EU citizens or Swiss nationals: Arrival, residence and settlement in the EU

Citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA) do not need a visa and have the right to reside and settle in the territory of an EU/EEA Member State of their choice for a period of up to three months. This right exists regardless of any economic activity.

EU citizens who exercise their right to freedom of movement are entitled to stay for more than three months if the statutory requirements have been fulfilled.

EU citizens and their relatives who remain in the federal territory for longer than three months must notify the competent settlement authority (provincial governor or local administrative authority authorised by them) of this no later than four months after arrival.

If the requirements have been fulfilled, the authority issues a registration certificate upon request.

EU citizens are entitled to stay for more than three months if:

• they are employees or self‑employed workers in Austria, or
• who are not in employment in Austria (e.g. pensioners) but have sufficient resources and comprehensive sickness insurance cover for themselves and their family members not to need to claim social assistance or compensatory allowances during their stay; or
• the principal aim of their stay is to obtain a qualification, including a professional qualification, from a state school or legally recognised private school or educational establishment and they have sufficient resources and comprehensive sickness insurance cover for themselves and their family members; or
• are family members of one of the persons mentioned above.

Registering a stay of more than three months: within four months of arrival

The settlement authority that is responsible for the EU citizen national’s main residence:

• the provincial governor or
• the local administrative authority authorised by them:
  • the district authority^{German text}
  • in chartered urban districts: the municipal executive^{German text}
    •   in Vienna: MA (department) 35^{German text}

Further links

• Residence in Austria
• Visa for Austria

• sections 51 to 53a of the Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz (NAG)
• Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz-Durchführungsverordnung (NAG-DV)
• Meldegesetz (MeldeG)

Forms and declarations can found on the BMI website in (German or English).