Visiting Austria

Austria is in the EU and the Schengen area, and uses the euro. Every day you spend there counts towards your 90 days in the Schengen area.

Check my trip to Austria How the 90/180 rule works

What you need, by passport

Quick answers

Do I need a visa to visit Austria?

Not for a short visit on a US, UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand passport. You can stay up to 90 days in any 180 across the whole Schengen area. Irish citizens can live and work there with no time limit.

Is Austria in the Schengen area?

Yes, since 1 December 1997. Time you spend in Austria counts towards your 90 days in any 180, together with every other Schengen country.

Do I need ETIAS for Austria?

Not yet. When it starts, you'll need to apply online for ETIAS before you travel. It will cost €20 (free if you're under 18 or over 70) and last 3 years or until your passport expires. There's no start date yet: the EU says it will announce it several months ahead. Until then, don't pay any website for it.

How long does my passport need to be valid for Austria?

Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive, and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave the Schengen area.

Good to know in Austria

Vienna's tourist tax. Vienna's local tax (Ortstaxe) is 5% of the price of your stay, not counting VAT and breakfast. Your host collects it. It's due to rise to 8% on 1 July 2027.

Motorway vignette. You need a vignette to drive on Austrian motorways. For a car it costs €9.60 for 1 day, €12.80 for 10 days, €32 for 2 months or €106.80 for a year (2026 prices). Buy it only from the official ASFINAG shop, as ASFINAG warns of fake shops, and note that a 2-month or annual vignette bought online starts on the 18th day after you buy it.

Registering your address. Hotels, guest houses and rented rooms record you in their guest register. If you stay in a private home, such as with friends, for more than three days, Austrian law says you must register your address with the local registration office within three days.

Checks at land borders. Austria is running temporary checks at its land borders with Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia, currently until 15 March 2027. Carry your passport even when you arrive from another Schengen country.

Checked 26 October 2026 against European Union, European Commission, Stadt Wien, ASFINAG, oesterreich.gv.at and European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs.

See the 19 official sources

What is ETIAS (European Union (Travel to Europe))
What you need to apply (ETIAS) (European Union (Travel to Europe))
ETIAS frequently asked questions (European Union (Travel to Europe))
ETIAS timeline explained (European Union (Travel to Europe))
Who should apply (ETIAS) (European Union (Travel to Europe))
How does the EES work? (European Union (Travel to Europe))
What is the EES? (European Union (Travel to Europe))
FAQs about EES (European Union (Travel to Europe))
Smart Borders (European Commission (Migration and Home Affairs))
Short-stay calculator (European Commission (Migration and Home Affairs))
User manual for the short-stay Schengen calculator (European Commission)
Travel documents for non-EU nationals (European Union (Your Europe))
Travel documents for EU nationals (European Union (Your Europe))
Residence rights when living abroad in the EU (European Union (Your Europe))
Documents for minors travelling in the EU (European Union (Your Europe))
Ortstaxe (Stadt Wien (City of Vienna))
Vignette (ASFINAG (Austrian motorway operator, state-owned))
Registration of a new main residence or 'secondary residence' (oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian Federal Government))
Temporary reintroduction of border control (European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs)