COVID-19 rules
Countries may restrict travel or bring in rules at short notice. Check with your travel company or airline for changes.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may need to stay where you are until you test negative. You may also need to seek treatment there.
You should also read TravelHealthPro’s general COVID-19 advice for travellers.
Passport validity requirements
If you are travelling to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.
Your passport must be:
- issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
Check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Contact the embassy of the country you are visiting if you think your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
Check with your transport provider or travel company that your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.
Passport stamping
At Austrian border control, you may need to show:
- proof of your accommodation, such as hotel booking confirmation or proof of address if visiting your second home
proof of insurance for your trip – check FCDO’s travel insurance guidance
- a return or onward ticket
- proof that you have enough money for your stay
Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through Austria as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.
You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.
Visa requirements
You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel:
- as a tourist
- to visit family or friends
- to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
- for short-term studies or training
If you are travelling to Austria and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.
To stay longer (to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons), you must meet the Austrian government’s entry requirements. Check which visa or work permit you may need with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Austrian Embassy in London for visa requirements .
If you stay in Austria with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.
Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and certificates you need on TravelHealthPro.
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of Austria. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Taking food and drink into the EU
You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food needed for medical reasons. Check the rules about taking food and drink into the EU on the European Commission website.