📝 Registering your address
Register your address within 3 days, get your Meldebestätigung, then sort the EU certificate, e-card, tax number and ID Austria in the right order.
Registering your address in Austria in numbers
Everyone who lives in Austria must register their address, Austrians and foreigners alike. This is the first official step after you move in, and almost everything else depends on it. Updated November 2026.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
The Meldezettel: registering where you live
The Meldezettel (registration form) tells the authorities where you live. Austria calls this duty Meldepflicht (duty to register). It applies from the first day, whether you come from abroad or move within Austria.
The rules
- Register within 3 days after you move in.
- The clock starts when you actually move in, not when you sign the lease or get the keys.
- You cannot register before you move in.
- Registration is free.
- Each person fills in their own form, including children.
- Fax and email registrations are not possible.
What you bring
- The completed Meldezettel, one per person. You can download it as a PDF from oesterreich.gv.at or wien.gv.at.
- The signature of your Unterkunftgeber (host): the owner, property management (Hausverwaltung) or main tenant.
- Your valid passport or ID card. Non-Austrians must show a travel document.
- A birth certificate for children, and proof of academic titles if you want them shown.
Main residence or secondary residence?
| Type | German | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Main residence | Hauptwohnsitz | The place that is the centre of your life. You can have only one. Your EU registration certificate and your voting rights depend on it. |
| Secondary residence | Nebenwohnsitz | Any extra home where you also live, for example a weekday flat in Vienna while your family home stays elsewhere. You can have several. |
Where you register
Vienna
Go to any Meldeservice (registration service centre) at a Magistratisches Bezirksamt (municipal district office). You can choose any district, not only your own. Book an appointment online at wien.gv.at to avoid waiting.
Other federal states
You register at the Gemeindeamt (municipal office) of your new town. In statutory cities such as Graz, Linz, Salzburg or Innsbruck, the Magistrat (city administration) handles it.
Online
With ID Austria or EU Login you can register online at oesterreich.gv.at. This only works if you were registered in Austria before. For your first registration, go in person or send the form by post.
Missing the deadline is an administrative offence with a fine of up to €726, or up to €2,180 for repeat offences. Registering at an address where you do not really live (Scheinmeldung) is also punishable. General information, not legal advice.
The Meldebestätigung and why you need it
When you register, you receive a Meldebestätigung (confirmation of registration). People still often call it „the Meldezettel“. Keep it safe. You will show it again and again in your first months.
You often need it for
- The EU registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) or a residence permit
- Opening a bank account
- Your e-card and health insurance
- Registering for ID Austria
- Registering a car or getting a parking permit
- School and kindergarten places for your children
- Phone and internet contracts
Extra copies
Your first confirmation is free. If you need a new copy later, you have two options.
- In person: ask at any registration office with your photo ID. In Vienna, a copy costs a €3 federal charge plus a €21 fee if it is not addressed to a specific authority.
- Online: download it at oesterreich.gv.at with ID Austria or EU Login. You pay by card or online banking.
- Copies for social insurance institutions are free.
Fees as published by the City of Vienna and oesterreich.gv.at in 2026. Check the official pages before you go.
Changing and deregistering your address
Each move inside Austria and each move out of Austria needs a new entry in the Central Register of Residents (ZMR). The same 3-day rule applies.
| Situation | What you do | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Move to a new flat in Austria | Register the new address (Anmeldung). The office can deregister your old address in the same step, so you do not need a separate visit. | Within 3 days after moving in |
| Change main and secondary residence | Change the status of an address (Ummeldung), for example when your Vienna flat becomes your main home. | When your situation changes |
| Move out without a new Austrian address | Deregister (Abmeldung). Only your own signature is needed, not the landlord’s. | 3 days before to 3 days after moving out |
| Leave Austria | Deregister in person, by post or online with ID Austria. Keep the confirmation for your new country, your bank and your insurer. | 3 days before to 3 days after moving out |
The Anmeldebescheinigung (registration certificate)
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a residence permit. If you stay longer than 3 months, you must apply for an Anmeldebescheinigung (registration certificate) within 4 months of arrival. It confirms your right to live in Austria.
Who qualifies
- Employees and self-employed people
- People who do not work, such as retirees, with enough money and comprehensive health insurance
- Students and trainees at a recognised school or institution, with enough money and comprehensive health insurance
- Family members of the people above
What you bring
- Valid passport or ID card
- Your Meldebestätigung
- Employees: employment contract or confirmation from your employer
- Self-employed: proof such as your tax number or a GISA extract (trade register)
- Not working: proof of funds (bank statements, pension) and health insurance
- Students: enrolment confirmation, proof of funds and health insurance
- Family members: marriage or birth certificate
| Detail | Vienna | Other federal states |
|---|---|---|
| Where | MA 35 (Immigration and Citizenship), EEA unit. Book an appointment online at wien.gv.at. | Bezirkshauptmannschaft (district authority) or the Magistrat in statutory cities. In Graz, the Styrian Provincial Government. |
| How | In person | In person |
| Fee | €44 | €44 |
| Deadline | 4 months after arrival | 4 months after arrival |
| Validity | No expiry date | No expiry date |
Swiss citizens
The same rules apply to you. You apply for the same Anmeldebescheinigung, with the same documents, deadline and fee. Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are treated the same way.
After 5 years
After 5 years of lawful, continuous residence, you can apply for a certificate of permanent residence (Bescheinigung des Daueraufenthalts).
Non-EU citizens
You register with a Meldezettel too, but you need a residence permit instead of the Anmeldebescheinigung. See our guide to residence permits.
Applying after the 4-month deadline is an administrative offence with a fine of up to €250. If your certificate is not issued, you can claim the fee back from the tax office. General information, not legal advice.
e-card, tax number and ID Austria
Once your address is registered, the next three building blocks follow: health insurance with your e-card, access to the tax office, and your digital ID.
e-card and social insurance number
If you are employed, your employer must register you with the health insurer before your first working day. That gives you your Sozialversicherungsnummer (social insurance number). Your e-card (health insurance card) arrives by post within about 14 days. Self-employed people are insured with the SVS.
Tax number and FinanzOnline
As an employee, your employer pays your wage tax. To file a tax return later, you log in to FinanzOnline, the tax office portal. If you start a business, tell the tax office within one month with form Verf 24. You then get a 9-digit Steuernummer (tax number).
ID Austria
ID Austria is your digital ID for online services such as FinanzOnline and online registration. Foreign nationals aged 14 or older register at a regional police headquarters (Landespolizeidirektion). It is free.
Your e-card
- Cards for people aged 14 and over show a photo.
- If no Austrian register holds a photo of you, you bring a passport photo, your social insurance number and your passport to an e-card registration point.
- The e-card service fee for 2026 is €25. Your employer deducts it in November of the year before.
- Co-insured family members do not pay the fee.
- Read more in our health insurance guide.
ID Austria for foreign nationals
- Pre-register online: use the number of your passport or ID card.
- Install the app: you need Digitales Amt on a smartphone with fingerprint or face recognition.
- Book an appointment: at a Landespolizeidirektion.
- Bring documents: passport or ID card, a recent passport photo and proof that you live in Austria, such as your Meldebestätigung or employment contract.
- Activate: finish the setup in the app.
Tax thresholds for self-employed people 2026: a tax number is issued once expected income exceeds €13,539 (without employment income) or turnover exceeds €55,000. You must notify the tax office of a new business even below these amounts. General information, not tax advice.
Voting rights for EU citizens
As an EU citizen with your main residence in Austria, you can vote in some elections. Your Hauptwohnsitz decides where.
| Election | EU citizens | How you get on the list |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal council (Gemeinderat), outside Vienna | Yes | Generally automatic at your main residence |
| District council (Bezirksvertretung), Vienna | Yes | Generally automatic at your main residence |
| Vienna city council and state parliament | No | Austrian citizens only |
| European Parliament | Yes, for Austrian or home-country MEPs | Apply for the Europa-Wählerevidenz (EU voter register). In Vienna, MA 62 handles it. |
| National parliament and federal president | No | Austrian citizens only |
These rights are for EU citizens only. Swiss citizens and citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway cannot vote in Austrian municipal elections.
Your first 30 days: the right order
Many offices ask for a document you get from another office. Follow this order and you avoid running in circles. For the full move, see our moving checklist.
- Before you move: get your lease or sublet confirmed and check that the host will sign the Meldezettel. Order translations of marriage and birth certificates.
- Day 1–3: move in, fill in the Meldezettel, get the host’s signature and register. Take your Meldebestätigung home.
- Week 1: open a bank account with your passport and Meldebestätigung.
- Before your first working day: your employer registers you with the health insurer. Self-employed people register with the SVS.
- Week 2–3: your e-card arrives. If you have no photo in an Austrian register, take one to an e-card registration point.
- Week 2–4: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens book the Anmeldebescheinigung appointment. Book early. You have 4 months.
- Week 3–4: apply for ID Austria at a Landespolizeidirektion.
- Within 1 month of starting a business: notify the tax office with Verf 24, ideally through FinanzOnline.
- Then: register for the EU voter register if you want to vote in European elections in Austria.
Useful German words
These words appear on forms, signs and appointment pages.
| German | English | When you need it |
|---|---|---|
| Meldezettel | Registration form | Registering your address |
| Meldebestätigung | Confirmation of registration | Bank, insurance, permits |
| Meldepflicht | Duty to register | The 3-day rule |
| Hauptwohnsitz | Main residence | Filling in the Meldezettel |
| Nebenwohnsitz | Secondary residence | A second home in Austria |
| Unterkunftgeber | Host, landlord, main tenant | The signature on the form |
| Anmeldung / Abmeldung | Registration / deregistration | Moving in and out |
| Ummeldung | Change of registration | Switching main and secondary residence |
| Anmeldebescheinigung | Registration certificate | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens after 3 months |
| Magistratisches Bezirksamt | Municipal district office | Registering in Vienna |
| Sozialversicherungsnummer | Social insurance number | Work, e-card, doctors |
| Steuernummer | Tax number | Self-employment, tax returns |
Frequently asked questions
How do I register my address in Vienna?
Fill in the Meldezettel, have your landlord or main tenant sign it, and take it with your passport or ID card to any Meldeservice at a district office (Magistratisches Bezirksamt). Booking an appointment online saves waiting time. Registration is free and you get your Meldebestätigung on the spot.
How long do I have to register my address in Austria?
You must register within 3 days after you move in. The deadline starts on the day you actually move in, not when you sign the lease or get the keys. You cannot register before you move in.
Does it cost anything to get a Meldezettel in Austria?
No. Registering, changing and deregistering your address is free. You also get your first Meldebestätigung free. Only extra copies of the confirmation cost a fee.
What happens if I register my address late in Austria?
Missing the deadline is an administrative offence. The fine can be up to 726 euros, and up to 2,180 euros for repeat offences. Registering at an address where you do not really live is also punishable. If you are late, register as soon as you can.
What if my landlord will not sign my Meldezettel?
The person who provides your home must sign the form, for example the owner, the property management or the main tenant. Ask before you sign a lease or sublet whether you can register there. If the host still refuses, ask your registration office about your options.
Do EU citizens need a residence permit in Austria?
No. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need a residence permit. If you stay longer than 3 months, you must apply for a registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) within 4 months of arrival. It costs 44 euros. In Vienna you apply at MA 35.
How do I get ID Austria as a foreigner?
You need to live in Austria and be at least 14. Foreign nationals register at a regional police headquarters (Landespolizeidirektion). Bring your passport or ID card, a recent passport photo and proof that you live in Austria, such as your Meldebestätigung or employment contract. You also need a smartphone with the Digitales Amt app. ID Austria is free.
Can EU citizens vote in Vienna?
Yes, in district council elections (Bezirksvertretungswahlen) if your main residence is in Vienna. EU citizens cannot vote in the Vienna city council election because it is also a state election. In other federal states, EU citizens vote in municipal council elections. You can also vote in European Parliament elections in Austria.
- City of Vienna: residence registration, deadlines and fees
- oesterreich.gv.at: registering a main or secondary residence
- oesterreich.gv.at: deregistering a residence
- oesterreich.gv.at: Meldebestätigung and fees
- oesterreich.gv.at: registration certificate for EU and Swiss citizens
- oesterreich.gv.at: EEA and Swiss citizens, residence over 3 months
- BH Landeck (via St. Anton): EEA registration 2026, documents and fine
- oesterreich.gv.at: e-card, photo and service fee
- Work in Austria: health insurance and e-card
- USP: employer registration of employees
- WKO: Verf 24 and tax number for new businesses
- BMF: FinanzOnline, ID Austria and two-factor login (2026)
- Digital Austria: ID Austria registration
- Work in Austria: ID Austria for non-citizens
- oesterreich.gv.at: voting rights for EU citizens
Rules change. Check the official source before you apply.