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Austria: visas, tax & cost of living

Moving to Austria? No nomad visa, the residence and freelance routes, the six-month tax rule, cost of living and money basics for remote workers.

Austria: visas, tax & cost of living
Your passport

United KingdomAustria

Your move to Austria on a United Kingdom passport

  • VisitEasyVisa-free entry
  • NomadMediumNo nomad visa, other route
  • RelocateMediumResidence with conditions

Visiting

Visa-free for up to 90 days. Travel on a passport valid for your whole stay, with a return or onward ticket and proof you can support yourself.

Passport validity: Passport valid at least 3 months beyond your planned departure and issued within the last 10 years.

Heads-up: The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: it replaces passport stamps by recording the fingerprints and a facial image of non-EU short-stay travellers. ETIAS, the EUR 20 travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not operating yet; the EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch.

At the border: Valid passport or ID; non-EU visitors may be asked for proof of funds, onward travel and accommodation.

Working remotely

No dedicated nomad visa; the usual route is a standard residence permit.

Tax and residency

Under section 1 of the Income Tax Act (EStG) you are taxed on worldwide income if you have a domicile (Wohnsitz) or habitual abode (gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt) in Austria. Section 26 of the Federal Fiscal Code (BAO) defines a Wohnsitz as a dwelling you hold in circumstances suggesting you will keep and use it. Whatever the circumstances, unlimited liability arises once your stay in Austria lasts longer than six months, and it then also covers the first six months. The test is the length of the stay, not days in a calendar year, so it can run across a year end. (estimate)

The UK decides residence with its Statutory Residence Test (days in the UK plus your ties). As a non-resident you are usually taxed only on UK income; where one exists, a double-tax treaty with the destination decides who taxes what.

Practical

Currency: EUR. Cost of living: mid.

Healthcare: Austrian public health insurance comes through work, not through living there: employees are compulsorily insured (section 4 ASVG), and residents without compulsory cover can insure themselves voluntarily (self-insurance under section 16 ASVG). Every residence title requires health insurance that covers all risks and pays out in Austria (section 11(2) NAG). EU/EEA/Swiss visitors can use an EHIC; other visitors need private cover.

Driving: EU/EEA licences are accepted. Once you take up residence, a licence from outside the EEA may be used for six months; the authority extends this by another six months on request if you can show you will stay in Austria no longer than a year for work or training (section 23 of the Driving Licence Act, FSG). Visitors from outside the EU should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their national licence.

Sources: Austrian Migration Portal (migration.gv.at) · Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) - Taxation · Your Europe - Entry rules for non-EU nationals · European Commission - EHIC in Austria · Austria.info - Entry and customs regulations · Migration.gv.at: Red-White-Red Card for Self-employed Key Workers (macroeconomic benefit, EUR 100,000 investment example, AMS opinion, 24 months) · Migration.gv.at: temporary residence, general requirements (ASVG standard rate EUR 1,308.39 single, health insurance, accommodation) · NAG § 60: 'Aufenthaltsbewilligung als Selbständiger', contract for a specific self-employed activity lasting more than six months · NAG § 11(2): every residence title needs accommodation and health insurance covering all risks and paying out in Austria · BAO § 26: Wohnsitz and gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt; unlimited liability always once the stay in Austria lasts longer than six months, reaching back to the first six months · EStG § 1: unlimited tax liability on all domestic and foreign income for anyone with a Wohnsitz or gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt in Austria · ASVG § 4 (compulsory insurance through employment) and § 16 (voluntary self-insurance for residents) · FSG § 23: non-EEA licences usable for six months after establishing residence, extendable by six months for stays of up to a year for work or training · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: Entry/Exit System, progressive start 12 October 2025, fully operational 10 April 2026 · European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs: ETIAS 'currently not in operation', start date to be announced several months ahead, fee EUR 20 · Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399) Article 6: passport valid at least three months after intended departure and issued within the previous 10 years · GOV.UK: tax on foreign income · HMRC: double-taxation treaties

Estimates, not advice. Confirm with the official sources before you act.

Should you move to Austria?

Austria suits you if you want order, clean air, and a city that keeps landing near the top of every quality-of-life ranking. Vienna is the obvious draw. The transport runs on time, the districts are walkable, the coffee houses are an institution, and the Alps are an easy train ride away when you need to leave the desk. It is a calm, well-run place to settle, and that calm is the whole point for a lot of people who move here.

Who should think twice? Anyone chasing a bargain, and anyone allergic to paperwork. Austria is a mid-cost country, not a cheap one, so the budget needs to be realistic from day one. Bureaucracy is thorough and slow by design. Registration, permits, and bank appointments all take patience, and the unwritten rule is that things are done properly rather than quickly. English carries you a long way in Vienna, especially in tech and hospitality, but German does the heavy lifting the moment you deal with an office, a landlord, or a doctor. Plan to learn some. If steady, structured, slightly formal living sounds like a feature rather than a bug, Austria delivers it well.

Cost of living in Austria

Treat everything here as a rough guide, because rent is the swing factor and it moves a lot by city. Austria sits in the mid cost band, and for a single person most of the difference between a lean month and a comfortable one is housing.

Vienna rent is the headline cost. A one-bedroom flat in or near the centre often runs higher than the same flat in Graz, Linz, or Innsbruck, and the gap widens for anything renovated or close to a U-Bahn line. Smaller cities and university towns come in noticeably lower, which is worth weighing if your work is fully remote and you do not need to be in the capital. Daily life sits in mid-European territory. Groceries are reasonable if you shop at the discounters, eating out is a treat rather than a default, and the cafe culture quietly adds up if you let it. The bright spot is transport: Vienna’s annual public-transport pass is famously good value, and once you have it you mostly stop paying for getting around. Build your budget around the rent first, then the rest tends to fall into place.

Austria visa and entry

If you hold an EU, EEA, or Swiss passport, you have freedom of movement and can simply come and live here, no visa involved. The rest of this section is for everyone else.

There is no dedicated digital nomad visa in Austria. Non-EU remote workers generally have two paths. The first is to stay within the 90-in-180-day Schengen short-stay limit and treat Austria as a long visit rather than a home. The second is a residence permit for self-employment, and there are two. The Red-White-Red Card for Self-employed Key Workers needs your business to bring Austria a wider economic benefit, for example by transferring at least 100,000 euros of investment capital or by creating or securing jobs; the Public Employment Service (AMS) assesses it, and the card is issued for 24 months. The “Selbständiger” permit under section 60 of the Settlement and Residence Act (NAG) needs a contract for a specific self-employed activity lasting more than six months. Every residence permit also asks for a regular income of at least the ASVG standard rate, 1,308.39 euros a month for a single person, health insurance that covers all risks in Austria, and suitable accommodation. Neither route is quick, so go in expecting a real process rather than a quick stamp. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure and have been issued within the last ten years.

One change is worth knowing before you book. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: it replaces passport stamps with fingerprints and a facial image for non-EU short-stay travellers. ETIAS, the 20-euro travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not running yet, and the EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch. On arrival, non-EU visitors may also be asked for proof of funds, onward travel, and accommodation, so keep those handy rather than buried in a bag.

Tax residency and the six-month rule

Austria taxes you on your worldwide income if you have a domicile (Wohnsitz) or a habitual abode (gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt) in the country. A Wohnsitz is a dwelling you hold in circumstances that suggest you will keep and use it, so keeping a flat available to you can matter as much as the calendar. Whatever else applies, you become fully taxable once your stay in Austria lasts longer than six months, and the liability then reaches back to cover the first six months too. What counts is the length of the stay, not days in a calendar year, so you can cross the line with a stay that runs over New Year.

Before you assume you do or do not cross the line, confirm your own situation against the official source, because these rules hinge on details that vary case by case. If you are also tax-resident somewhere else, a double-tax treaty usually decides who taxes what, but treat that as a prompt to check rather than a settled answer. Count carefully, keep records of your days, and get advice before you file rather than after.

Healthcare and insurance

In Austria, public health insurance comes through work rather than simply through living here. Employees are insured compulsorily through their job, and most self-employed people are covered by their own compulsory scheme and pay their own contributions, so factor that into both your budget and your paperwork. If you live here without compulsory cover, you can insure yourself voluntarily (self-insurance under section 16 ASVG). Every residence permit also requires health insurance that covers all risks and pays out in Austria.

The short-term picture is simpler. EU, EEA, and Swiss visitors can use a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) for necessary care during a stay, while travellers from outside the EU should arrange private cover before they arrive and not rely on turning up. The public system is solid and widely used, and many residents add private insurance on top for faster appointments or a private room, but that is a preference rather than a requirement. Sort your cover early, because in Austria the registration steps tend to expect it.

Money, banking and settling in

The currency is the euro, so anyone arriving from elsewhere in the eurozone skips the exchange headache entirely. Cards are accepted in cities, though Austria keeps more of a cash habit than some neighbours, so carry a little for small shops, markets, and the occasional cafe that still prefers it.

The settling-in step that surprises newcomers is the Meldezettel, the residence registration you complete shortly after moving into an address. It is a routine but genuinely important piece of admin, because so much else, opening a local bank account included, tends to lean on having it done. Plan to register early. A traditional Austrian bank account is doable but appointment-driven and German-leaning, so many new arrivals lean on an English-friendly digital bank in the first weeks while the local account comes together. For your phone, a local or EU eSIM gets you connected the day you land without hunting for a shop. And on language: you can function in English in Vienna, but a bit of German smooths the offices, the landlords, and the small daily moments, and locals notice the effort.

Figures are estimates. Always check the official source linked below.

Frequently asked questions

Austria: is there a digital nomad visa?
No dedicated digital nomad visa; most people use a standard residence permit instead.
Austria: when do you become a tax resident?
Under section 1 of the Income Tax Act (EStG) you are taxed on worldwide income if you have a domicile (Wohnsitz) or habitual abode (gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt) in Austria. Section 26 of the Federal Fiscal Code (BAO) defines a Wohnsitz as a dwelling you hold in circumstances suggesting you will keep and use it. Whatever the circumstances, unlimited liability arises once your stay in Austria lasts longer than six months, and it then also covers the first six months. The test is the length of the stay, not days in a calendar year, so it can run across a year end.
Austria: what is the cost of living?
The cost of living is moderate and the local currency is the EUR. Treat any figures as estimates.
Austria: do you need health insurance?
Austrian public health insurance comes through work, not through living there: employees are compulsorily insured (section 4 ASVG), and residents without compulsory cover can insure themselves voluntarily (self-insurance under section 16 ASVG). Every residence title requires health insurance that covers all risks and pays out in Austria (section 11(2) NAG). EU/EEA/Swiss visitors can use an EHIC; other visitors need private cover.
Austria: can you drive on a foreign licence?
EU/EEA licences are accepted. Once you take up residence, a licence from outside the EEA may be used for six months; the authority extends this by another six months on request if you can show you will stay in Austria no longer than a year for work or training (section 23 of the Driving Licence Act, FSG). Visitors from outside the EU should carry an International Driving Permit alongside their national licence.

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Last verified: 2026-10-06

Voymo gives general information to help you organise your move. It is not legal, tax, or immigration advice, always confirm with an official source or a qualified professional before you act.

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