Services

Longer stays abroad

Prior to moving abroad or when planning a longer stay abroad it is recommended that you obtain information from the relevant foreign representation in Austria regarding permits and documents required by your future host country. Otherwise you may arrive at the host destination and find that it is not possible to take up your planned studies or employment due to a lack of such permits and you might even risk having to travel back to Austria. Special regulations also apply to au-pair stays. In general, the required visa must be acquired before leaving Austria.

Quick and effective support to Austrian citizens living abroad requires a registration as Austrian living abroad with the competent Austrian diplomatic representation. Registration is not compulsory but is in your own interest and may save lives or at least facilitate the provision of efficient help and assistance by the Austrian diplomatic representation. Registration can be easily done on the Foreign Ministry’s website or with the Service Abroad app on either your smart phone (iOS or Android).

In your own interest, please fill in all answers correctly and as detailed as requested. Inter alia, you will be asked for your place of residence (street, city, province, country), length of stay, dates of arrival and return, contact details (phone and email address), but also for contact details of friends or relatives who can be contacted in emergencies. All your details can be seen on your data sheet and can be updated very conveniently anytime by yourself.

After having registered, you can be contacted in emergency cases (natural disasters, terror attacks, etc.) with push messages immediately. With just pressing one button you can let the competent Austrian diplomatic mission know whether you require any assistance or whether you are safe at the moment. If you need assistance, you can share your destination with the Austrian diplomatic representation and it will be much easier to locate and assist you.

Should you have questions regarding your registration you can always contact your competent Austrian diplomatic representation. 

Austrians living in various countries have founded Austrian associations. Their contact details are available at the competent embassy or consulate.

Your virtual ID card and your personal signature on the Internet

Logo ID Austria

ID Austria replaces mobile phone signature.

Since 5 December 2023, the new ID Austria has replaced the previous mobile phone signature or citizen card.

With the ID Austria, you can prove your identity to digital applications and services. This allows you to access numerous electronic services offered by Austrian authorities, public institutions and private providers.

How to access your ID Austria

Austrian citizens can get the ID Austria (full version) at any Austrian representation (Embassy or Consulate General) abroad.

Simply make an appointment with the passport authority and register your ID Austria. It is essential that you bring your cell phone, a current passport photo and an official identity document (passport, identity card) with you.

Please note that the registration at an Austrian representation other than that of your country of residence may require additional documents or verifications.

Users of an existing mobile phone signature must convert it to ID Austria (basic version) in order to continue using the services.

All further information on ID Austria is available at Digital Austria.
 

With a view to assisting Austrians living abroad who find themselves in serious difficulties, the Auslandsösterreicher-Fonds (AÖF, Fund for the Support of Austrian Citizens Abroad) was established by law in 1967. The Fund’s current legal basis is laid down in the Federal Act on the Fund for the Support of Austrians Living Abroad (Auslandsösterreicher-Fonds-Gesetz, AÖF-G), which came into force on 1 January 2007.

The Fund’s objective is to grant one-off or periodical financial support to Austrian citizens with their main residence abroad in order to either assist in a temporary emergency or alleviate permanent financial hardship. This financial assistance serves as a supplementary support, comparable to social benefits in Austria, but does not constitute a form of ersatz pension to cover the entire costs of living abroad. In order to qualify for assistance, other financial means must fail to cover the applicant’s living cost, i.a. the applicant’s income and assets as well as funding provided by relatives obliged to support the applicant.

Since 1 January 2007, former Austrian citizens and children of Austrian citizens with main residence abroad, may also receive support from the Fund, if they suffer from extraordinary material hardship. For more detailed information please refer to the Guidelines for Support published by the Fund’s Board of Trustees on 15 January 2007.

The Austrian Federal Government appoints the Members of the Board of Trustees. Currently, Chairperson is Ambassador (retired) Franz-Josef Kuglitsch, the office of Managing Director is held by Sabine Müstecaplıoğlu. Both the Foreign Ministry and Austria’s nine federal states pay half of the Fund’s budget, amounting in 2023 to a total of 520,000 euros. 835 individuals received financial assistance in 2023.

When applying for assistance, the situation causing temporary or permanent financial hardship needs to be described in full and plausibly. There is no legal entitlement to assistance. Applications must be filed with the relevant Austrian diplomatic representation only, i.e. the embassy or the consulate (general). The application form to be used is available in several languages. Staff at the diplomatic representations are pleased to answer any questions and will assist in completing the application form.

Contact

Fund for the Support of Austrian Citizens Abroad
Minoritenplatz 8, 1010 Vienna
Tel.: +43 501150 3512
Fax: +43 501159 443
Email

The Auslandösterreicher-Weltbund (AÖWB) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs runs a database on associations abroad with links to Austria. Information on the individual associations of Austrians abroad (listed by country in alphabetical order) can be obtained from the AÖWB database using the search function.

The Auslandsösterreicher-Weltbund (AÖWB)

The Auslandösterreicher-Weltbund (AÖWB, World Federation of Austrians Abroad) is an umbrella organisation representing the interests of and acting as a service organisation for associations of Austrians established abroad. The President of the AÖWB is Werner Götz and Irmgard Helperstorfer holds the office of Secretary-General.

AÖWB members are Austrian associations and associations of friends of Austria abroad, but individuals are also eligible for membership. The AÖWB also publishes ROTWEISSROT, the magazine for Austrians abroad, three times per year.

The AÖWB is a community platform and a global network for Austrians at home and abroad as well as for friends of Austria. Active participation enables you to maintain global contacts, share news and views and keep yourself informed about events in Austria and around the world.

ROTWEISSROT magazine

The Auslandsösterreicher-Weltbund (AÖWB, the World Federation of Austrians Abroad) publishes its magazine ROTWEISSROT three times per year. The print edition is sent automatically to holders of AÖWB membership or bonus cards. Austrians who live abroad may, however, also order the magazine free of charge from the AÖWB or read the online version.

Österreich Journal

Michael Mössmer has published the "Österreich Journal" since 1996. The editions are available free of charge in the kiosk as well as in four different pdf formats. The focus is on the area "Austria, Europe and the world". It appears six times a year.

News from Austria

The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs publishes press releases on an almost daily basis, provides updated news and topical information about the latest events and is also present in the social media. Other federal authorities, agencies and services as well as the federal provinces publish relevant information and news directed at Austrians abroad, e.g.:

Department for Austrians Abroad

The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (FMEIA) strives to provide assistance and advice to our fellow-nationals abroad and establish contacts with the relevant authorities. Generally speaking, the Austrian embassies and consulates-general are the first point of contact for Austrians abroad. The Department for Austrians Abroad at the FMEIA is responsible for assisting with questions relating to:

  • Citizenship affairs, matters relating to the citizenship of Austrians living abroad
  • Exercising voting rights from abroad, irrespective of whether the Austrian citizen resides abroad permanently or stays abroad only temporarily
  • Compulsory military and alternative civilian service for Austrians living abroad
  • Support in safeguarding property and assets abroad - especially in cases involving expropriation and estates - both with respect to the domestic and foreign residences of the affected Austrians
  • Support via the Fund for Austrians Abroad 
  • Social, work and healthcare related issues abroad 

Federal Provinces

The federal provinces have also established special contact centres for Austrians living abroad.

Associations of Austrians abroad

The common umbrella organisation of associations representing Austrians abroad is the Auslandsösterreicher Weltbund (AÖWB, World Federation of Austrians Abroad).

Foreign Representations in Austria

Numerous foreign embassies and consulates are represented in Austria.

Contact

Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs
Department IV.3
Head: Susanne Bachfischer

Postal address:
 Minoritenplatz 8, 1010 Vienna 
Office: Herrengasse 13, 2nd floor, 1010 Vienna

Phone: +43 501150-4400
Fax: +43 501159-243

E-Mail
Austrians Abroad

International Culture

The pages dedicated to International culture on the website of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs not only provide general information on the International Cultural Policy Concept but also include links to the periodic newsletter reporting on the Foreign Ministry’s international cultural activities. This publication provides information on events organised by the Austrian representations and Cultural Fora abroad.

Austria

Cultural life in Austria is colourful and diverse. Beside the cultural offerings of the federal government, culture is mainly a matter of the federal states. The website of the Austrian National Tourist Office provides information about the wide range of offers.

Latest news

On 1 August 2013 the amendment to the Austrian Citizenship Act (Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz) entered into force. It includes a number of important changes especially regarding the acquisition of citizenship by acknowledgement of paternity, by adoption, for children born in wedlock before 1 September 1983 who have so far only obtained foreign citizenship although they were born to an Austrian mother, and also with respect to “putative Austrians”.

The amendment to the Name Law (Namensrecht) of 1 April 2013 opens up new opportunities with regard to surnames.

Since 1 January 2015 – restricted only to women – same-sex parenthood has been possible for registered partnerships. Likewise the recognition or the judicial establishment of same-sex parenthood has also been made possible by the amendment.