Just Landed in Austria? Your First 7 Days

Coverage from A1, Magenta and Drei is strong nationwide and fast in cities, and even most Alpine valleys have usable 4G and increasingly 5G. Prepaid SIMs must be registered to a passport or photo ID at the point of sale, a legal requirement introduced to curb anonymous accounts. Home broadband from A1 or Magenta is quick to install, and fibre is rolling out steadily in urban areas.

Typical cost: Around 10-20 EUR per month for a prepaid plan with 30-40 GB of data; discount brands like HoT and spusu are the cheapest, sometimes offering unlimited or 40 GB plans for well under 15 EUR.

Austria uses the euro, and cards are widely accepted in cities, but cash remains culturally central and is essential in rural areas, at markets, in bakeries and in traditional Heurigen wine taverns. Austrians are famously attached to cash for privacy reasons, so never assume a small business takes cards. Contactless and phone payments are standard in supermarkets and larger shops.

Opening an account: Erste Bank (with its George app), Bank Austria (UniCredit) and Raiffeisen are the mainstream branch banks, while bawag and its easybank are common lower-cost options. Newcomers often start with N26 or Bunq for a free, English-language euro IBAN account opened by phone in minutes. A registration certificate (Meldezettel) and usually a residence permit are needed for a traditional bank account, and monthly fees of around 5-15 EUR are normal.

Cash: Carry cash for bakeries, small cafes, Würstelstand sausage stands, farmers' markets, some bars and doctors' co-payments. An Austrian IBAN also matters for salary, rent and utility direct debits, so getting a local account rather than relying only on a foreign card pays off quickly.

Tipping: Tipping is customary but modest: round up or add roughly 5-10% by telling the server the total amount you want to pay as you hand over cash or your card, rather than leaving coins on the table. In taxis you round up, and in cafes even a euro or two is normal and appreciated.

Every resident must register their address (Anmeldung) using the Meldezettel form, a legal obligation under the Meldegesetz that applies to everyone, including EU citizens and short-term residents. It is entirely separate from any residence permit or visa, and it underpins almost everything else: you need the resulting Meldebestätigung to open a bank account, sign a phone contract, apply for permits and access most public services. Registration is free, and you must also deregister (Abmeldung) when you leave an address.

Deadline: Within three working days of moving into your accommodation.

Where: The Meldeservice at your district office (Magistratisches Bezirksamt in Vienna, or the local Gemeindeamt/Rathaus elsewhere), bringing a signed Meldezettel form and your passport; your landlord must sign the form to confirm you live there.

Public transport is excellent, integrated and cheap by European standards. Vienna's U-Bahn, trams and buses run frequently and late, and the ÖBB rail network connects cities comfortably with fast Railjet services. An annual Vienna transport pass costs just 365 EUR, roughly a euro a day, and the nationwide KlimaTicket covers all public transport in the country for a flat annual fee. Cycling is well catered for in Vienna and Graz, and the WienMobil bike scheme is cheap.

From the airport: From Vienna Airport (VIE) at Schwechat, the S7 suburban train (about 4.40 EUR) and ÖBB Railjet trains reach the city cheaply in around 25 minutes; the City Airport Train (CAT) is faster and non-stop at around 14-17 EUR. Bolt and Uber operate at the airport, and a taxi or fixed-price airport transfer to the centre costs roughly 35-45 EUR. Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck airports are all small and close to their city centres.

Rentals are advertised on Willhaben and ImmoScout24, with competition fiercest in Vienna, Graz and Innsbruck. Watch the distinction between 'befristet' (fixed-term, usually three years, with slightly lower rent) and 'unbefristet' (open-ended and more secure) leases, and note that flats are frequently rented completely unfurnished, often without a fitted kitchen or even light fixtures. Vienna's large stock of subsidised Gemeindebau and Genossenschaft co-op housing keeps rents lower than comparable cities but usually requires residency time to access.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat runs roughly 700-1,100 EUR/month in Vienna and often less in Graz or Linz; expect noticeably higher rents in Salzburg and Innsbruck, where tourism and limited space push prices up.

Deposit norm: A deposit (Kaution) of three months' rent is standard and is held in a separate account. If you use an estate agent (Makler), expect a commission historically of up to two months' rent plus VAT, though recent law shifts more of that cost to whoever commissioned the agent, so ask who pays before you view.

Austria has a strong, compulsory statutory health insurance system, run mainly by ÖGK. Employees and their dependants are covered automatically through payroll, giving access to a wide network of doctors and hospitals with only small co-payments. The standard of care is high, waiting times for routine care are reasonable, and pharmacies (Apotheke) are plentiful and knowledgeable, though closed on Sundays apart from a rotating emergency service.

How to access it: Once insured you receive an e-card, which you present at any doctor (Arzt) or hospital. Choose a 'Kassenarzt' (contracted doctor) to be treated without paying upfront; a 'Wahlarzt' private doctor charges you directly and you claim part of it back. For emergencies dial 144 for an ambulance, and note the 1450 health advice line for non-urgent medical guidance.

Insurance: Employment automatically enrols you in ÖGK. Self-employed people register with SVS, and students or the non-employed can pay voluntary ÖGK contributions of around 500 EUR per year. Private top-up insurance (Zusatzversicherung) from insurers like UNIQA or Wiener Städtische buys shorter waits, choice of specialist and private hospital rooms, and is popular but not necessary for good basic care.

• Punctuality is taken seriously; arrive on time for appointments and social plans, and apologise if you are even a few minutes late.
• Greet with a firm handshake and use formal titles and 'Sie' with strangers, officials and older people until you are explicitly invited to switch to the informal 'du'.
• Say 'Grüß Gott' or the casual 'Servus' when entering small shops, and greet neighbours in the stairwell; staying silent can be read as rudeness.
• Sundays and public holidays are quiet by law and custom: shops close, and loud noise, drilling or vacuuming can genuinely upset neighbours and breach house rules.
• Take rubbish separation and recycling seriously, as neighbours notice and buildings often have strict systems for glass, paper, plastic and organic waste.
• In cafes, treat the coffee house as a place to linger; order at least something, take your time, and do not expect the bill until you ask for it.
• Titles matter more than in most countries, so use professional and academic titles (Herr Doktor, Frau Magister) where you see them on letters and doors.

• Rules are followed literally, from jaywalking (locals wait for the green man even on an empty street at midnight) to strict quiet hours and recycling.
• Bureaucracy expects originals, official stamps and appointments, so keep a physical folder of documents and book slots well in advance.
• MA 35, Vienna's immigration office, is notoriously slow and hard to reach, so apply for permits and renewals early and keep dated copies of everything you submit.
• Small talk with strangers is limited and directness can feel blunt; Austrians warm up slowly, and friendships take time to build.
• Cash still rules in many small venues, so never assume a cafe, bar or market stall takes cards before you order.