Entry and exit

Regulations for entry and exit

General

Overview of the status of entry regulations
Return travel regulations depend on the country of origin

Obligatory registration before entering Austria

Before entering Austria an electronic registration (Pre-Travel Clearance - PTC) is obligatory. Here you can find the PTC registration form in German and in English. The registration confirmation has to be presented electronically or printed out in case of a control.

The registration requirement does not apply to entries from countries with a low incidence of infection (Annex A) if a certificate (Tested, Vaccinated, Recovered) is available.

For commuters, electronic registration is now only required once every 28 days. Exceptions from the registration requirement exist, among others, for transit travellers as well as for persons who enter the country for unforeseeable reasons worthy of special consideration within the family circle. Further information on the exemption rules is available on the website of the Austrian Federal Government.

Entry into Austria

1. Entry from states with a low incidence of infection (Annex A): certificate, no quarantine

Both EU/EEA states and third countries with low incidence are taken into account. From these countries, any kind of entry - also for tourist purposes - is possible:

Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Principality of Liechtenstein, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Sweden, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, South Korea, Czech Republic, Hungary, Vatican, Cyprus.

A current certificate is required for entry. If this cannot be presented, a test must be carried out immediately, but in any case within 24 hours. Proof of vaccination is a document issued in German or English (e.g. yellow vaccination certificate) for a vaccination that has been approved by the EMA or has successfully passed the EUL process of the WHO. A recovery certificate is a medical or official confirmation (e.g. segregation notice) in German or English about an infection that has been overcome in the past six months. Proof of neutralising antibodies, which may not be older than 3 months at the time of entry, is equivalent to a certificate of recovery.

The registration obligation does not apply if a certificate (tested, vaccinated, recovered) is available.

2. Entry from risk states (Annex B1): 3-G rule, test with quarantine

For entry from high incidence states, a 3-G proof must be presented. These include:

Currently not applicable to any countries.

If no proof is carried, a test must be carried out immediately, but in any case within 24 hours.

Vaccinated or recovered persons do not have to enter quarantine upon entry from risk countries, but tested persons do. This quarantine can be ended from day 5 after entry (day of entry = 0) with a new negative test result.

3. Entry from virus-variant countries (Annex B2): PCR test and quarantine

As before, entry from virus variant states is only possible to a very limited extent. These include:

Brazil, India, South Africa and the United Kingdom

Essentially, only Austrian citizens and persons with residence or habitual abode in Austria may enter the country. Entry for humanitarian reasons or in the compelling interest of the Republic is also possible.

For persons entering from a virus variant area or who have stayed in such an area in the past ten days, the following applies as before: Entry is only possible with a negative molecular biological test result (e.g. PCR). The testing obligation also applies to vaccinated and recovered persons. Austrians and persons residing in Austria who have been in a virus-variant country in the past 10 days may enter the country, but they must take a PCR test within 24 hours. This is controlled by the health authorities.

Free testing: Early termination of quarantine by a negative PCR or antigen test is possible at the earliest on the 5th day after entry at one's own expense. It is allowed to leave the quarantine site to perform the test.

Entries for professional reasons are exempt from quarantine. These persons may enter the country without the obligation of quarantine upon presentation of a negative PCR or antigen test. As before, the time of the smear test may not be more than 72 hours in the case of a PCR test, and only 48 hours in the case of an antigen test.

The form for the health certificate can be downloaded here in German and here in English. In addition, the professional nature of the journey must be proven. Further information on the exemption rules is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection.

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