General information on travelling in the EU

Entry

EU citizens are entitled to travel to any other EU country without any special formalities. In order to travel to other EU countries, travellers simply have to possess and carry a valid passport or a valid ID card.

At least one of these two documents should be carried at all times, as checks may be carried out at internal borders for reasons of public order or national security. A driver's licence does not count as a travel document or as proof of identity.

Advice

In general, Austrian citizens need a valid passport or identity card to leave the country and to enter it. This results from the provisions of the Passgesetz.

Although for certain countries a passport which has expired not more than five years ago may still be used, it is strongly recommended that you use a valid passport. Generally speaking, the entry requirements of the country to/through which you are travelling should be observed, as well as the terms and conditions of your chosen carrier (e.g. airline).

In addition, on trips by air, certain airlines' conditions of carriage may prohibit passengers from flying with an expired passport.

Caution

Another important point to note is that children must also carry their own passport or ID card during the journey.

For children (up to the age of 18) travelling to Austria without their legal guardian, you should provide (in addition to passport) an informal declaration of consent for foreign travel. This declaration should be accompanied by a copy of the birth certificate of the child and a copy of the passport of their legal guardian. If the child's surname is different from that of their guardian, it is also recommended that they take a copy of their parents' marriage certificate. You will find a template for a declaration of consent on the website of → ÖAMTC or → ARBÖ. Additional requirements may apply when entering other EU countries.

Residence

In European Union countries, no residence permit is required for stays of up to three months.

However, registration is necessary in most cases. Usually, these registration formalities are done automatically in hotels, guest houses, apartments, etc. by filling in a form upon arrival.

Caution

For stays of more than three months, it is usually necessary to submit a declaration of residency.

In Austria, guests in tourist accommodation (e.g. hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, privately rented rooms) must register within 24 hours of their arrival by entering their details in the register of guests.

Further links

Translated by the European Commission
Last update: 13 May 2024
Responsible for the content:
  • Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs
  • Federal Ministry of the Interior