Travel Warnings

Israel Raises Travel Warnings: Tightened Security Situation in Austria and Europe

In a significant security measure, Israel's National Security Staff has increased travel warnings for its citizens in several countries, including Austria, Germany, France and the UK. The decision follows growing threats from Iran and its allies, as well as an increase in anti-Semitism worldwide.

December 4, 2023

Austrian Foreign Ministry Issues Travel Warning for Iran

In response to the ongoing protests and their violent suppression by the Iranian authorities, Austria has temporarily issued a travel warning for Iran. The Foreign Ministry strongly recommends Austrians in Iran leave the country.

October 4, 2022

Increase in Cases of Stolen U.S. Passports on Cross-Border Train Trips from Vienna

There is an increasing number of thefts of passports and other important and valuable items during train journeys, especially between Vienna-Budapest and Vienna-Prague.

August 9, 2022

Omicron Has Led to Quasi-Ban on Entry of Britons, Norwegians, Danes and Dutch into Austria

Due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 throughout Austria, entry rules to Austria have been tightened. With Great Britain, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, four important countries of origin of tourists have been declared virus variant areas. Read about the restrictions.

December 21, 2021 · Updated: December 23, 2021; 19:35

Travel and Covid: Austria Imposes Entry Ban on Southern African Countries

Due to the spread of a new variant of COVID-19 in Southern Africa, Austria has imposed an entry ban on travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini/Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. Read about the new travel restriction and the variant causing it.

November 26, 2021 · Updated: November 26, 2021; 15:11

Air Travel to Austria: How Does Entry Work During the Fourth Lockdown?

The current lockdown in Austria due to COVID-19 has yet again complicated entry regulations for travelers. Inform yourself of the latest entry requirements for air travelers arriving in Austria and testing options at Vienna International Airport.

November 25, 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

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

Vienna International Airport: Current Situation for Arriving and Departing Passengers

Before traveling through Vienna International Airport, it is important to be up to date on the current regulations regarding COVID-19. Read about entry requirements, PCR testing at the airport, and more.

July 30, 2021

UK to End Quarantine for People Vaccinated in the UK Returning from Austria

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the government would begin easing COVID-19 restrictions for England on 19 July. People vaccinated in the UK will no longer be required to quarantine when returning from "Amber List" countries like Austria. Read more about this and what else the PM said will change.

July 13, 2021

Latest Travel Restrictions Between the United Kindom and Austria

There are still travel warnings regarding travel between the United Kingdom and Austria due to the spread of COVID-19 variants. Germany and some other EU countries are loosening restrictions on vaccinated Britons, but travelers should still expect to quarantine when traveling from Austria to the UK. Learn more about the latest travel restrictions between the two countries.

July 12, 2021

Latest Travel Restrictions From Austria to the USA

Travel to the USA from Austria is still restricted due to COVID-19, but the US Embassy Vienna has provided rules for National Interest Exceptions (NIE). Learn more about them before traveling.

July 8, 2021

Austria's Latest COVID-19 Entry Requirements

Entry into Austria is becoming possible for more people, but there are still requirements that must be met first. Learn more about them.

July 7, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: Restrictions Ease on July 1

Austria celebrates its next opening step on July 1. From then on, the nightly curfew is eliminated, clubs are allowed to re-open, and FFP2 masks can be exchanged for mouth-nose protection. Read more about the new regulations below.

June 29, 2021

Austria Eases Entry for USA and Serbia

U.S. citizens, Serbs and citizens from nine other countries can enter Austria again. These countries have been added to the list, where only a 3-G proof (vaccinated, tested, recovered) is necessary for entering Austria. Read more about other travel updates below.

June 23, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: Austrian Green Passport Fully Operational

The Austrian Green Passport is fully functioning and ready for the EU-wide solution in July. Now, the EU-compliant QR codes for proof of vaccination, testing or recovery can be accessed and showed when necessary.

June 21, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: What Applies As of July 1?

The Austrian government has announced further relaxations of the Covid-19 measures starting in July. The curfew will be lifted and the obligatory FFP2 masks will be replaced by a normal mouth-nose protection in most public areas. Read more about what applies as of July 1.

June 17, 2021

EU Sets Stage for Green Passport

The European Union has agreed on the legislation of an EU wide COVID digital certificate. The certificate should facilitate travel within Europe and increase cross-border movement as of July 1. Read more below.

June 15, 2021

Weekly Briefing: Is the Pandemic Really Over?

In a meeting with his Italian counterpart, Austrian Federal President Van der Bellen stated that the "pandemic as we have experienced it can be considered overcome." Is this the case? Find out more about this week's developments.

June 10, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: What Applies Now?

As of today, June 10, Austria faces fewer restrictions. While the curfew for restaurants is being extended to 12 a.m. now, even fewer restrictions will be in place in July. Read more about what applies now below.

June 10, 2021

USA Ease Travel Warnings for Austria

The United States of America have re-evaluated their travel warning for Austria. Now, the State Department is advising to reconsider traveling, instead of completely discouraging traveling. Read more about the recommendations below.

June 9, 2021

Covid-19 in Austria: Easing of Measures in June and July

The Austrian government has announced a reduction of restrictive measures for June and July. A return to normality, as Austria's Chancellor Kurz has always promised, might be possible with a few exception by late summer. Find out more about every change below!

May 31, 2021

Landing Ban for Flights from United Kingdom

Due to an increasing number of infection cases with the Indian mutation of Covid-19 in the United Kingdom, Austria has reintroduced a landing ban for airplanes coming directly from the UK.

May 25, 2021

How to Get Into Austria as of May 19

In line with the opening steps in Austria, the government has announced new entry regulations, which should ease the travel to Austria. Read all about the regulations below!

May 18, 2021

Online Pre-Travel Clearance for Austrian Borders Successful

Since January 15, 2021, the electronic pre-travel clearance for travelers who want to enter Austria has been used more than 700,000 times. Although analogous forms can be submitted in exceptional cases, the online pre-registration has taken over and saves a lot of resources, which can be used for contact tracing and other measures, according to Austria's Health Minister Rudolf Anschober.

March 4, 2021

Schallenberg at Central 5 Meeting in Slovenia

The Foreign Minister from Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria met in Brdo, Slovenia, to discuss the continuous cooperation in the Covid-19 pandemic, the he upcoming Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2021, and EU accession of the Western Balkan states.

March 2, 2021

Kurz Demands Benefits for Covid-19 Vaccinated

In a video summit with other EU heads of states, Chancellor Kurz promotes a so-called "green passport", which would allow Covid-19 vaccinated, tested and recovered to have certain benefits. The opinions of the different EU countries vary and a consensus is yet to be found in this matter.

February 25, 2021

Germany Extends Entry Ban for Tyrol

The German government has decided to extend its entry ban for Tyrol until March 3, 2021. The German Health Minister Spahn sees this step as "necessary" in order to prevent the South African Covid-19 mutation from spreading in Germany. Austria's government and the EU Commission demand more coordination and dicussion.

February 16, 2021

After Travel Warning: Further Restrictions for Tyrol

Austria's federal government has decided to further tighten the measures for the province of Tyrol, excluding East Tyrol. After announcing a non-binding travel warning, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has now implemented tougher measures that will try to prevent the South African Covid-19 mutation from spreading to the rest of the country.

February 9, 2021

Austrian Government Warns of Travel to Tyrol

Due to the latest information on the South African Covid-19 mutation in Tyrol, the federal government has issued a travel warning for the province. All non-essential travel should be avoided and the government urges those who have been to Tyrol in the past two weeks to get tested.

February 8, 2021

Austrian "Stopp Corona" App Connected to Other EU Countries

The "Stopp Corona" app by the Austrian Red Cross goes international. The app has been connected to EU-wide data matching and will thus communicate with currently 11 other warning apps. This allows for an interconnected warning system that is important for travel abroad within the European Union.

February 5, 2021

New Entry Regulations for Austria

Austria's government announced a new version of entry regulations, which aim to prevent the spreading of Covid-19 mutations in the country. The new measures include weekly tests and pre-registration for commuters. The new regulation will be valid from February 10, 2021.

February 4, 2021

Travel Austria-USA: Negative Covid-19 Test Required

The new President of the United States and the responsible departments have renewed the entry ban for European citizens. Thus, effective January 26, 2021, Austrians, Europeans and even U.S. citizens traveling to the USA need to provide a negative Covid-19 test result in order to be allowed to travel to the United States.

January 26, 2021

Covid-19 Vaccine: Austria Awaits Approval for AstraZeneca

The European Union's third Covid-19 vaccine might be approved very soon. A decision by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected by January 25, 2021. Austria's vaccination plan relies heavily on this third vaccine, although delivery shortages in the first months after approval have already been announced.

January 25, 2021

Mandatory Registration for Travel to Austria

Starting on Friday, January 15, 2021, travellers entering Austria will need to be registered in order to pass the border. The quarantine obligation after entry remains in effect. The required form is available on the page of the Foreign Ministry and needs to be presented in the event of an inspection.

January 12, 2021

New EU Guidelines Relax Air Travelling

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) together with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have issued new guidelines for air travel, which should guide the member states in their respective decisions with regard to Covid-19 measures.

December 3, 2020

Central Five Held Virtual Conference

The Foreign Ministers of Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Austria (Central Five) held a virtual working meeting. On the agenda of the meeting were current foreign relation issues, but especially the ongoing fight against the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent terror attack in Vienna.

November 12, 2020

Kurz: All of Europe in Middle of the Second Wave

At a video conference with all of the heads of state and government of the European Union, Chancellor Kurz and the other country heads discussed Covid-19 measures and a common approach of the EU. Since the second wave has already hit many of the member countries, better coordination than in the spring of this year is demanded by almost every country.

October 30, 2020

Beligum Is Now Warning of Travel to All of Austria

The Belgian Foreign Ministry now warns of travel to all nine federal states of Austria. Carinthia and Styria complete the list of the federal states that are depicted in red, which is the highest Covid-19 warning level. Travellers from these areas need to self-quarantine for at least ten days.

October 29, 2020

Austrian Airlines Goes Into Hibernation

The worsening Covid-19 situation in Europe also affects Austrian Airlines and its success in the upcoming winter months. After a summer which was better than most forecasts had predicted, the current rise of Covid-19 cases means a reduction in demand for flights in the near future.

October 29, 2020

Danger for Winter Tourism: Germany Warns Of Travel to Austria

After Germany had warned against travel to Vienna, Tyrol and Vorarlberg last week, rising Covid-19 infection rates in other parts of Austria have led to an expansion of the travel warnings to almost every federal state of Austria. These warning will be in effect on Saturday with no end in sight.

October 22, 2020

September: 75 Percent Fewer Overnight Stays in Vienna

Compared to September 2019, Vienna has recorded 75 percent less overnight stays this year. Due to Covid-19 and current travel regulations, the City of Vienna faces a drastic reduction in tourists which can be also observed when looking at the statistical measurements.

October 20, 2020

EU Health Agency Classifies Austria as Red

After rising infection rates in Austria, the EU has issued the highest warning stage and switched the traffic light to red. Although there are no binding regulations or recommendations in connection with the traffic light, a decrease in travel is to be expected.

October 19, 2020

EU Council: Kurz Demands Better Coordination of Restrictions

At the EU Council of the heads of state and government, Chancellor Kurz demands better coordination of travel restrictions, quarantine periods and testing with regard to Covid-19. Other topics on the agenda were the Brexit negotiations, foreign relations, and climate protection.

October 16, 2020

EU Introduces Covid-19 Traffic Light System to Clarify Travel Situation

The EU member states have agreed on a common system to coordinate travel restrictions with regard to Covid-19. Similar to the current Austrian system, the colors of a traffic light will indicate the risk of the particular areas within the EU borders.

October 13, 2020

Minister President of Bavaria Meets Kurz: "Borders Need To Stay Open"

Both, the Minister President of Bavaria Markus Söder as well as Austrian Chancellor Kurz, agreed on the fact that the borders between Germany and Austria need to stay open despite an increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases in both countries.

October 9, 2020

Austrian Airlines to Reduce Flights and to Increase Short-Time Work

Due to new travel restrictions from Germany, Switzerland and other countries with regard to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Austria, Austrian Airlines will reduce the number of flights which were originally planned for the upcoming season to only 30% compared to last winter.

October 6, 2020

Tourism Conference: Clear Regulations and Low Infection Rates Are Prerequisites

Tourism in Austria will be possible with clear regulations and low infection rates, according to Tourism Minister Köstinger. The Federal Minister met with representatives of the federal states to discuss how and in which form winter tourism will be possible this year.

September 29, 2020

Mandatory Quarantine for Austrians in UK & Norway

The United Kingdom and Norway introduced a travel warning for Austria which leads to a mandatory quarantine for people coming from Austria. Both countries are thus reacting on the highly increasing numbers of infections in Austria.

August 21, 2020