Voting abroad

table of content

General information

Voting abroad is only possible by means of postal voting. You must apply for a voting card (for referendums and popular consultations a voting card) in good time if you

In this way, for

the vote can be cast.

Requirements

To be able to cast your vote abroad, you must apply for a voting card  in good time.

Caution

You must be registered in the voter register of an Austrian municipality. To participate in a European election, you must be registered in the European voter register. Austrians whose main place of residence is abroad (Austrians living abroad) must submit an application to be included in the (European) voter register. Further information on the topic "Registration in the (European) voter register" can also be found at oesterreich.gv.at.

Procedure

  • Your voting card can be sent by post to the competent board It must arrive there by 5 p.m. on election day at the latest.
  • Until the sixth day before election day: Hand in the voting card at an Austrian representation authority or at an Austrian military unit abroad
  • By the ninth day before election day: Submitting the voting card to representation authorities outside the European Economic Area or outside Switzerland
  • Another form of submission to the district electoral board, for example in person, is possible.
  • On election day itself, the voting card used for postal voting can be handed in at any district electoral board until 5 p.m. and also at any polling station as long as it is open. There may be different regulations for provincial parliamentary elections, municipal council and mayoral elections. Please get to know about your province in good time on the website of the respective office of the provincial government.

If you hand in your voting card at an Austrian representation authority (→ BMEIA) or an Austrian unit, it will forward the voting card to the competent district electoral board. If voting cards are submitted at a later point in time than stated above, they may be forwarded by the representation authority or Austrian unit if it appears guaranteed that the voting card can still be received by the competent district electoral board in time or if the person entitled to vote is informed that it may no longer be guaranteed that it will be received in time.

The postal vote can be cast immediately after receipt of the voting card.

Costs and fees

The cost of postage for postal voting is generally borne by the federal government if the voting card is sent by public post (regardless of whether it is posted in Austria or abroad). However, this does not apply if the voting card is sent in an envelope. The sender is also responsible for the costs of sending the voting card by express mail services (for example DHL, UPS, EMS or similar).

Further information

For every nationwide election event (National Council election, Federal Presidential election, European election) your voting card used for postal voting must be received by your competent district electoral board by election day, 5 p.m. at the latest. The competent district electoral board is the one whose address is already printed on the voting card. On election day, an voting card used for postal voting can be submitted at any district electoral body and also at any polling station as long as it is open. There may be different regulations for provincial parliamentary elections, municipal council and mayoral elections. Please get to know about your province in good time on the website of the respective office of the state government.

Legal basis

Link to form

The application form is available online from about eight weeks before an election takes place.

Translated by the European Commission
Last update: 6 March 2023

Responsible for the content: Federal Ministry of the Interior