Vienna City Guide

Page 24

Vienna City Guide

Driving in Austria

Driver’s Licenses

General information

Drivers caught by the police without a valid driving license will be fined and the driver

might be banned from driving. The car might be confiscated on the spot.

Any damage caused by a driver holding an invalid license will not be covered by the

liability insurance.

In general, in exchange for the Austrian driving license the foreign license will be kept

by the Austrian authority and returned to the issuing authority.

Driving licenses from EU countries

Driving licenses from EU countries do not need to be translated. It is recommended,

however, that you either have your license translated into German or use your foreign

license in combination with an international driving license.

Driving licenses from EU and New EU countries can be transferred into an Austrian

license on a voluntary basis.

Driving licenses from Non-EU countries

Non-EU driving licenses are valid for a maximum of six months, counting from the

date of the first registration at the place of residence in Austria. A certified translation

will have to be done right from the start and needs to be carried with the Non-EU

driving license. The translation can be done by the ÖAMTC or the ARBÖ, two

Austrian Automobile Clubs, for a fee of approximately € 15 to € 30 (only for driving

licenses written in English).

Holders of Non-EU driving licenses will have to obtain an Austrian license when

driving for a period exceeding six months. In most cases you will have to take a

practical driving test. For the practical test, the holder of the foreign driving license

has to provide a car of the corresponding car class.

Please note: Any driver’s license that needs to be transferred must have a date of

issue on it, otherwise we advise you to obtain confirmation by the driver’s license

office in your home country about the date of issue. It is required that the holder of the

foreign driving license is 18 years old.

Depending on the country of origin of your driving license, however, a simple transfer

might be sufficient and no practical test is required.

Practical tests are not required for the transfer for all classes for driving licenses

issued in: Andorra, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey, Monaco, San Marino, and

Switzerland.

Practical tests are not required for the transfer for car class B only for driving licenses

issued in: Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, South

Africa, South Korea (if driving license was issued after January 1, 1997), and USA.

If your license needs to be transferred and a practical test is required, it is advisable

to apply for an Austrian license approximately 4-8 weeks after the first registration in

Austria in order to receive the Austrian driving license in time. Processing may take 6-

8 weeks.

You can use your own car or company car for the practical test, or alternatively take

the test via a driving school with their car. The driving school may ask you to take

some lessons before taking the practical test. When using your own or company car,

you will first have to attend a briefing lesson at a driving school in order to receive an

approval document that allows you to take the practical test with your own or

company car.