually for life82. Decide with your whole plan in view.
Two Tax Systems, One Household
Moving to Austria adds a second tax system; it does not remove the first while you remain a U.S. citizen. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live67, and the U.S.–Austria treaty’s “saving clause” keeps that right: apart from listed exceptions, each country may tax its residents, and the United States its citizens, as if the treaty had not come into effect33. What follows is the map; the route is a job for a cross-border tax adviser.
When you become tax resident in Austria
Anyone with a home (Wohnsitz) or habitual abode in Austria is taxed there on all income, Austrian and foreign65. A home is a dwelling you keep in circumstances that show you will keep and use it. A stay of more than six months always creates a habitual abode, and the tax liability then reaches back to cover the first six months as well66. If both countries treat you as resident, the treaty decides in this order: where you have a permanent home, then where your vital interests are centered, then where you habitually live, then your nationality33.
Income tax for 2026
Austria taxes income in bands. For 2026 the first €13,539 is tax-free, and the rate rises through 20%, 30%, 40% and 48% to 50% above €104,859. Income above €1 million is taxed at 55% in the years 2016 to 202925. The 55% band used to run only through 2025, and the first band was €13,308 in 202526. The migration portal’s tax page still describes the rates as 0 to 50%83; the statute has the 55% band, and we follow the statute. The 2027 limits are already published: €13,846, €22,491, €37,285, €71,960 and €107,23684.
| Income band | Rate on this band | Tax at the top of the band |
|---|---|---|
| Up to €13,539 | 0% | €0.00 |
| €13,539 to €21,992 | 20% | €1,690.60 |
| €21,992 to €36,458 | 30% | €6,030.40 |
| €36,458 to €70,365 | 40% | €19,593.20 |
| €70,365 to €104,859 | 48% | €36,150.32 |
| €104,859 to €1,000,000 | 50% | €483,720.82 |
| Above €1,000,000 | 55% | — |
The last column is our arithmetic from the scale25.
| Income | Tax on the scale | Average rate | Top rate reached |
|---|---|---|---|
| €25,000 | €2,593.00 | 10.4% | 30% |
| €40,000 | €7,447.20 | 18.6% | 40% |
| €60,000 | €15,447.20 | 25.7% | 40% |
| €90,000 | €29,018.00 | 32.2% | 48% |
| €150,000 | €58,720.82 | 39.1% | 50% |
| €1,500,000 | €758,720.82 | 50.6% | 55% |
Estimate Austria’s 2026 Income Tax on Your Income
Enter your annual income in euros, after deductions. The calculator applies the 2026 scale in section 33(1) of the Income Tax Act, band by band and to the cent25. Dollar figures use the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4.
It applies the annual scale only. It leaves out the tax credits and allowances elsewhere in the law, the special rates on capital income and property gains, how Austria treats the 13th and 14th salary payments, the effect of treaty-exempt income on your rate, social insurance and U.S. tax. Your adviser works out the income the scale applies to.
Capital income, property gains and church contributions
- Capital income is taxed at a special rate of 27.5%; interest on bank deposits at 25%36.
- Gains on real property are taxed at a special rate of 30%85; the sale of a main home you have lived in long enough can be exempt (see buying)86. For sales after December 31, 2026, the Budget Accompanying Act 2027–2028 changes the flat-rate percentages used for “old” property in section 30(4): 86% becomes 80%, and 40% becomes 30%14. Ask your adviser how this affects a sale.
- Church contributions to churches and religious societies recognized in Austria are deductible up to €600 a year, up from €400 until 202387. We could not confirm from an official source how much the churches charge or how they collect it.
No regime for retirees; relief for scientists, researchers, artists and athletes
Section 103 of the Income Tax Act offers relief only to people whose move to Austria serves science, research, art or sport. It can remove the extra tax the move causes on foreign income, through a flat average rate that may not be below 15%, or, for science and research only, give an allowance of 30% of the income from that work for five years88. People who lived in Austria before must have been away more than ten years, or five for the 30% allowance88. You apply to the tax office (Finanzamt Österreich) no later than six months after moving; in defined cases, one of which requires pay of at least the Blue Card salary, a researcher’s move is treated as serving the public interest, but you still have to apply89. We found no comparable regime for retirees or for people living on their own means88.
Social Security, pensions and retirement accounts
- U.S. Social Security paid to a resident of Austria, or to a U.S. citizen, is taxable only in the United States under Article 18(1)(b) of the treaty. That subparagraph is on the saving clause’s list of exceptions in Article 1(5)(a), so the rule protects U.S. citizens living in Austria too33. Austria may still take the exempt income into account when setting the rate on your other income33.
- Private pensions for past employment, and annuities, are taxable only in the country where you live, so Austria taxes them33. But Article 18(1)(a) is not on the saving clause’s list of exceptions, so the United States can still tax its citizens on them. The treaty relieves the double tax in Article 22(2): Austria credits only U.S. tax that the treaty allows other than on the ground of citizenship alone, and the United States credits the Austrian tax after that33.
- 401(k) and IRA payouts. How Austria classifies and taxes them is not settled by any official Austrian or IRS source we found. Austrian law has a category for payments from foreign pension funds86, but whether a 401(k) or IRA withdrawal falls in it, or counts as a pension under the treaty, is a question for your adviser before you move.
- What the treaty covers. U.S. federal income taxes (not Social Security taxes) and Austrian income and corporation tax; it does not cover wealth or estate taxes33.
No inheritance or gift tax, but gifts must be reported
Austria has charged no inheritance tax and no gift tax since August 1, 2008. Real estate passed on without payment still bears real estate transfer tax31. Gifts must be reported to the tax office when the giver or the recipient lives in Austria and the gifts exceed €50,000 within a year between relatives, or €15,000 within five years between others; the notice is due within three months32. Deliberately failing to report can cost a fine of up to 10% of the value90.
Property taxes
A purchase bears real estate transfer tax of 3.5%9192, and registering ownership costs 1.1% of the value93. The first-home exemption from that fee has ended16. The annual property tax is set by the municipality, with a multiplier of up to 500%; in the Finance Ministry’s example, an assessment amount of €50 gives €250 a year94. Details are under renting and buying.
Social insurance and the totalization agreement
The U.S.–Austria totalization agreement has been in force since November 1, 199195. On the Austrian side it covers pension insurance (except the special scheme for notaries), sickness insurance and accident insurance, and self-employed people who work in Austria are covered by the Austrian system96. If you will work in Austria, ask the SSA which system covers you before you start.
What you still file in the United States
| What | The rule |
|---|---|
| Form 1040 | Due April 15; citizens living abroad get an automatic extension to June 15 (interest still runs from April 15)67. |
| Foreign Earned Income Exclusion | Up to $132,900 of earned income for 2026. It does not cover pensions, Social Security or investment income9798. |
| Foreign Tax Credit | Claim Austrian tax paid on Form 1116; no credit on income you excluded99. |
| FBAR | Required when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year100. |
| Form 8938 (FATCA) | For taxpayers living abroad: over $200,000 at year end or $300,000 at any time (single); $400,000 and $600,000 (joint)101. |
For U.S. tax preparation and planning, our sister brand eTaxNexus works with Americans abroad.
- On which date will I become Austrian tax resident, and does my former U.S. state still treat me as resident?
- How will Austria tax withdrawals from my 401(k), IRA and Roth IRA, and should I take anything out before I move?
- How much will my exempt Social Security raise the Austrian rate on my other income?
- Is a health insurance contribution due on my U.S. Social Security or other pensions?
- In what order do the Austrian and U.S. credits apply to my pensions and investment income?
Lease Rules, Rent Caps and Purchase Rules That Trip Up Newcomers
The 2026 rent cap law
The Fifth Rent Inflation Relief Act, BGBl. I No. 114/2025, published on December 30, 2025, took effect on January 1, 2026. It created a Rent Indexation Act (MieWeG) for apartment leases within the scope of the Tenancy Act (MRG), including those it covers only in part23. Under it:
- Index-linked rent can rise only once a year, on April 123.
- When average inflation exceeds 3%, only half of the part above 3% can be passed on23.
- For regulated rents (the Richtwert and category rents), 2025 inflation counts at most as 1% and 2026 inflation at most as 2%23.
- The first indexation of a new lease is pro-rated by the months since signing23.
Regulated rents were frozen in 2025 and rose by a capped 1% on April 1, 2026; Vienna’s reference rent went from €6.67 to €6.74 per m²20. These reference rents (Richtwerte) are base values for a standard apartment, before surcharges and deductions; they apply mainly to pre-1945 rental buildings fully covered by the Tenancy Act, for leases signed since March 1, 199420. The category A rent is €4.51 per m² from April 1, 202620.
| State | From April 1, 2026 | April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | €6.74 | €6.67 | +1.0% |
| Lower Austria | €6.92 | €6.85 | +1.0% |
| Burgenland | €6.15 | €6.09 | +1.0% |
| Upper Austria | €7.30 | €7.23 | +1.0% |
| Salzburg | €9.31 | €9.22 | +1.0% |
| Styria | €9.30 | €9.21 | +1.0% |
| Carinthia | €7.89 | €7.81 | +1.0% |
| Tyrol | €8.22 | €8.14 | +1.0% |
| Vorarlberg | €10.35 | €10.25 | +1.0% |
Source: Statistik Austria, which publishes these values from 202620. The change column is our arithmetic; the official figure for the increase is 1.00%, capped. For a fixed-term lease in this segment, the maximum rent is 25% lower24.
Renting: what the law says
- Fixed terms. A fixed-term apartment lease ends automatically only if the term was agreed in writing and lasts at least five years when the landlord is a business, or three years when the landlord is a private person. The five-year minimum applies to leases from January 1, 2026; before that it was three years for everyone. A lease that misses the minimum counts as open-ended2423.
- Your right to leave. After the first year of a fixed term, you can end the lease at the end of any month with three months’ notice; this right cannot be waived24.
- The landlord’s notice. Under the Tenancy Act, a landlord can end a lease only for important reasons, and only through the court24. The Act does not apply at all to units in a building with no more than two separate apartments or business premises, so check which rules cover your lease24.
- Overcharging. You can challenge an excessive regulated rent within three years, or within ten years on a fixed-term lease24.
- Deposit. The law sets no fixed cap. Three months’ gross rent is usual and up to six is acceptable; a cash deposit must be kept in an interest-bearing, insolvency-protected account and returned with interest102.
- Agent’s fees. Since July 1, 2023, the party that first hires the agent pays, which is usually the landlord103.
- No lease duty. Leases of residential space are exempt from the fee on lease contracts104.
Renting out: Vienna’s short-term rental rules
In Vienna’s residential zones, commercial short-term renting is banned. Since July 1, 2024, outside those zones, an apartment can be offered for short stays only with an exemption permit limited to five years, unless you share your own home for at most 90 days a year; hosts collect and pay the local tourist tax30. We did not check the rules in other states.
Buying: can an American buy?
Rules on foreign buyers are set by each state. EU and EEA citizens are treated like Austrians; non-EU nationals, including Americans, generally need approval from the state’s land-transaction authority, though some treaty nationals are exempt, and in Graz, for example, nationals of non-EU countries do not need authorization37. We did not check the laws of the other states, so ask a notary or lawyer in the state where you plan to buy.
In Vienna, approval needs a social interest, mainly buying a home to meet your own urgent housing need; an economic interest; or a small addition to land you already own. Americans are not on Vienna’s list of treaty exemptions, but a couple can buy without approval if one spouse is Austrian or an EU citizen. You apply to MA 35 online with the signed and certified contract and a residence permit38.
Buying: taxes and fees
- Real estate transfer tax: 3.5% of the price on a purchase; gifts and inheritances use a tiered rate from 0.5% to 3.5%9192. Since April 1, 2026, the purchase must be declared electronically through a lawyer or notary, who may also calculate the tax for you21.
- Land-register fees: 1.1% of the value to register ownership and 1.2% of the secured amount to register a mortgage93. The exemption for a first home, up to €500,000 of value, covered only applications that reached the land register by June 30, 20261617.
- Annual property tax is set by the municipality: an assessment amount times a municipal multiplier of up to 500%, paid in four installments. The Finance Ministry’s example: an assessment amount of €50 gives €250 a year94.
- Selling later: gains on real property are taxed at 30% (see taxes)85, but the sale of your main home is exempt if it served as your main residence for at least two years without a break since you bought it, or for five years without a break within the last ten, and you give it up86.
By our arithmetic, on a €400,000 purchase the transfer tax is €14,000 and the ownership registration fee €4,400, €18,400 in all (about $20,915), before notary, lawyer and agent fees, which we could not confirm from an official source.
| Region | Apartments | Houses |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | €4,162 | €2,836 |
| Vienna | €5,212 | €5,376 |
| Vorarlberg | €5,000 | €5,077 |
| Salzburg | €4,968 | €4,766 |
| Tyrol | €4,965 | €4,828 |
| Upper Austria | €3,373 | €2,905 |
| Carinthia | €3,260 | €2,609 |
| Lower Austria | €3,089 | €2,653 |
| Styria | €2,750 | €2,421 |
| Burgenland | €1,859 | €1,889 |
Source: Statistik Austria, average property prices 2025105. Prices remain below the 2022 peak, by about €200 per m² for apartments and €60 for houses105. House prices were 3.9% higher in the first half of 2026 than a year earlier; existing homes rose 5.1% year over year in the second quarter, new homes 4.9%74.
| District | Size band | Without outdoor space | With outdoor space |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innsbruck (city) | 60–84 m² | €6,031 | €6,793 |
| Salzburg (city) | 56–77 m² | €5,952 | €6,634 |
| Bregenz (district) | 64–81 m² | €5,221 | €6,243 |
| Kitzbühel (district) | 60–84 m² | €4,542 | €5,727 |
| Linz (city) | 66–84 m² | €3,974 | €4,528 |
| Graz (city) | 57–78 m² | €3,539 | €3,952 |
| Baden (district) | 64–82 m² | €3,477 | €4,248 |
| Villach (city) | 59–81 m² | €3,370 | €4,380 |
| Klagenfurt (city) | 59–81 m² | €3,291 | €4,228 |
| Vienna 1st district, Innere Stadt | all sizes | €9,477 | €9,477 |
| Vienna 7th district, Neubau | 54–77 m² | €6,214 | €7,783 |
| Vienna 22nd district, Donaustadt | 54–77 m² | €5,214 | €5,598 |
| Vienna 10th district, Favoriten | 54–77 m² | €4,354 | €5,691 |
Source: Statistik Austria, apartment prices 2025 by district106. The size bands differ from state to state.
Our position on property. We take no developer or property commissions. We may receive a referral fee from some professional partners. It never changes what you pay, and we tell you when it applies.
Where to Look, by the Life You Want
Our suggestions start from official numbers: Statistik Austria’s rents, prices and population, GeoSphere Austria’s climate normals for 1991–2020, the 2025 quota and where U.S. consular services are6910710812109. They are starting points for a scouting trip, not verdicts.
Close to U.S. Consular Services
The U.S. Embassy and its consular section are both in Vienna, and the Embassy mails consular documents only to addresses in Austria109110. Vienna also has the largest share of retiree quota places, 130 of 385 under NLV 202512. Rents averaged €10.58 per m² in 2025, and apartments sold at a median €5,212 per m²69105.
Consider: Vienna · Baden
Lower Rents and Prices
Carinthia had the lowest average rent among the states with the towns on this page, €8.09 per m² in 2025, and a median apartment price of €3,260 per m²; Styria had €9.82 and the lowest apartment median outside Burgenland, €2,75069105. In Graz, nationals of non-EU countries need no authorization to buy37.
Consider: Graz · Klagenfurt · Villach
Sun and Mild Winters
Graz has the most sunshine in our table, 2,068 hours a year, with Klagenfurt at 2,053 and central Vienna at 2,048. Central Vienna has the mildest January, 2.1°C (36°F), and the fewest frost days, 45 a year, but also the most hot days, 26.8. Bregenz is the wettest, at 1,571 mm (62 in) a year108.
Consider: Vienna · Graz · Klagenfurt
Mountains and Snow
Kitzbühel, at 772 m, has 126 frost days a year and a January mean of −2.5°C (28°F); Innsbruck’s station records snow on the ground on 53 days a year108. Building land in the town of Kitzbühel averaged €2,617 per m² over five years, second only to neighboring Reith bei Kitzbühel, and Tyrol’s average rent was €12.02 per m²10569.
Consider: Innsbruck · Kitzbühel
| Municipality | January 1, 2026 | January 1, 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | 2,040,914 | 2,028,289 | +12,625 (+0.6%) |
| Graz | 306,971 | 305,314 | +1,657 (+0.5%) |
| Linz | 214,272 | 213,557 | +715 (+0.3%) |
| Salzburg | 157,834 | 157,659 | +175 (+0.1%) |
| Innsbruck | 132,820 | 132,499 | +321 (+0.2%) |
| Klagenfurt am Wörthersee | 105,734 | 105,256 | +478 (+0.5%) |
| Villach | 66,051 | 65,749 | +302 (+0.5%) |
| Bregenz | 29,270 | 29,476 | −206 (−0.7%) |
| Baden | 26,097 | 25,931 | +166 (+0.6%) |
| Kitzbühel | 8,284 | 8,281 | +3 (+0.0%) |
Source: Statistik Austria, population at the start of the year by municipality107. Austria had 9,215,956 residents on January 1, 2026107. The change column is our arithmetic.
| Town (station) | January mean | July mean | Year mean | July daily high | Hot days | Frost days | Precipitation a year | Sunshine hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna (Innere Stadt, 177 m) | 2.1°C (36°F) | 23.0°C (73°F) | 12.6°C (55°F) | 26.9°C (80°F) | 26.8 | 44.7 | 669 mm (26 in) | 2,048 |
| Vienna (Hohe Warte, 198 m) | 1.1°C (34°F) | 21.9°C (71°F) | 11.5°C (53°F) | 26.4°C (80°F) | 22.1 | 62.9 | 673 mm (26 in) | 2,042 |
| Graz (Universität, 367 m) | 0.6°C (33°F) | 21.2°C (70°F) | 11.1°C (52°F) | 25.9°C (79°F) | 16.8 | 84.5 | 854 mm (34 in) | 2,068 |
| Linz (Stadt, 262 m) | 0.5°C (33°F) | 20.9°C (70°F) | 10.9°C (52°F) | 25.2°C (77°F) | 15.9 | 66.3 | 840 mm (33 in) | — |
| Salzburg* (airport, 430 m) | 0.0°C (32°F) | 19.6°C (67°F) | 10.0°C (50°F) | 24.3°C (76°F) | 12.0 | 93.1 | 1,494 mm (59 in) | 1,760 |
| Innsbruck (Universität, 578 m) | 0.6°C (33°F) | 20.5°C (69°F) | 10.9°C (52°F) | 25.7°C (78°F) | 23.2 | 87.2 | 915 mm (36 in) | 2,022 |
| Klagenfurt (450 m) | −2.1°C (28°F) | 20.7°C (69°F) | 9.9°C (50°F) | 26.2°C (79°F) | 18.8 | 110.8 | 943 mm (37 in) | 2,053 |
| Villach (Stadt, 493 m) | −0.9°C (30°F) | 20.9°C (70°F) | 10.3°C (51°F) | 26.4°C (80°F) | 20.4 | 103.1 | 1,147 mm (45 in) | — |
| Bregenz (424 m) | 1.5°C (35°F) | 20.0°C (68°F) | 10.6°C (51°F) | 24.3°C (76°F) | 9.0 | 67.7 | 1,571 mm (62 in) | 1,791 |
| Baden** (Gumpoldskirchen, 212 m) | 0.9°C (34°F) | 21.4°C (71°F) | 11.1°C (52°F) | 26.1°C (79°F) | 20.3 | 79.3 | 664 mm (26 in) | 1,900 |
| Kitzbühel (772 m) | −2.5°C (28°F) | 18.0°C (64°F) | 8.2°C (47°F) | 22.4°C (72°F) | 8.9 | 126.4 | 1,266 mm (50 in) | — |
Source: GeoSphere Austria, climate normals 1991–2020108. Fahrenheit and inch conversions are our arithmetic; — means no value is published. *Salzburg: temperatures and days from the airport station; precipitation and sunshine from the Freisaal station (419 m), where the year mean is 10.4°C. **Baden has no station of its own in the table; we show Gumpoldskirchen, the nearest station. Compare Austria with other destinations.
The Paperwork Nobody Mentions Until You Need It
Registering your address (Meldezettel), within three days
Anyone who takes up residence in a dwelling must register with the registration office within three days63. The registration form must be signed by the landlord or host, and you show your identity documents; registering online with ID Austria works only for people already in the Central Register of Residents63. Failing to register can cost a fine of up to €726, and up to €2,180 for a repeat offense63. Keep the registration confirmation (Meldebestätigung): the ÖGK asks for it with an application for self-insurance34.
Your social insurance number
Austria’s ten-digit social insurance number is issued the first time you deal with social insurance: through a job, as a co-insured family member or when you take out voluntary insurance, for which you show a passport or birth certificate77.
A bank account
Every consumer lawfully resident in the EU has the right to open a basic payment account with a bank in Austria, wherever they live64. Its fee is capped at €80 a year, or €40 for socially vulnerable groups defined by regulation, and banks may not discriminate by nationality or place of residence64.
Driving
A U.S. license lets you drive for six months after you first take up residence in Austria; within those six months it must be converted, or it loses its validity35. For a car (class B), licenses from the USA are on the list converted without a practical driving test; other classes, such as motorcycles, still need one35. The rule covers U.S. licenses as a whole, not state by state, so there is no state list to look up.
- Bring: your passport, your U.S. license, a translation where required, a photo and a medical report (ärztliches Gutachten)35.
- Fee: €90 for the conversion, not counting test fees or the medical report35.
- Until then: a license not in German is valid only with an International Driving Permit or a translation35.
Pets
Since April 21, 2026, pets brought into the EU from outside it for non-commercial reasons come only under Part VI of Regulation (EU) 2016/429 and its delegated and implementing regulations; Regulation (EU) No 576/2013 no longer applies18. For a dog, cat or ferret flying from the United States:
- A microchip, implanted before the rabies vaccination (or a clearly readable tattoo applied before July 3, 2011)18.
- A valid rabies vaccination; a first vaccination counts only from 21 days after it is completed18.
- No rabies antibody (titer) test: the United States, including its territories, is listed in Annex II of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/63618.
- An official veterinary certificate on the new EU model, no more than ten days old when you enter the EU, with a signed owner’s declaration completed in capital letters. Certificates on the old model are accepted only if issued before October 1, 202618.
- At most five animals per means of transport; at the airport, you present the animal to customs by using the red channel18.
The federal office’s page does not list Austria’s designated points of entry for pets, and we could not confirm them; check with your airline and the federal office before you book.
Shipping your household
Household goods come in free of both customs duty and import VAT if they are used and you have used them at your old home for at least six months, you lived abroad for at least 12 consecutive months, you declare them within 12 months of taking up residence, and you do not sell or lend them for 12 months after clearance111. You declare them on form ZBefr 2, or apply in advance on ZBefr 2a, which is required if the shipment includes a car, if you already had a home in the EU before the move or keep a home outside the EU after it (with exceptions the customs page sets out), or if the goods arrive before you take up residence111. The rules rest on the EU’s duty-relief regulation112. Before a car is first registered in Austria, the standard fuel consumption tax (NoVA) must be paid to the tax office111.
Schools
Schooling is compulsory for nine years for all children living permanently in Austria, starting on September 1 after the child turns six113. After that, education or training is compulsory until age 18114. One kindergarten year is compulsory and free: at least 20 hours a week, for children who turn five by August 31115. Public schools are open to all and charge no school fees116.
Your U.S. services from Austria
- The U.S. Embassy is at Boltzmanngasse 16, 1090 Vienna (+43-1-31339-0); the Consular Section is at Parkring 12a, 1010 Vienna, and is closed on weekends and on U.S. and Austrian holidays109.
- In a serious emergency involving a U.S. citizen, call +43 1 31339 0 and press 7; from the United States, dial 011-43-1-31339-0109.
- The Embassy’s services for U.S. citizens include passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and notarial services; it mails consular documents only to addresses in Austria, with no in-person pickup110.
- For emergencies in Austria call 112, or 144 for an ambulance; for health advice when it is not an emergency, 145079.
Before the Permit: Visiting Under EES and ETIAS
Austria is in both the EU and the Schengen area5. As an American you can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area6. Austria grants no residence permit for stays of up to six months; a longer stay needs a permit for its purpose1. Filing a permit application in Austria during a visa-free visit does not, as a rule, extend the visit1. Since April 10, 2026, when it became fully operational, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) has recorded your entries and exits with fingerprints and a facial image instead of passport stamps, which lets border systems detect overstays automatically19. Once you hold an Austrian residence permit or long-stay visa, you are not registered in the EES; you show the permit with your passport117.
ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not yet running and no start date has been announced; the EU says it will give several months’ notice118. When it starts it will cost €20 (free under 18 and over 70) and last three years or until your passport expires119120. Residence permit and long-stay visa holders will not need it120. The Schengen, EES and ETIAS section of our FAQ explains the 90/180 count.
A Realistic Twelve Months
Built backwards from the rules above, for the retiree permit. Your own dates depend on when your state opens quota bookings, how fast the authority decides and how quickly U.S. documents arrive.
Decide and test
Choose the route and the state. Check when that state takes quota applications, and ask the consulate for your district how it handles the retiree permit. Start German lessons toward A1. Speak to a cross-border tax adviser about your pensions, 401(k) and IRA. Plan a scouting trip.
Build the file
Take the A1 exam. Collect pension and bank statements and proof of your regular expenses. Get health insurance quotes that cover all risks in Austria. Line up accommodation, since the lease or purchase contract goes in the file. Start pet vaccinations: a first rabies vaccination counts only from 21 days after it is completed.
File and wait
Order the criminal record certificate so it is fresh on filing day, then file in person at the consulate and pay the card fee. The consulate forwards the file; the Austrian authority decides, and the portal’s stated limit for this permit is six months, so allow up to six months for the decision.
Prepare to travel
Once approved, apply for the D visa within three months if you need one to enter and collect the permit. Book the flight and the movers: household goods travel duty-free only if you have used them for six months. Have the pet’s health certificate issued no more than ten days before arrival.
Register and insure
Register your address within three days. Apply for ÖGK self-insurance if you chose it, and remember that benefits start only after the six-month waiting period. Open a basic bank account, and declare household goods to customs.
License and taxes
Convert your U.S. license before six months run out. Put the Austrian tax position, the U.S. return (June 15 for Americans abroad), the FBAR and your permit’s renewal date on the calendar, and keep working toward A2 German, which you need within two years.
What Americans Ask Us About Austria
Does Austria have a retirement visa?
Yes, in effect: the settlement permit “gainful employment excepted” is for people who settle without working. In 2026 it needs regular income of €2,616.78 a month for a single person or €4,128.24 for a couple, plus €403.76 per child, after running costs; a quota place; German at A1; health insurance covering all risks; and accommodation. You may not work in Austria on it.
How many retiree places are there in 2026?
No 2026 settlement regulation had been published by September 25, 2026. Section 13(7) of the Settlement and Residence Act says the most recently applicable regulation then applies, with at most one-twelfth of the places issued each month. By our reading, that means the NLV 2025 figures: 385 places for all of Austria, 130 of them in Vienna, shared by main applicants and family members.
Can I use savings instead of a pension?
The official examples of income include income from assets and savings, and Vienna asks anyone relying on savings to explain where the money came from. We found no official figure for how much in savings replaces a monthly income, so ask the authority or an Austrian immigration lawyer before you rely on savings alone.
Can I move first and apply inside Austria?
As a rule, first applications are filed in person at the Austrian consulate for your U.S. home, and you wait abroad for the decision. The migration portal says people who may enter without a visa, as Americans may, can also file in Austria during their visa-free stay, but this does not extend the stay: when it ends, you must leave. Red-White-Red Card applicants who file in person in Austria during a lawful stay may remain even after the visa-free period ends; Blue Card applicants may also file in Austria, but that does not extend the stay. For both cards, your Austrian employer can instead file with the residence authority in Austria.
How much must I earn for a Blue Card or a Red-White-Red Card?
For the EU Blue Card, at least €55,678 gross a year in 2026, including special payments. For the Red-White-Red Card for other key workers, at least €3,465 gross a month in 2026, plus special payments, and 55 points. Both need a labor-market test; Austria has no statutory minimum wage.
Can I work remotely for my U.S. employer from Austria?
No official page we read names a digital-nomad permit, and the list of permits in the Settlement and Residence Act has none for remote work. Vienna says holders of the retiree permit may not work in Austria. Put the question to an Austrian immigration lawyer before you apply.
Will Austria tax my Social Security?
Under the U.S.–Austria tax treaty, U.S. Social Security paid to an Austrian resident, or to a U.S. citizen, is taxable only in the United States, and this rule is listed among the exceptions to the saving clause. Austria may still take it into account when setting the tax rate on your other income. How Austria taxes 401(k) and IRA payouts is not settled by any official source we found.
How long until I can become an Austrian citizen, and can I keep my U.S. passport?
Ten years of lawful, continuous residence as a rule, or six with German at B2; in every case you need at least B1 German, a pass in a written test on democracy and history, and your own income. Austria generally does not allow dual citizenship for people who naturalize: you must in principle give up U.S. citizenship.
Can I join Austrian public health insurance as a retiree?
If you live in Austria and are not otherwise insured, you can apply for self-insurance with the ÖGK: €565.25 a month in 2026, with a registration confirmation and a valid residence permit. Benefits start only after a six-month waiting period unless you had recent statutory coverage, so plan how you are covered in the meantime.
Can an American buy a home in Austria?
The rules are set by each state. U.S. citizens generally need approval from the state authority, though in Graz, for example, nationals of non-EU countries need none. In Vienna, approval needs a social interest, mainly buying a home for your own urgent housing need, or an economic interest, and the application needs the signed contract and a residence permit.
Does Austria have a golden visa?
No. None of the residence permits in the Settlement and Residence Act is granted for buying property or investing money. The self-employed key worker route looks for an overall economic benefit, for example €100,000 of investment capital, new jobs or know-how.
Can I drive in Austria on my U.S. license?
For six months after you first take up residence; within that time you must convert it. For a car (class B), U.S. licenses are converted without a practical driving test. You need a medical report, a photo and your passport, and the fee is €90, not counting test fees or the medical report.
Every Figure on This Page, and Where It Comes From
We use official sources only: Austrian federal law and the Federal Law Gazette in the Legal Information System, the federal migration and citizens’ portals, federal ministries and offices, the Austrian Embassy in Washington, the City of Vienna and the Province of Styria, Statistik Austria, GeoSphere Austria, E-Control, the public health insurer and the social insurance umbrella body, the Parliament, the transit operators, the EU, and U.S. federal agencies and the U.S. Embassy. German-language titles are given in English. Each source was read on the date shown. Where official texts disagree, we say so and follow the statute or the most recent official figure. If you spot something that has changed, email [email protected].
- Other forms of settlement: settlement permit gainful employment excepted, long-term resident – EU, filing an application. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Settlement and Residence Act (NAG), consolidated text as of September 25, 2026. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Citizenship Act (StbG 1985), consolidated text as of September 25, 2026. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates (USD, September 24, 2026). European Central Bank. Official page. Checked .
- EU countries: membership, euro area and Schengen dates. European Union. Official page. Checked .
- Entry and exit requirements for non-EU nationals (90 days in any 180-day period). Your Europe, European Union. Official page. Checked .
- Settlement permit “gainful employment excepted”: requirements and 2026 amounts (updated August 7, 2026). oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- EU Blue Card: 2026 salary, validity and changing employer. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Dual citizenship. Consular Section of the Austrian Embassy in Washington (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs). Official page. Checked .
- e-card service fee: amount for 2027 and who pays. Umbrella association of Austrian social insurance institutions (sozialversicherung.at). Official page. Checked .
- Federal Law Gazette search for “Niederlassungsverordnung” (open-data interface): latest result NLV 2025, no 2026 regulation. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Settlement Regulation 2025 (NLV 2025), BGBl. II No. 309/2025, published December 18, 2025. Federal Law Gazette, authentic edition (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Amendment of the Settlement and Residence Act and the Employment of Foreign Nationals Act, BGBl. I No. 81/2026 (published August 6, 2026). Federal Law Gazette, authentic edition (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Budget Accompanying Act 2027–2028, BGBl. I No. 62/2026 (July 29, 2026). Federal Law Gazette, authentic edition (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Inflation in August 2026 at 3.2% (press release, September 17, 2026). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Court Fees Act (GGG), section 25a: temporary exemption for a first home (valid until June 30, 2026). Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Exemption from the land-register fee when buying a home. Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ). Official page. Checked .
- Traveling with pets from non-EU countries: rules since April 21, 2026. Federal Office for Consumer Health (BAVG). Official page. Checked .
- Entry/Exit System (EES). European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
- Reference rents (Richtwerte) and category rents from April 1, 2026. Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Tax Amendment Act 2025 (Abgabenänderungsgesetz 2025), BGBl. I No. 97/2025: residence-permit fees and real estate transfer tax procedure. Federal Law Gazette, authentic edition (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Settlement permit “gainful employment excepted”: application, quota booking, documents and fees. City of Vienna, Immigration and Citizenship Department (MA 35). Official page. Checked .
- Fifth Rent Inflation Relief Act (5. MILG), BGBl. I No. 114/2025, with the Rent Indexation Act (MieWeG), in force January 1, 2026. Federal Law Gazette, authentic edition (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Tenancy Act (MRG), consolidated text as of September 25, 2026. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), section 33: tax rates for 2026 (version of March 1, 2026). Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), section 33: version of January 15, 2025. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- KlimaTicket Ö: prices from January 1, 2026. KlimaTicket Ö (operated for the federal government). Official page. Checked .
- Settlement Regulation 2024 (NLV 2024), BGBl. II No. 170/2024. Federal Law Gazette, authentic edition (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- General Social Insurance Act (ASVG), section 73: health insurance contribution on pensions, 6% from June 1, 2025. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Renting out privately for tourist purposes: permits since July 1, 2024. City of Vienna (wien.gv.at). Official page. Checked .
- Inheritance tax (lexicon entry): none since August 1, 2008. oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- Federal Fiscal Code (BAO), section 121a: notification of gifts. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- United States–Austria income tax convention (1996), with the saving clause in Article 1(4) and its exceptions in Article 1(5). Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Self-insurance in health insurance (Selbstversicherung in der Krankenversicherung). Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK), the public health insurer. Official page. Checked .
- Converting a driver’s license from a non-EU country (updated September 1, 2026). oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), section 27a: special tax rates on capital income. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Acquisition of real estate by foreign nationals (updated January 1, 2026). oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- Real estate purchases by foreign nationals: approval or negative certificate. City of Vienna, Immigration and Citizenship Department (MA 35). Official page. Checked .
- Settlement and residence: applying for a residence permit. Consular Section of the Austrian Embassy in Washington (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs). Official page. Checked .
- Other key workers (Red-White-Red Card): 2026 minimum salary and points. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Consular services: consular districts in the United States. Embassy of Austria in Washington (austria.org). Official page. Checked .
- How do I make an application? (visas, VFS Global centers). Consular Section of the Austrian Embassy in Washington (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs). Official page. Checked .
- Very highly qualified workers (Red-White-Red Card) and the job-seeker visa. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Employment of Foreign Nationals Act (AuslBG), consolidated text: sections 12b and 12c on salary tests. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Skilled workers in shortage occupations (Red-White-Red Card). Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Self-employed key workers. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Start-up founders. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Temporary residence: students, self-employed and other permits. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Consular fees, September 2026. Consular Section of the Austrian Embassy in Washington (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs). Official page. Checked .
- General Social Insurance Act (ASVG), section 293: reference rates (Richtsätze) for 2026. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- General Social Insurance Act (ASVG), section 292: the amount for 2026 in paragraph 3. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Quota applications in Styria: appointment requests for January 2, 2025. Province of Styria (verwaltung.steiermark.at). Official page. Checked .
- Online appointment reservation for the settlement permit with the exception of gainful employment. Consular Section of the Austrian Embassy in Washington (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs). Official page. Checked .
- Integration Agreement: modules 1 (A2) and 2 (B1). Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Remuneration: collective agreements and special payments. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- General Social Insurance Act (ASVG), section 108: maximum contribution base for 2026. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Annual personal income 2024. Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Graduates of Austrian universities and colleges. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Red-White-Red Card plus. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Family reunification. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Citizenship: general requirements for naturalization. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Citizenship: citizenship for persecuted persons and their direct descendants. Embassy of Austria in Washington (austria.org). Official page. Checked .
- Registration Act 1991 (Meldegesetz): sections 3, 8 and 22. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Consumer Payment Accounts Act (VZKG): sections 22, 23 and 26 on the basic account. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), section 1: unlimited tax liability. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Federal Fiscal Code (BAO), section 26: home and habitual abode. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Housing costs in the 2nd quarter of 2026 (press release, September 8, 2026, corrected September 9). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Results at a glance: housing costs for main-tenancy apartments, microcensus 2025 (tables 2 and 4). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Housing 2025 (press release, June 10, 2026). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Electricity and gas price monitor, September 2026. E-Control, the energy regulator. Official page. Checked .
- Annual pass for Vienna (Jahreskarte WIEN). Wiener Linien, the Vienna transit operator. Official page. Checked .
- Monthly income 2024. Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- House price index, 2nd quarter 2026 (press release, September 23, 2026). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- The e-card. oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- Self-insurance in health insurance: 2026 contribution and waiting period. oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- The social insurance number. Umbrella association of Austrian social insurance institutions (sozialversicherung.gv.at). Official page. Checked .
- Prescription fee and the fee cap in 2026. oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- Emergency numbers. gesundheit.gv.at, the federal health portal. Official page. Checked .
- Travel outside the U.S. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
- Medicare coverage outside the United States (Product 11037, April 2026). Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
- Avoid late enrollment penalties. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
- Income and taxation. Austrian migration portal (migration.gv.at, Federal Ministries of the Interior and of Labor). Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), section 33, current version with the 2027 amounts (BGBl. II No. 260/2026). Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), section 30a: special tax rate on gains from real property. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), consolidated text: section 25 on pensions and pension-fund payments, section 30(2) on the main-home exemption. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Special expenses in detail: church contributions. Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). Official page. Checked .
- Income Tax Act 1988 (EStG), section 103: relief for people moving to Austria. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Inbound Relief Regulation 2016 (Zuzugsbegünstigungsverordnung 2016). Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Gift notification (Schenkungsmeldung). Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). Official page. Checked .
- Real Estate Transfer Tax Act (GrEStG), section 7: tax rates. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Real estate transfer tax: tax rate. Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). Official page. Checked .
- Buying land: registration fees in the land register (updated August 1, 2026). oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- Property tax (Grundsteuer). Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF). Official page. Checked .
- U.S. international social security agreements: dates in force. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
- U.S.–Austria social security agreement. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
- Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Foreign earned income exclusion: what is foreign earned income. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Foreign tax credit. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). FinCEN, U.S. Treasury. Official page. Checked .
- Do I need to file Form 8938? Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- The rent deposit (updated January 1, 2026). oesterreich.gv.at, the federal citizens’ portal. Official page. Checked .
- Rental agents: the party that commissions the agent pays, from July 1, 2023 (parliamentary correspondence). Austrian Parliament. Official page. Checked .
- Fees on lease contracts: residential leases exempt. Federal business service portal (usp.gv.at, Federal Ministry of Finance). Official page. Checked .
- Average property prices 2025 (press release, May 28, 2026). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Apartment prices 2025 by district (table). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Population at the start of the year by municipality, 2002–2026 (final figures for January 1, 2026). Statistik Austria, the national statistics office. Official page. Checked .
- Climate normals 1991–2020 (station workbook). GeoSphere Austria, the national weather and geological service. Official page. Checked .
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Vienna. U.S. Embassy in Austria. Official page. Checked .
- U.S. citizen services. U.S. Embassy in Austria. Official page. Checked .
- Moving from a non-EU country: duty-free household goods. Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), customs. Official page. Checked .
- Council Regulation (EC) 1186/2009: relief from customs duty (personal property). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
- Compulsory Schooling Act 1985 (Schulpflichtgesetz), sections 1 to 3. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Compulsory Education and Training Act (Ausbildungspflichtgesetz), section 3. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- The compulsory, free kindergarten year. Federal Chancellery (BKA). Official page. Checked .
- School Organization Act (SchOG), sections 4 and 5: open access and no school fees. Federal Chancellery, Legal Information System (RIS). Official page. Checked .
- Entry/Exit System fully operational from 10 April 2026: who is exempt. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
- ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411: ETIAS fee of €20. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 establishing ETIAS. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Rules and costs change; check the official sources above and speak to a qualified professional before you act. Next scheduled review: December 2026.
Take Austria From Research to a Dated Plan
The Austria Relocation Guide turns this page into a working file: document lists by route from the federal migration platform and the City of Vienna, quota places by state, the income tests and fees worked out for your household, the tax scale and capital income at real figures, the transfer tax and registration fee at five prices, three worked households, a document tracker, a budget workbook and a month-by-month plan. Or talk your route and the quota timing through with us first on a free discovery call.
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