Address Writing In Austria: A Guide To The Proper Format

Sending mail in Austria? Here's what you need to know.

The Austrian postal service is one of the oldest in the world. It was established as a government monopoly in 1722 by Emperor Charles VI and has since undergone several restructures and name changes. Today, it is known as Austrian Post or Österreichische Post AG.

When addressing mail in Austria, the format is as follows:

RECIPIENT, STREET NAME, HOUSE NUMBER /[ENTRANCE] /[FLOOR] /APARTMENT, POSTAL CODE, LOCALITY, AUSTRIA.

For example:

Herr Franz Huber, Beethovenstrasse 12, 1010 WIEN, AUSTRIA.

Notably, Austrian addresses do not always contain sub-building information, such as the floor or apartment number. However, if included, this information will be verified by the postal service.

When writing an Austrian address, separate sub-building elements with a forward slash (/). For instance, 'Wiener Brauhausstraße 6/6/2' indicates that the building number is 6, and the sub-building details are 6 and 2, which could be the block and house number respectively.

It is also important to get the postal code right. Austrian postal codes are four numbers long, with the first indicating an Austrian state, the second a specific region within that state, the third the routing allocation, and the fourth the local post office. For example, a Viennese postal code might be 1047, indicating the district of Wieden.

Lastly, remember to leave at least 16mm blank at the bottom of your envelope or postcard to allow space for barcodes.

Recipient name and company name

When writing an address in Austria, the recipient's name and company name are placed at the very beginning of the address. This is followed by the street address, which includes the street name and house number. Here is a breakdown of the different elements of an Austrian address:

Recipient's Name

The name of the person or company the mail is addressed to should be written clearly at the beginning of the address. This can be followed by a more detailed description of the recipient, such as their position within a company.

Street Address

After the recipient's name, the street address is written. This includes the street name and house number. The street name is written first, followed by the house number. The house number may be followed by additional information such as the entrance, floor, or apartment number. Here are some examples:

• Wiener Brauhausstraße 6/6/2 - In this example, 6 is the building number, and 6 and 2 are sub-building details such as the block and house number respectively.
• Bartbergstraße 5/1/2 - Here, 5 is the building number, and 1 and 2 indicate the floor and apartment number respectively.

Postal Code and Locality

The postal code and locality are written after the street address. Austrian postal codes consist of four numbers. The first digit indicates the Austrian state, the second number shows a specific region within that state, the third number is the routing allocation, and the last digit indicates the local post office. Here are some examples:

• 2351 Wiener Neudorf - In this postal code, 2 indicates the state of Lower Austria, 351 is the specific region within that state, and the final digit indicates the local post office.
• 3013 Pressbaum - Here, 3 indicates the state of Vienna, 013 is the specific region, and the final digit is the local post office.

Country

Finally, the country, Austria, is written at the end of the address. However, this may be omitted for mail sent within Austria.

Street name and number

The street name and number are crucial elements of an Austrian address. Here are some detailed instructions and tips for this section:

Formatting the Street Name and Number

The street name always comes before the house number in Austrian addresses. An example of this format is:

> Herr Franz Huber Beethovenstrasse 12 1010 WIEN AUSTRIA

Here, "Beethovenstrasse" is the street name, and "12" is the house number.

Including Sub-Building Information

Austrian addresses may or may not include sub-building information, such as apartment, floor, or entrance details. However, if this information is available, it is essential for accurate delivery. The sub-building details are separated from the house number by a forward slash (/). For instance:

> Brauhausstraße 6 Reihe 6 Haus 2 2351 Wiener Neudorf AUSTRIA

In this example, "6" is the house number, while "Reihe 6" and "Haus 2" provide additional sub-building information.

Verifying Addresses with Sub-Building Details

When sub-building information is included in an Austrian address, it is possible to verify the address down to the sub-building level. This level of detail ensures that mail or packages reach the intended recipient within a building.

Special Cases in Vienna

It is worth noting that addresses in Vienna, the capital of Austria, have a unique format. Viennese postal codes always start with the number 1, followed by a two-digit number indicating a specific district within the city. For example, the postal code 1047 represents the district of Wieden.

Additionally, some important places and institutions in Vienna have their own special postal codes. For instance, the airport has the postal code 1300, the UN has 1400, and the Austrian National Broadcasting Service (ORF) is 1136.

Postal code and town/city

When writing an address in Austria, the postal code and town/city are written on the same line, with the postal code written before the town/city. Austrian postal codes are made up of four numbers. The first digit indicates an Austrian state, the second number shows a particular region in that state, the third number is the routing allocation, and the last digit is the local post office.

For example, a postal code in Salzburg or East Upper Austria will begin with the number 5, and a Viennese postal code will begin with the number 1.

Country (if other than Austria)

The country name is the last line of the address and should be written in all capital letters. The name of the country should be the name used by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The USPS publishes a list of country names that are acceptable for international mail. The country name should be written in English, not in the local language. For example, write "GERMANY" not "Deutschland".

The country name should be written in English, not in the local language. For example, write "GERMANY" not "Deutschland".

The USPS does not read or care about the country name in mail to Canada, and in some cases, the UK. In all other cases, the country name is crucial for proper routing.

Examples

Canada:

SASKATCHEWAN WATER CORP 111 FAIRFORD STREET EAST MOOSE JAW SK S6H 2X1 CANADA

Mexico:

03100 Ciudad de México, DF 10200 San Jerónimo, DF 62000 Cuernavaca, MOR 85100 Ciudad Obregon, SON MEXICO

Brazil:

20071-003 Rio de Janeiro-RJ

Cuba:

Sr. Héctor García Marizá Reina #35, apt. 4a, e/ Gervasio y Escobar Ciudad de La Habana, CP 11900 CUBA

India:

HYDERABAD 500 032 BANGALORE 560 012

Australia:

CANBERRA ACT 2614 AUSTRALIA SYDNEY NSW 2000 AUSTRALIA

New Zealand:

1 Castle Street Dunedin 9016 Otago NEW ZEALAND

Germany:

I-00144 Roma RM I-57023 Cecina LI I-50016 S. Domenico di Fiesole FI I-20041 Agrate Brianza MI I-38014 Gardolo TN I-20064 Gorgonzola MI I-20010 San Pietro All'Olmo MI GERMANY

France:

Sig. Mario Rossi Viale Europa, 22 00144 ROMA RM ITALY

United Kingdom:

PROF FRED FOO DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY MOUNT ROYAL COLLEGE 4825 RICHARD ROAD SW CALGARY AB T3E 6K6 CANADA

China:

310027 HANGZHOU, ZHEJIANG

Japan:

Mr. Taro Tanaka Fujitsu Limited Optical Network Systems Development 4-1-1 Kamikodanaka Nakahara-ku, KAWASAKI 211-8588 JAPAN

Singapore:

Lower Kent Ridge Road Singapore 119081 SINGAPORE

Sub-building information (optional)

When writing an address in Austria, sub-building information is optional. However, if you do include it, it should be formatted as follows:

[ENTRANCE]/[FLOOR]/[APARTMENT]

For example, if you are addressing mail to someone who lives in Block 6, Floor 1, Apartment 2 of a building on Bartbergstraße, the sub-building information would be formatted as:

5/1/2

The forward slash (/) is used to separate the building and sub-building elements.

If you are unsure of the sub-building information, you can omit it from the address. However, if you do include it, Informatica Address Verification will verify the address up to the sub-building level.

Frequently asked questions