working conditions in Austria

This page contains general information about working conditions in Austria and useful links about working in Austria.

Working conditions

Normal working hours may not exceed eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. In some cases, however, longer normal working hours are permitted. Overtime may be paid out or converted into vacation days, depending on the employer.
Vacation: The legally prescribed vacation time is 25 working days with a five-day week, i.e. a total of 5 calendar weeks per year.
The following days are public holidays in Austria: New Year’s Day (January 1), Epiphany (January 6), Easter Monday, State Holiday (May 1), Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi, Assumption Day (August 15), National Day (October 26, 2023), All Saints’ Day (November 1), Immaculate Conception Day (December 8), Christmas Day and Boxing Day (December 25 and 26).

Salaries: see the page "Salaries in Austria".
An employment contract must contain the following information: Contractual parties, information on the beginning of the employment relationship, information on working hours and place of work, exact job description, information on remuneration and vacation, information on termination.

Source: www.arbeiterkammer.at, www.oesterreich.gv.at

EU citizens have the right to move freely in Austria, to enter the country at any time and to stay there. The same applies to nationals of the EEA area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Swiss citizens.
The free movement of workers is enshrined in EU law and allows EU citizens to seek and work in another EU country without having to apply for a work permit.
Third-country nationals must apply for a residence title for a stay in Austria that will last longer than 6 months. For certain groups, a residence title is required even for a shorter stay (ICT). A stay of up to six months is possible with a visa.
For more information visit our page "EU -citizens" or "citizens of a third country".

Anyone wishing to work in a regulated profession in Austria, whether from an EU country or a third country, must have their qualifications recognized beforehand. This includes, for example, all medical professions, as well as the entire health and care sector. Architects, lawyers and teachers are also included.
The National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC-Austria) is the official contact point in Austria for all cross-border recognition issues in higher education.
The BMBWF offers a wealth of information, links and contacts on the topic of recognition of foreign educational qualifications.
Here you can contact the contact points for people with qualifications acquired abroad. These support you with free and multilingual consultations and accompany you in recognition or assessment procedures. You can find the contact details at www.anlaufstelle-anerkennung.at (only in German).