Immigration Rules for Vienna

Citizens of neighbouring countries, along with those belonging to EU Member States, EEA (European Economic Area) nations, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand do not require a visa to enter Austria. Visitors are usually entitled to stay for a period of up to 3 months (subject to satisfying Austrian immigration rules) or indefinitely if you’re from an EU Member State or Switzerland. In the latter case, you’ll still need to register with police (within five days of arrival) if you plan to take up residency.

As Austrian visa requirements are more fluid for certain other territories (and may change according to socio-political factors in your country of origin) contact your local Austrian Embassy or consulate before travelling. However, as a guide, nationals of African and Arab states, plus Albania, Bosnia, Georgia, Macedonia, Turkey and the Ukraine do require a visa. For further details visit: www.bmaa.gv.at (select your country from the drop-down list and then press ‘Auswahl’.

So far as passports are concerned, citizens of states that have signed up to the Schengen Agreement are no longer subject to border controls (and can therefore, under normal circumstances, move freely between them without having to show a passport). However, in case of random checks, travellers must still carry their travel documents and/or I.D cards.

For Belgium, France, Germany*, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, nationals need only a passport that has expired within less than five years or an official identification card (*a passport expired within the last year). Again, for details of your own country check: www.bmaa.gv.at.

If you need to apply for a new passport, renewal, or to amend details on your current one, contact the following passport offices in your own country:

In the United Kingdom application forms for new passports (Form A); children’s passports (Form B); or amendments (Form C) can be obtained from main post offices, branches of Lloyds Bank and travel agents. Depending on which office is nearest, applications (postal only) should be made to the following Passport Agency offices:

Belfast, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newport and Peterborough, Tel: 0990 210410 (General enquiries for all offices)

The Agency’s London office deals with personal callers only. Residents in the Greater London area should submit postal applications to the Glasgow office. Turnaround times for straightforward applications vary depending on the time of year, the busiest period falling between February and August.

In the U.S. contact one of the regional Passport Agency offices located in:

Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Stamford and Washington. Advice on submitting passport applications, the status of an application itself and emergency passports can be obtained by calling the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) on: 1-900-225-5674 or 1-888-362-8668 (credit card users with Visa, MasterCard, Amex). If you need a US passport quickly, it’s also worth noting that firms such as www.passportexpress.com offer a guaranteed expediting service; 

In Canada contact one of the regional Passport offices located in:

Brampton, Calgary, Edmonton, Fredericton, Halifax, Hamilton, Hull, Jonquière, Kitchener, Laval, London, Montréal, North York, Ottowa, Regina, Richmond, Saskatoon, Scarborough, St. Catherines, Sainte-Foy, St. John’s, Saint-Laurent, Surrey, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Windsor and Winnipeg. Alternatively, passport applications can be made at major post offices. For further details visit the Canadian Passport Office;

In Australia contact one of the regional Passport offices located in:

Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and  Sydney. For telephone enquiries, contact the Australian Passports Information Service (APIS), Tel: 131 232. Alternatively, passport applications can be made at most Australian Post Offices. For further details visit Passports Australia;

If you lose your passport during your stay, then immediately contact your country’s embassy or consulate in Vienna and the police (if you can’t speak any German do this at the embassy too).