Austria Travel Information

There has recently been a large spread of coronavirus infections in Tyrol in Austria and there is a high risk of further increase in the number of infected, especially due to the geographical proximity to northern Italy. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established travel advice for Tyrol. After an overall assessment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends travel to Tirol in Austria which is not strictly necessary. According to Abbreviationfinder, AUS stands for Austria in geography.

Safety

Most trips to Austria are made without special problems. According to countryaah, Austria is one of countries starting with letter A.

Norway has an embassy in Vienna and honorary consulates in the cities of Bregenz, Innsbruck, Salzburg and Vienna.

The risk of terrorist incidents in Austria is considered low. Vienna is the headquarters of a number of international organizations, including the OSCE, the IAEA, CTBTO, UNODC, Unido and Opec. The large international presence in the city means that the danger of terrorist attacks is potentially present. The Austrian authorities have a well-developed emergency response system and regularly carry out risk assessments. Currently, these assessments indicate that the danger of terrorist attacks is low and there are no publicly known threats of terrorist attacks. Current information can be found on the website of the Austrian Ministry of the Interior.

Austria is considered a safe destination with low crime rates. Normal caution should be exercised anyway. The risk of robbery and kidnappings is low.
Most trips to Austria are made without special problems.

  • Countryaah: Vienna is the capital of Austria. Check to find information of population, geography, history, and economy about the capital city.

Vienna has an extensive network of metro, local trains, trams and buses that are affordable, efficient and well maintained. The public transport system elsewhere in the country is also well developed. Traveling by public means of communication is considered safe in Austria.

Austrian highways are of a high standard. The Burner Pass in Tyrol as well as the border crossings are often affected by the considerable scope of European heavy transport passing through Austria. Long queues and holidays can result in long queues. When traveling on motorways, a fee is required in the form of a ticket (“Vignette”). Special vehicles apply to vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. You can find more information about driving in Austria here. In case of emergency stops on motorways and main roads, it is mandatory to put on a warning vest. Warning vest must be available in the car so that the driver can reach it from the driver’s seat.

Large parts of Austria have been exposed to huge amounts of snow this winter, which has developed a great avalanche danger in the alpine areas. It is therefore important to follow directions and recommendations from local authorities. Current information from the Austrian authorities can be found under Crisis and Disaster Management and websites with racial information.

In winter, accidents can occur at winter resorts in the Alps. For downhill skiing, snowboarding, etc. it is important to exercise caution and follow applicable laws. If one by one’s own behavior causes snowfall, accidents or endangers the lives of others, one can be held criminally liable. This applies for example. for off-piste driving.

Norwegian citizens staying for a shorter or longer period in Austria are encouraged to register on reiseregistrering.no. Everyone who travels is also encouraged to have valid travel insurance.

Local emergency numbers: Ambulance 144, fire department 122, police 133, emergency physician 141.

In crisis and emergency, the Embassy in Vienna can be contacted:
Address: Reisnerstrasse 55-57, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43 (0) 1 – 71 660 & +47 23 95 37 83
E-mail: emb.vienna@mfa.no
Internet: www.norway.no/austria

Outside the opening hours of the embassy, ​​the UD’s operational center can be contacted by phone +47 23 95 00 00 and e-mail: UDops@mfa.no.

Major Landmarks in Austria

Entry

Please note that entry rules may change. See also information under Health.

The Foreign Service is not responsible if the following information on entry regulations or visa requirements is changed at short notice. It is the responsibility of the traveler to ensure that travel documents are valid for entry and to familiarize themselves with the current entry rules for each country.

Norwegian citizens do not need a visa when staying in Austria for up to three months. A valid passport is sufficient.

Passport is the only valid identification document for Norwegian citizens in Austria. A valid passport must therefore always be taken on a journey to the country. The passport must be valid for the duration of your stay in Austria. Should the passport be stolen in Austria, it is important to report the theft to the police.

For foreign nationals with a valid residence permit in Norway, travel documents for refugees and foreigners passports are also valid travel documents. It is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure that one’s travel document is valid.

Children under the age of 18 who travel without an adult to Austria should bring with them a proxy from their parents who confirm that they agree with the journey. The authorization should include contact information for both the guardian and the residence of the minor in Austria. The authorization is issued in German or English. Read more about this on the website of the Austrian Embassy in Oslo.

Health

Austria has a very well-developed public health system. Sanitary conditions are the same as in Norway.

Coronavirus (covid-19): Salzburg Airport asks passengers to stay up to date on whether or not their planes are going. The same advice can be given to other airports in Austria as cancellations can occur. By the way, Vienna Airport announces that the Austrian government will suspend flights between Austria and the countries Iran, South Korea, Italy, Switzerland, France and Spain over the next two weeks.

Norwegian travelers should keep abreast of the development of the corona virus. Follow local authorities’ advice, guidance and instructions on how to deal with the situation. Austrian health authorities are constantly updating information about the coronavirus (in German). Information in English can be found on the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control website.

Forest tick cephalitis: Vaccine against forest tick cephalitis (TBE/FSME) may be relevant when staying in certain areas. You can find more information in the brochure ” Good advice for good travel ” published by the Institute of Public Health.

Import of medicines: When traveling to Austria, own regulations apply to which medicines you can take with you. You can find more information on this on the website of the Austrian Ministry of Health.

European health insurance card: European health insurance card gives the right to health care in emergency situations (accidents and the like) and to cover expenses for necessary health care in EU/EEA countries. What is meant by necessary health care depends on what kind of health care is involved and how long your stay is intended to last.

Read more about European health insurance card on the Directorate of Health’s website.

Practical information

Currency unit is euro. The mains is 220 volts. According to allcitycodes, the area code for telephone calls from Norway to Austria is +43. There is no time difference between Austria and Norway.

Most credit cards can be used. Please note, however, that many shops and eateries do not take credit cards. You can withdraw money with most Norwegian ATM cards at local ATMs.

National Holidays: January 1 (New Year’s Day), January 6 (Holy Three Kings Day), Easter 2, May 1 (Workers’ Day), Ascension Day, 2nd Pentecost, Corpus Christi (2nd Thursday after Pentecost), 15 August (Mary Ascension Day), October 26 (National Day), November 1 (All Saints’ Day), December 8 (Mary Annunciation Day), December 25 (Christmas Day), December 26 (Christmas Day 2).

Usual opening hours for shops are Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm, Saturday 9am – 12pm. Opening hours vary somewhat, but in general, some are closed earlier than many are accustomed to from Norway. Banks’ opening hours also vary, and many banks only open Monday – Friday mornings. Post offices are often open Monday – Friday 8am – 12pm and 2pm – 6pm, but also the opening hours vary.

Austria’s official language is German. In tourist places, English is relatively well-used.

The manners in Austria are generally somewhat more formal than in Norway. When visiting opera, theater and better restaurants, Austrians often dress nicely. Austrians often place more emphasis on formal courtesy than Norwegians. To adult people you do not know very well, you do not say “You” but “Sie”. One would like to greet “Gr¨¹ss Gott” or “Guten Tag” when entering shops and eateries, and say “Auf Wiedersehen” when walking. Academic titles are used far more frequently than in Norway.

As of October 1, 2017, a law prohibiting solid headgear comes into force in Austria. The law means that covering the face with clothing or other objects in such a way that the face is not recognizable is prohibited in public places. The prohibition applies to all persons staying in Austria, including tourists. The face must, with certain exceptions, be visible from the chin to the hairline. The ban also applies to face masks (with certain exceptions – carnival etc.), clothing covering the nose and mouth (except in severe cold), mouth protection (except in case of illness and then with medical certificate). The list is not exhaustive. More information can be found on the website of the Austrian authorities.

You can find more practical information about Austria on the Austrian tourist information website.