Travel To Austria: Tourist Entry Requirements Explained

Austria is a popular destination for tourists, and travellers from many countries do not need a visa to enter the country. Austria is part of the Schengen area, which means that citizens of countries such as the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan can enter without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. However, there are some requirements that tourists must meet to enter Austria, including having a valid passport and, in some cases, proof of sufficient funds.

Passport requirements

Austria is a member of the Schengen area, meaning that tourists from many countries do not need a visa to enter. However, there are strict passport validity requirements that must be met.

Your passport must:

• Have a 'date of issue' less than 10 years before the date you arrive. If you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago.
• Have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.

If you are unsure whether these requirements apply to you, contact the Austrian Embassy in your country.

You will be denied entry if you do not have a valid travel document or try to use a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

If you are travelling to other Schengen countries as well, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days. If you overstay the 90-day visa-free limit, you may be banned from entering Schengen countries for up to 3 years.

At Austrian border control, you may need to:

• Show proof of your accommodation, for example, a hotel booking confirmation or proof of address for a second home.
• Show proof of your travel insurance.
• Show a return or onward ticket.
• Prove that you have enough money for your stay.

Visa requirements

Austria is part of the Schengen area, meaning that citizens of EU, EEA countries, Switzerland, and several other countries, including Australia, Japan, Canada, the US, and New Zealand, do not need a visa to enter Austria. However, they must carry their passport at all times and may need to show a return or onward ticket or prove that they have enough money for their stay.

All other nationalities require a Schengen visa for stays up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This includes visits to friends and family, business meetings, cultural or sports events, and short-term studies or training.

From spring 2025, travellers from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will require an ETIAS travel authorization.

If you are planning to stay in Austria for longer than 90 days, you will need to meet the Austrian government's entry requirements and obtain the appropriate visa or work permit from the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Austrian Embassy in your country.

When entering Austria, you may be asked to show proof of:

• Sufficient funds
• A return plane or onward ticket
• Travel insurance
• Accommodation, such as a hotel booking confirmation or proof of address for a second home

Your passport must:

• Have a 'date of issue' less than 10 years before the date you arrive.
• Have an 'expiry date' at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (although 6 months validity is recommended).
• Be less than 10 years old, even if it has more than 6 months left.

If you are travelling with children, each child needs their own identification document (identity card or passport). Entries in a parent's passport are no longer valid.

Customs regulations

When entering Austria, travellers must declare certain goods, including:

• Goods not intended for personal use
• Goods purchased outside the EU that exceed allowances for tobacco, alcoholic beverages, medicines, and other duty-free items
• Goods subject to import bans or restrictions

Travellers entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash or equivalent assets must also declare the sum to Customs.

For travellers arriving from non-EU countries, the following maximum duty-free allowances apply:

• Cigarettes: 200 pieces
• Cigarillos (cigars with a maximum weight of 3g each): 100 pieces
• Cigars: 50 pieces
• Smoking tobacco: 250 grams
• Alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content exceeding 22%: 1 litre
• Alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content up to 22%: 2 litres
• Non-sparkling wines: 4 litres
• Other goods up to a total value of €300 for land travellers and €430 for air travellers

Children under 15 have a reduced allowance of €150.

For travellers arriving from EU countries, the following duty-free allowances apply:

• Cigarettes: 800 pieces
• Cigarillos (maximum 3g unit weight): 400 pieces
• Smoking tobacco: 1 kg
• Alcoholic beverages other than beer, sparkling wine, or wine up to 22% vol.: 20 litres
• Wine (including a maximum of 60 litres of sparkling wine): 90 litres

Duty-free purchases are no longer possible when travelling directly within the EU.

Travel insurance

When purchasing travel insurance, you should ensure that it meets the following criteria:

• Minimum coverage of at least €30,000 in medical expenses
• Validity across all Schengen Area member states
• Coverage for medical repatriation and emergency medical care
• The policy must be valid for the entire duration of your stay
• The policy must have a $0 deductible with 100% coverage

AXA is one example of an insurance company that offers comprehensive travel insurance for Austria, covering medical expenses of up to €100,000. Their insurance also allows you to obtain the travel insurance certificate required with your visa application.

It is important to note that travel insurance does not usually cover pre-existing medical conditions, treatment for chronic illnesses, non-emergency medical treatment, extreme sports and adventure activities, or mental health conditions.

Additionally, US citizens are advised to buy travel insurance for Austria, even if it is not mandatory for short stays. Travel insurance with trip cancellation coverage will protect against trip delays, flight cancellations, loss of baggage, medical emergencies, and accidents.

Entry requirements for pets

When travelling to Austria with a pet, there are several requirements that must be met. Firstly, pets (dogs, cats, and ferrets) must be at least 7 months old to enter the country. Additionally, pets travelling from Europe to Austria must possess an EU Pet Passport, while those entering from third countries should have a veterinary certificate completed by a veterinarian.

All pets must be declared to the customs office at the airports of Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Graz, and Klagenfurt when entering Austria. This declaration must be accompanied by the presentation of the animal health certificate, pet passport, or any other necessary documents. It is important to note that the "green channel" exit cannot be used for this purpose, and travellers must always use the "red channel" exit.

To ensure smooth entry, pets should be identified with an ISO-compliant microchip and vaccinated against rabies more than 21 days before travel and after the microchip is fitted. The USDA Accredited Veterinarian must complete and sign the EU/UK Health Certificate, which then needs to be endorsed by the USDA APHIS Veterinary Services Endorsement Office. An owner declaration form must also be filled out.

By complying with these regulations, pets entering Austria will not be required to undergo quarantine.

Frequently asked questions