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COVID-19
Conference on Migration Partnerships in Vienna
The International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) is hosting the sixth Vienna Migration Conference (VMC). The conference will allow various stakeholders and high-level officials to discuss partnerships and reassess their strategies for dealing with new migration challenges. Read more about the event.
October 19, 2021
Asylum Seekers and Migrants Should Get Vaccinated
The Austrian Minister for Integration Susanne Raab recently visited a mobile vaccination station at the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) Vienna to highlight the importance of making vaccines easily available to those with migration backgrounds. The ÖIF Integration Center Vienna has hosted the station multiple times and will do so again. Read more about the initiative and find out when the vaccination station will be at the ÖIF next.
October 18, 2021
Covid-19 in Austria: Vienna Launches Vaccination Booster Offensive
Vienna is continuing its campaign to get people vaccinated against COVID-19 and has launched its offensive to administer the booster vaccination. Vienna's Mayor Michael Ludwig and other officials recently held a press conference to discuss Vienna's progress on vaccinations and announce the plan for the booster shots. Read more about where Vienna stands in the pandemic fight and the roadmap for boosters.
October 18, 2021
UPDATE: Current Situation for Arriving and Departing Passengers at Vienna International Airport
Flight operations at VIA Vienna International Airport (Flughafen Wien) are still restricted. The most important changes and information for arriving and departing passengers at Flughafen Wien are available below.
October 14, 2021
Austria Presents Financial Budget for 2022
Austrian Finance Minister Gernot Blümel presented Austria's draft financial budget for 2022 to the Austrian Parliament in the form of the annual budget speech. The plan includes tax reforms, budget increases for various ministries, estimates regarding the COViD-19 crisis, and more. Read some of the specific provisions in the budget outlined by the finance minister.
October 14, 2021
Austrian-Japanese Society Hosts the 5th Japanese Film Days in Vienna
After being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Austrian-Japanese Society (ÖJG) will host the fifth "Japannual" Japanese Film Days in Vienna at the Film Casino in Margareten. With over 20 films included this year, the festival brings a broad overview of current film events in Japan to Vienna. Read more about the festival, some of the movies included this year, and how to get tickets.
October 5, 2021
Military Surveillance of 50 Embassies in Vienna Still Required
The Austrian Council of Ministers has extended the cooperation between the military and the police for protecting the embassies in Vienna to help relieve the police during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about the cooperation and what Austrian Interior Minister Nehammer and Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner said about its extension.
October 4, 2021
U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Latest Austrian Approaches
In furtherance of the U.N. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Austria has created the SDG Dialogue Forum Austria. This new annual event is intended to promote partnerships as described in SDG 17 of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Read about this new event and what Austrian EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler said at its first meeting at the Natural History Museum Vienna.
September 30, 2021
76th UN General Assembly: Contribution and Results from an Austrian Perspective
Throughout the 76th United Nations General Assembly, some of the main issues that the Austrian delegation focused on were sustainable energy and climate change, COVID-19 and vaccinations, and the situation in Afghanistan. Read about some of the contributions and results of the event from Austria's point of view.
September 29, 2021
Studying in Austria: Significant Increase Among Foreign Students in the Corona Winter Semester 2020/21
After declining student numbers in previous years, both the number of foreign students and the number of students with Austrian citizenship increased by 4.6% and 2.6%, respectively, in the Corona winter semester 2020/21. The CEU - Central European University accounts for a good portion of the increase in foreign students. Detailed information on university statistics can be found below.
September 24, 2021
Update: Travel from the United States to Austria
As a result of the increased spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the United States, Austria recently removed the US from its list of countries with low epidemiological risk. Here is an update of what this means for travelers from the United States coming to Austria.
September 24, 2021
Travel from Austria to the U.S. - Biden's New Policy Will End the Need for National Interest Exceptions
As announced by Biden and the White House around the UN General Assembly, as of early November it will again be possible for all adult foreign nationals, i.e. including Austrians and other foreign nationals entering the U.S. via Vienna, to enter the U.S., thus also eliminating the need for national interest exemptions (NIE). More details in the article.
September 22, 2021
Van der Bellen at 76th UN General Assembly: "World Stage of Foreign Policy"
Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen is in New York attending the 76th UN General Assembly along with Chancellor Kurz and Foreign Minister Schallenberg. On Tuesday, President Van der Bellen attended the "Welcome Reception" with UN-Secretary General António Guterres and the opening of the General Assembly. The President also held talks with the presidents of Costa Rica, Ghana, Guyana, Senegal, and Zambia. Van der Bellen is still scheduled to meet with Secretary-General Guterres, various world leaders, and scientists to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and more. Read about the President's trip so far and what is next on his agenda.
September 21, 2021
Multilateralism at the UN General Assembly: Kurz and Schallenberg in NYC
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Foreign Minister Schallenberg are in New York for the 76th United Nations General Assembly. Their trip includes meetings with various delegations, with an emphasis on the situation in Afghanistan and the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the pair, along with President Van der Bellen, will meet for talks with UN Secretary-General Antońio Guterres. Chancellor Kurz will also address the Council on Foreign Relations and Schallenberg will deliver a speech to the General Assembly. Read more about the details of their trip.
September 21, 2021
Covid-19 in Austria: Vienna Once Again Adopts a Special Approach
Vienna's mayor Michael Ludwig announced at a press conference that as of October 1, Vienna's regulations will differ from those of the rest of Austria, namely that 2G will apply to night-time catering and larger events. What does this mean?
September 21, 2021
Security and Stability: Austria Deepens Cooperation with UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman
Foreign Minister Schallenberg visited the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman on a four-day trip to the Gulf region. While there, he spoke with various officials, including his counterparts: UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi. The main topics of discussion were security, especially regarding extremism, and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 15, 2021
100 Speakers of Parliament Meet in Vienna
Over 100 speakers of parliament met at the Austria Center Vienna for the Fifth World Conference of the Speakers of Parliament. President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka spoke about the international community finding internal solutions to global problems. Duarte Pacheco and Martin Chungong, the President and Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), defended democracy and human rights and spoke about the robustness of parliaments during the COVID-19 crisis.
September 10, 2021
Foreign Culture is Central Element of Austrian Diplomatic Soft Power
At the International Culture Conference 2021, Foreign Minister Schallenberg spoke about the importance of foreign culture as an instrument of soft power and diplomacy. He also highlighted some of the various new initiatives and programs to promote foreign culture, such as the "International Music Dialogues," the “On the road again” initiative for visual artists, “Repair of the Future - the Global Casting of Tomorrow,” and more.
September 10, 2021
"Made in Austria": Ambassadors to Serve as Export Promoters
The Austrian government is calling on its diplomats around the world to promote Austria's export and tourism industries abroad to help the economy recover from the COVID-19 crisis. At the opening event of "ReFocus Austria", Chancellor Kurz, Foreign Minister Schallenberg, and Vice-President of the Federal Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ) Martha Schultz laid out the government's plan. Read about "ReFocus Austria," what these officials said about it, and watch the video of the opening event.
September 10, 2021
Back to School: 82 Percent of Austrian Teachers Vaccinated
As the school year begins, statistics show that 82 percent of Austrian teachers have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This is a much higher proportion than that of the general population, which is 65 percent fully immunized. The willingness to vaccinate varies by federal state, type of school, gender, and age group. Read more about the results of the study, such as where each federal state ranks on the list.
September 9, 2021
One Million Corona Vaccine Doses for Tehran
Due to the spread of the delta variant, Iran is currently suffering from the fifth and most severe wave of the coronavirus pandemic. To help assist Iran in the fight against the pandemic, Austria is providing the country with one million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Austrian Ministers Schallenberg, Nehammer, and Mückstein all expressed their support for the aid package.
September 8, 2021
Corona Virus in Austria: Almost 1,500 New Infections Nationwide
To date, there have been 698,948 positive test results in Austria. As of today, 10,812 people have died as a result of Corona virus across Austria, currently with 1,438 new infections Austria-wide, 171 are being cared for in intensive care units. Read on to get all the latest stats.
September 7, 2021
Forum Alpbach: Reaffirming the Importance of the Conference on the Future of Europe
The EU ministers from five member states signed the "Alpbach Declaration on the Future of Europe" at the European Forum Alpbach. The five ministers were Judit Varga from Hungary, Thomas Byrne from Ireland, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis from Greece, Juan González-Barba from Spain, and Karoline Edtstadler from Austria. The declaration highlights the necessity for cooperation and dialogue to ensure that the EU has a successful future.
September 7, 2021
Women on the Boards of Austrian Listed Companies: Only 14 out of 192
A study shows that women are still significantly underrepresented on the boards of Austrian companies on the Vienna Stock Exchange. The number of female board members in Austria's listed companies has decreased by one woman compared to the beginning of 2021, leaving the total at 14 out of 192. Read more about the details of the study.
September 6, 2021
Number of Naturalizations in Austria Continues to Rise Despite Covid
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, naturalizations in Austria have increased in the first half of 2021. During this time Austria granted citizenship to 5,057 people. In the same period, however, Vienna experienced a decrease in the number of naturalizations. Read more about the details of this trend and how they vary among the federal states of Austria.
September 3, 2021
Number of Anti-Semitism Incidents in Austria Doubled
The Anti-Semitism Reporting Office of the Jewish Community Vienna (IKG) presented its semi-annual report for the first half of 2021. The report showed that the number of incidents had doubled from the same period of the previous year. It attributed the increase mainly to Israel-related anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
September 3, 2021
UNHCR Vienna Office: "Everyone has the right to citizenship"
The international community celebrated the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. On the anniversary, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that "everyone has the right to citizenship." UNHCR also warned about the many dangers stateless people face, including lack of access to COVID-19 vaccines, lack of economic relief from a government, and much more.
September 2, 2021
Merkel Receives Kurz: Connected Through a Multitude of Relationships
German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz at the German Federal Chancellery in Berlin. In addition to a discussion of the issues Germany and Austria are currently dealing with, such as Afghanistan and the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting also served as Kurz’s farewell to the German Chancellor, who is leaving office after 16 years.
September 1, 2021
Free PCR Gurgle Tests on Nightjet Trains to Vienna
On all Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) Nightjet trains to Vienna, passengers can now get free PCR gurgle test kits from the staff on board to get tested for Coronavirus.
September 1, 2021
Corona Virus in Austria: Latest Figures
To date, there have been 687,076 positive test results in Austria. As of today, 10,782 people have died as a result of Corona virus across Austria, currently with 1,120 new infections Austria-wide, 122 are being cared for in intensive care units. Read on to get all the latest stats.
August 30, 2021
Western Balkans: Further Austrian Corona Solidarity Campaign for all Six States
The final share of promised COVID-19 vaccines was delivered to Bosnia and Herzegovina, ending an EU solidarity campaign led by Austria. A total of 651,000 COVID-19 vaccines from the manufacturer BioNTech/Pfizer were provided to the six Western Balkan states: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
August 30, 2021
Covid Booster Vaccinations Start Plus More Vaccination Buses
Lower Austria has announced that it will begin administering COVID-19 booster shots for elderly and risk patients in nursing homes and clinics, an additional three vaccination buses will stop in various communities throughout Lower Austria, and the testing strategy is being expanded to include PCR-test vending machines.
August 30, 2021
Covid Package of Measures for a Successful Start of the School Year 2021/22
Children and young adults, who have already had to do without many things in the past two years, are starting the new school year with a safety concept that is based on four pillars. Large-scale school closures and shift teaching are no longer an option in the new school year. But what will attendance look like in the new school year?
August 25, 2021
Corona Vaccination Bus in the City of Vienna: From St. Stephen's Cathedral to the Mosque
As the City of Vienna does everything it can to immunize as many people as possible against the Coronavirus this summer, a vaccination bus in the City of Vienna will visit mosques and houses of prayer from other religious communities in the coming weeks.
August 24, 2021
Covid-19 in Austria: Vienna Reduces Validity for Access Tests
The validity of Corona tests will be significantly reduced in Vienna. The reason for this is the increasing numbers due to the delta variant.
August 24, 2021
Importance of Economic Relations Between the United States and Austria
The American Chamber of Commerce in Austria (AmCham Austria) presented a new study on the importance of economic relations between the United States and Austria. AmCham also provided a position paper with five key recommendations to the Austrian Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs Dr. Margarete Schramböck and Secretary-General of the Austrian Foreign Ministry Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal. Read about the findings of the study and AmCham's recommendations.
August 23, 2021
Ukrainian-Austrian Solidarity: Schallenberg Attends Inaugural Summit of Crimea Platform and Delivers Vaccines
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal hosted Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg in Kiev for working talks. Schallenberg also attended the founding event of the Crimea Platform, which aims to reverse the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia, and he delivered a shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines to aid Ukraine in the COVID-19 pandemic fight.
August 23, 2021 · Updated: August 23, 2021; 16:48
City Diplomacy: What Connects the German-Speaking Capitals Berlin, Bern and Vienna
Mayor of Berlin Michael Müller, Mayor of Bern Alec von Graffenried, and Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig met in Vienna to exchange experiences and learn from each other. The three mayors drew up a joint declaration that addressed climate change, affordable housing, economic resiliency from the COVID-19 pandemic, and democracy and the rule of law.
August 19, 2021
MA 35 Department: Immigration and Citizenship Calls Are Not Answered
Austria’s municipal department 35 (MA 35), responsible for immigration and citizenship, is facing criticism yet again. In an interview, an employee of the MA 35 has recently divulged that nobody in the office answers the phone. The City Councilor responsible for the MA 35 has assured the public that reforms are being made to resolve the issues that the department is facing.
August 18, 2021
Latest Corona Update: The Austrian Green Passport - What Is It For?
The Green Passport is now being used by many people to provide proof of vaccination, recovery, or a negative test for COVID-19 in Austria and throughout the EU. Learn more about what the "Green Passport" is and what it is used for.
August 17, 2021
Solidarity with Lebanon: Austria Sends 100,000 Vaccines
The COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened the multiple crises Lebanon is already facing, including the massive explosion in Beirut, an economic crisis, and political and social instability. Austria is donating 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines to aid Lebanon in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
August 17, 2021
Covid-19 in Austria: The New Corona Regulations for Vaccinated Persons
If you wish to visit a hotel or pub in Austria, or use a service provider such as a hair salon, partial vaccination is no longer sufficient. Since August 15, only when fully immunized is a vaccination considered proof of a low epidemiological risk. What are the details of the new regulation?
August 16, 2021
Austria Celebrates Ten-millionth COVID-19 Vaccination
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein celebrated Austria administering its ten-millionth dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. The pair thanked everyone for their efforts and pleaded with the unvaccinated to go get vaccinated.
August 16, 2021
Blümel: We Are Continuing to Help Those Businesses That Need It
Austrian Finance Minister Gernot Blümel announced that businesses can apply for two types of aid to help mitigate struggles due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. The default bonus II has been adapted and extended until the end of September, and the loss replacement until the end of the year.
August 16, 2021
Mückstein Announces Ten Million Euros for International Projects in Health and Social Sector
Austrian Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein announced that Austria will provide ten million euros for European and international projects to address the health and social consequences of COVID-19. The projects are particularly targeted at women and girls, refugees and vulnerable groups that have been significantly affected by the health and economic consequences of the pandemic.
August 13, 2021
"Quick Prayer and a Jab": St. Stephen's Cathedral Vaccination Street Opens
The City of Vienna has opened another COVID-19 vaccination street, and this time it is at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Austria's most famous church. The offer is part of Vienna's ongoing effort to vaccinate as many people as possible.
August 11, 2021
Solidarity With Bosnia and Herzegovina: Austria Sends 500,000 Vaccines
Austria has sent over 500,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This shipment is in addition to the 650,000 vaccines that were provided to the Western Balkan states by the EU. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, and Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein all expressed their pleasure in working with Austria's neighbors to end the coronavirus pandemic.
August 11, 2021
Vienna International Centre - Live-Ticker Coronavirus Situation: Several New Positive COVID-19 Cases, 380 Cases in Total
The Vienna International Centre (VIC, UNO City) and the Vienna International Centre Medical Service are reporting new positive COVID-19 cases. The total number of VIC personnel who have tested positive is 380. Below you can see the latest updates of the four main Vienna-based United Nations organizations (United Nations Office at Vienna/UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Industrial Development Organization and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization), as announced by UNIS and provided by the Vienna International Centre Medical Service. Regular updates on the number of cases of are no longer issued
June 25, 2020 · Updated: August 9, 2021; 17:25
Austrian Airlines CEO: "The crisis does not allow for a sigh of relief"
A report shows that Austrian Airlines, like the airline industry as a whole, is still suffering greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic. CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech acknowledges that 2021 has been better than 2020 so far, but the airline is still a long way from reaching pre-pandemic numbers.
August 9, 2021
Austria Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots
New studies suggest that a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot will be necessary to help end the pandemic. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Health Minister Wolgang Mückstein publicly stated that Austria is taking the necessary steps to prepare for administering a third dose of the vaccine once it is recommended by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
August 9, 2021
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