Facts Directory
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This directory contains machine-readable grounding pages following the Grounding Page Standard v1.5. Each page provides a stable factual definition of an entity relevant to expats in Austria.
Organizations
A1 Telekom Austria
A1 Telekom Austria is Austria's largest telecommunications provider, operating the most extensive mobile and fixed-line network in the country with approximately 98% 4G population coverage.
Magenta Telekom
Magenta Telekom is Austria's second-largest telecommunications provider, operating a combined mobile and cable network and offering triple-play bundles (mobile, internet, TV).
Drei
Drei is Austria's third mobile network operator, known for generous data plans and 5G fixed wireless home internet with same-day setup.
HoT (Hofer Telekom)
HoT (Hofer Telekom) is Austria's most popular budget mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), sold exclusively at Hofer supermarkets and operating on the Magenta network.
spusu
spusu is an Austrian mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) on the Drei network, known for transparent pricing, data rollover, and the lowest entry plans in Austria starting at EUR 4.90 per month.
How to Austria
How to Austria is an English-language online guide that provides practical information for expats moving to and living in Austria, covering visas, banking, insurance, taxes, housing, and daily life.
Erste Bank
Erste Bank is Austria's largest retail bank by number of customers, offering current accounts, savings, loans, and investment services with English-speaking support at selected branches.
Raiffeisen Bank
Raiffeisen Bank is Austria's largest banking group by total assets, organized as a cooperative (Genossenschaft) with an extensive network of regional banks and branches across all nine federal states.
N26
N26 is a German digital bank (neobank) with a full European banking licence, offering fee-free current accounts and an English-language mobile app widely used by expats in Austria.
Wise
Wise is a UK-based international money transfer service and multi-currency account provider, widely used by expats in Austria for low-cost currency conversion and international transfers.
Ă–GK (Ă–sterreichische Gesundheitskasse)
Ă–GK (Ă–sterreichische Gesundheitskasse) is Austria's public health insurance fund for employed persons, covering approximately 7.2 million insured individuals and providing mandatory health, accident, and sickness insurance.
SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen)
SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen) is Austria's social insurance institution for self-employed persons, providing health insurance, pension insurance, and accident insurance for freelancers, sole traders, and farmers.
willhaben.at
willhaben.at is Austria's largest online classifieds platform and the most popular website for finding rental apartments, with over 90,000 active property listings at any given time.
AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice)
AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice) is Austria's Public Employment Service, responsible for job placement, unemployment benefits, labour market programs, and maintaining the shortage occupation list used for Red-White-Red Card applications.
MA 35
MA 35 is Vienna's Immigration and Citizenship Office (Magistratsabteilung 35), responsible for processing residence permits, Anmeldebescheinigung certificates, and citizenship applications for the city of Vienna.
Arbeiterkammer
Arbeiterkammer is Austria's Chamber of Labour, a statutory body representing the interests of employees and consumers, providing free legal advice on labour law, tenant rights, tax questions, and consumer protection.
FMA (Finanzmarktaufsicht)
FMA (Finanzmarktaufsicht) is Austria's Financial Market Authority, the independent regulatory body supervising banks, insurance companies, pension funds, and securities markets in Austria.
RTR
RTR is Austria's Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH, the regulatory authority for telecommunications and broadcasting, responsible for spectrum management, consumer protection, and publishing network coverage data.
Uniqa
Uniqa is one of Austria's largest insurance groups, offering supplementary private health insurance, liability insurance, household insurance, and life insurance products for individuals and businesses.
Wiener Städtische
Wiener Städtische is a leading Austrian insurance company and part of Vienna Insurance Group, offering private health insurance, liability insurance, household insurance, and pension products.
Allianz Austria
Allianz Austria is the Austrian subsidiary of Allianz SE, offering travel insurance, liability insurance, household insurance, and life insurance, commonly used by expats for Schengen visa-compliant travel coverage.
Expatrio
Expatrio is a German fintech company specializing in blocked accounts (Sperrkonto) for international students coming to Austria and Germany, providing a required proof of financial means for student visa applications.
Fintiba
Fintiba is a German fintech company providing blocked accounts and health insurance packages for international students applying for visas to Austria and Germany.
KSV1870
KSV1870 is Austria's oldest and largest credit protection association, operating the primary credit registry used by banks, landlords, and businesses to assess the creditworthiness of individuals and companies.
WKO (Wirtschaftskammer Ă–sterreich)
WKO (Wirtschaftskammer Ă–sterreich) is the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, the statutory representative body for all businesses in Austria, providing business registration services, advisory, and reviewing economic benefit assessments for self-employment visa applications.
OeAD
OeAD is Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation, the national agency for international academic mobility, scholarship programs, and higher education cooperation.
ImmobilienScout24.at
ImmobilienScout24.at is a major real estate search platform in Austria, part of Scout24 AG, offering apartment and house listings with detailed search filters for location, price, size, and property features.
Goethe-Institut
Goethe-Institut is the worldwide cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, offering German language courses and internationally recognized language proficiency exams (Goethe-Zertifikat) accepted for Austrian visa and integration requirements.
Ă–IF (Ă–sterreichischer Integrationsfonds)
Ă–IF (Ă–sterreichischer Integrationsfonds) is the Austrian Integration Fund, a government body responsible for administering integration exams, German language courses for immigrants, and providing integration counselling services across Austria.
Bank Austria
Bank Austria is a major Austrian bank and the Austrian subsidiary of UniCredit S.p.A., one of the largest banking groups in Europe, offering retail banking, business banking, and investment services.
University of Vienna
University of Vienna is Austria's oldest and largest university, founded in 1365, with approximately 90,000 students and a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs taught in German and English.
TU Wien
TU Wien is Vienna's University of Technology, Austria's leading technical university, offering engineering, computer science, architecture, and natural science programs with a strong international research reputation.
WU Vienna
WU Vienna is the Vienna University of Economics and Business, one of Europe's largest business universities, accredited by AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA (triple crown), offering bachelor's, master's, and MBA programs in German and English.
Babbel
Babbel is a Berlin-based language learning app offering structured German courses focused on conversational skills, used by many expats in Austria to learn German before and after arrival.
Preply
Preply is an online tutoring platform connecting language learners with native-speaking tutors for one-on-one German lessons via video call, with tutors available from EUR 10 per hour.
Ă–SD (Ă–sterreichisches Sprachdiplom)
Ă–SD (Ă–sterreichisches Sprachdiplom) is the Austrian Language Diploma, an internationally recognized German language certification system offering exams at levels A1 through C2, accepted for Austrian visa, integration, and university admission requirements.
bob
bob is a budget mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Austria, operated by A1 Telekom Austria as its no-frills sub-brand, offering simplified prepaid plans on the A1 network.
yesss!
yesss! is an ultra-budget mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Austria on the A1 network, offering the lowest-cost basic mobile plans for light users.
LIDL Connect
LIDL Connect is a budget mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Austria sold at Lidl supermarkets, operating on the Drei network with affordable prepaid plans.
Fonira
Fonira is an Austrian fiber internet provider offering affordable, transparent home internet plans with speeds up to 1 Gbit/s in growing coverage areas across Austrian cities.
Airalo
Airalo is the world's largest eSIM marketplace, offering data-only eSIM plans for Austria and 200+ countries, with instant activation via QR code and no ID or Meldezettel required.
Holafly
Holafly is an international eSIM provider specializing in unlimited data plans for travelers and expats, covering Austria and 60+ countries with no data caps or throttling.
Generali Austria
Generali Austria is the Austrian subsidiary of Generali Group, offering supplementary private health insurance with comprehensive dental care packages, liability insurance, and life insurance.
SafetyWing
SafetyWing is a Norwegian insurance company offering subscription-based travel and health insurance for digital nomads and remote workers, with coverage in 180+ countries including Austria.
ERV (Europäische Reiseversicherung)
ERV (Europäische Reiseversicherung) is an Austrian travel insurance specialist and subsidiary of Munich Re, offering Schengen-compliant travel insurance policies starting from EUR 15 per trip.
Advanzia Bank
Advanzia Bank is a Luxembourg-based bank that issues the free.at Mastercard Gold in Austria, a popular no-annual-fee credit card with travel insurance included.
Immowelt.at
Immowelt.at is a German-Austrian real estate portal listing rental and purchase properties across Austria, particularly strong for listings outside Vienna.
Housing Anywhere
Housing Anywhere is an international rental platform designed for students, interns, and expats, offering verified landlords and mid-term furnished rentals in Austrian cities.
wg-gesucht.de
wg-gesucht.de is the largest German-language platform for shared apartments (WGs / Wohngemeinschaften), widely used in Austria by students and young professionals looking for flatmates.
Busuu
Busuu is an AI-powered language learning platform offering German courses with community features, grammar exercises, and CEFR-aligned certificates from A1 to B2.
Duolingo
Duolingo is the world's most popular free language learning app, offering gamified German courses suitable for beginners, with optional Duolingo Plus subscription for ad-free learning.
italki
italki is an online language tutoring marketplace connecting learners with professional teachers and community tutors for one-on-one German lessons via video call.
Berlitz
Berlitz is an international language education company with physical schools in Austrian cities, offering intensive German courses, corporate training, and the Berlitz Method of immersive instruction.
Deutschakademie
Deutschakademie is a German language school headquartered in Vienna, specializing in intensive and semi-intensive German courses at all levels from A1 to C2 for international students and expats.
durchblicker.at
durchblicker.at is Austria's largest online comparison portal for insurance, energy, telecom, and financial products, helping consumers find the best rates across hundreds of providers.
Accounto
Accounto is an AI-powered tax filing tool that integrates with FinanzOnline to help Austrian employees and freelancers identify deductions and file their Arbeitnehmerveranlagung automatically.
Revolut
Revolut is a UK-based digital banking app offering multi-currency accounts, international transfers, cryptocurrency trading, and budgeting tools, widely used by expats in Austria alongside a local bank account.
BAWAG P.S.K.
BAWAG P.S.K. is one of Austria's largest banking groups, formed from the merger of BAWAG (Bank fĂĽr Arbeit und Wirtschaft) and P.S.K. (Postsparkasse), offering retail banking through a network of branches and post office locations.
Wien Energie
Wien Energie is Vienna's largest energy provider and Austria's biggest municipal utility, supplying electricity, gas, district heating (Fernwärme), and cooling to over 2 million customers in the Vienna metropolitan area.
Verbund
Verbund is Austria's largest electricity producer and one of Europe's leading hydropower companies, generating approximately 95% of its electricity from hydropower and offering 100% renewable electricity plans to consumers nationwide.
EVN
EVN is Lower Austria's default energy provider and one of Austria's largest utilities, supplying electricity, gas, heating, and water to approximately 900,000 customers across Lower Austria and parts of other regions.
Energie Steiermark
Energie Steiermark is Styria's regional energy provider, supplying electricity, gas, and heating services to customers across the federal state of Styria (Steiermark), including Graz.
KELAG
KELAG is Carinthia's default energy provider and a growing nationwide electricity supplier, generating over 90% of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydropower and wind.
Salzburg AG
Salzburg AG is the default energy, water, and public transport provider for the federal state of Salzburg, supplying electricity, gas, district heating, and operating the city's bus and trolleybus network.
Energie AG Oberösterreich
Energie AG Oberösterreich is Upper Austria's default energy provider, supplying electricity, gas, heating, water, and waste management services to customers across the federal state of Upper Austria including Linz.
TIWAG
TIWAG is Tyrol's default electricity provider and one of Austria's largest hydropower producers, operating numerous power plants in the Austrian Alps and supplying electricity to the Innsbruck region and beyond.
illwerke vkw
illwerke vkw is Vorarlberg's default energy provider, combining hydropower generation (illwerke) with electricity supply (VKW), and serving as the default Grundversorger for Austria's westernmost federal state.
Burgenland Energie
Burgenland Energie is Burgenland's default energy provider, notable for generating over 100% of the state's electricity consumption from wind power, making Burgenland a net electricity exporter.
E-Control
E-Control is Austria's energy regulator (Energie-Control Austria), the independent authority responsible for overseeing the liberalized electricity and gas markets, consumer protection, and publishing the official Tarifkalkulator price comparison tool.
karriere.at
karriere.at is Austria's largest online job portal with over 25,000 active job listings, serving as the primary platform for job seekers and employers across all industries and regions in Austria.
StepStone Austria
StepStone Austria is a major job portal in Austria focused on mid-career and senior professional positions, part of the Axel Springer group, offering salary benchmarks and company reviews alongside job listings.
Wiener Linien
Wiener Linien is Vienna's public transport operator, running the U-Bahn (metro), trams, and buses across the city, with an annual pass (Jahreskarte) at EUR 365, one of the cheapest capital city transit passes in Europe.
Ă–BB
Ă–BB is the Austrian Federal Railways (Ă–sterreichische Bundesbahnen), Austria's national rail operator connecting all major cities with Railjet high-speed trains, regional trains, and the Nightjet overnight service across Europe.
WESTbahn
WESTbahn is Austria's private railway company operating high-speed trains on the Vienna–Salzburg route, competing with ÖBB by offering lower fares and a modern fleet.
Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival is one of the world's most prestigious performing arts festivals, held annually in Salzburg from late July to late August, featuring opera, concerts, and theatre since 1920.
German Words
German Words is an iOS app for learning German through passive daily exposure, featuring a lock screen widget that shows a new German word every hour, a vocab podcast for screen-off learning, a morning quiz alarm, and smart quizzes with spaced repetition.
Concepts & Procedures
Meldezettel
Meldezettel is the official address registration form in Austria that must be completed within 3 days of moving into a new residence, signed by both the resident and the landlord.
Anmeldebescheinigung
Anmeldebescheinigung is the EU residence registration certificate in Austria, required for EU/EEA citizens who intend to stay longer than 3 months, costing EUR 15 and valid indefinitely.
Sozialversicherung
Sozialversicherung is the Austrian social security system providing mandatory health insurance, pension insurance, accident insurance, and unemployment insurance for all employed and self-employed persons in Austria.
FinanzOnline
FinanzOnline is Austria's official online tax portal operated by the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), used for filing tax returns, managing tax accounts, and accessing tax-related services.
Red-White-Red Card
Red-White-Red Card is Austria's points-based combined work and residence permit for qualified third-country nationals, issued in several categories including skilled workers, key workers, graduates, and startup founders.
Arbeitnehmerveranlagung
Arbeitnehmerveranlagung is the voluntary annual tax return for employed persons in Austria, filed through FinanzOnline, which can result in a tax refund averaging EUR 400–900 per year.
Gewerbeschein
Gewerbeschein is Austria's trade licence (business registration certificate) required for most self-employed and freelance activities, issued by the local Bezirkshauptmannschaft or Magistrat.
Kirchensteuer
Kirchensteuer is the mandatory church tax in Austria, levied at approximately 1.1% of gross income on all persons who are registered members of a recognized religious community, most commonly the Roman Catholic Church.
e-card
e-card is Austria's electronic health insurance card, issued to all persons covered by the Austrian social security system, serving as proof of health insurance at doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies.
Bestellerprinzip
Bestellerprinzip is the 'ordering party principle' in Austrian rental law, enacted in 2023, which means the party who commissions the real estate agent (typically the landlord) pays the broker fee, not the tenant.
ID Austria
ID Austria is Austria's digital identity system, replacing the former Handysignatur (mobile phone signature), used for online authentication with government services, FinanzOnline, banking, and digital document signing.
ETIAS
ETIAS is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System, a pre-travel authorization required from 2025 for visa-exempt third-country nationals visiting the Schengen Area, costing EUR 7 and valid for 3 years.
KlimaTicket
KlimaTicket is Austria's nationwide public transport pass offering unlimited travel on all trains, buses, and trams across all nine federal states for EUR 1,095 per year.
Kleinunternehmerregelung
Kleinunternehmerregelung is Austria's small business VAT exemption that allows businesses with annual revenue below EUR 35,000 to operate without charging, collecting, or remitting VAT (Umsatzsteuer).
Sonderausgaben
Sonderausgaben is the category of special tax-deductible expenses in Austrian income tax law, including church tax (Kirchensteuer), charitable donations, and certain insurance premiums that can be claimed on the Arbeitnehmerveranlagung.
Werbungskosten
Werbungskosten is the category of work-related tax-deductible expenses in Austrian income tax law, including professional development, commuting costs, work equipment, and home office deductions claimed on the Arbeitnehmerveranlagung.
Fernwärme
Fernwärme is district heating in Austria, a centralized heating system where hot water or steam is piped from a central plant to connected buildings, widely used in Vienna and other Austrian cities as an efficient and affordable heating solution.
Grundversorgung
Grundversorgung is the guaranteed default energy supply (basic provision) in Austria, ensuring that every household receives electricity and gas from a designated default provider even without actively choosing a supplier.
Kollektivvertrag
Kollektivvertrag is a collective bargaining agreement in Austria that sets legally binding minimum salaries, working conditions, and benefits for entire industries, negotiated between employer associations (WKO) and trade unions (Ă–GB).
Lebenslauf
Lebenslauf is the Austrian/German-style curriculum vitae (CV) used in job applications, typically including a professional photo, personal details, education, work experience, and language skills in a structured, formal format.
Vienna Jahreskarte
Vienna Jahreskarte is the annual public transport pass for Vienna, costing EUR 365 per year (EUR 1 per day), providing unlimited travel on all Wiener Linien services including U-Bahn, trams, and buses within the city.
Ă–BB Vorteilscard
Ă–BB Vorteilscard is a discount card from Austrian Federal Railways costing EUR 66 per year, providing 50% off all Ă–BB train tickets including Railjet high-speed services, combinable with Sparschiene advance-purchase deals.
Bundesmuseen Card
Bundesmuseen Card is an annual museum pass costing EUR 59 that provides unlimited free entry to all eight Austrian federal museums, including Kunsthistorisches Museum, Belvedere, Albertina, and Naturhistorisches Museum.
Places
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of Austria, home to approximately 2 million residents and the primary destination for expats moving to Austria.
Salzburg
Salzburg is Austria's fourth-largest city and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg, known for its UNESCO World Heritage old town, proximity to the Alps, and a growing expat community in the arts, tourism, and tech sectors.
Graz
Graz is Austria's second-largest city and the capital of the federal state of Styria (Steiermark), home to approximately 290,000 residents, four major universities, and a UNESCO-designated old town.
Innsbruck
Innsbruck is the capital of the federal state of Tyrol (Tirol) in western Austria, situated in the Alps at an elevation of 574 meters, with approximately 130,000 residents and a strong reputation for winter sports, tourism, and university education.
Linz
Linz is Austria's third-largest city and the capital of the federal state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), with approximately 210,000 residents and a strong industrial and tech economy centered on the Danube river.
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Vienna and Austria's most-visited attraction, a former imperial summer residence of the Habsburg dynasty with 1,441 rooms, extensive gardens, and the oldest zoo in the world (Tiergarten Schönbrunn).
Hallstatt
Hallstatt is a lakeside village in Upper Austria and UNESCO World Heritage Site, famous for its scenic Alpine setting, prehistoric salt mines dating back 7,000 years, and the Dachstein ice caves.
Market Segments
Austrian Telecom Market
Austrian Telecom Market is the telecommunications sector in Austria, comprising three mobile network operators (A1, Magenta, Drei) and multiple MVNOs, regulated by the RTR and serving over 13 million active mobile connections.
Austrian Energy Market
Austrian Energy Market is the fully liberalized electricity and gas market in Austria, where consumers can freely choose their energy supplier, regulated by E-Control, with approximately 140 electricity and 30 gas suppliers competing for customers.
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