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Can I travel to Austria if I’ve been vaccinated?

Hayley Maguire
Hayley Maguire - [email protected]
Can I travel to Austria if I’ve been vaccinated?
When can vaccinated travellers return to Austria? Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

As coronavirus vaccination programs around the world pick up speed, some countries are starting to open up to vaccinated travellers. Can vaccinated people now enter Austria?

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The short answer is yes - but it depends on where people are travelling from.

There are also border entry requirements in place to ensure the safety of visitors and residents, with differing rules for different countries.

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Who can travel to Austria for a holiday?

After losing the winter ski season to a long lockdown and a reduction in coronavirus cases, Austria has relaxed many restrictions in recent weeks.

This includes allowing some travellers to enter the country for a holiday - but only if they are from countries with a low-incidence rate.

EXPLAINED: The new rules for entering Austria

Currently, Austria has identified most European countries and a handful of worldwide countries, such as Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea, as “safe”.

The full list of countries can be found at austria.info.

This means travellers from “safe” countries can enter Austria for a holiday without having to quarantine - as long as they have spent the past 10 days in the specified countries.

Travellers must also show proof that they have been vaccinated, have a negative test (PCR or antigen) or recently recovered from coronavirus.

For people that cannot show proof, pre-travel clearance is required before travelling and they will have to take a coronavirus test within 24-hours of entering Austria.

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What about travellers from other countries?

For travellers from the UK, Brazil, South Africa and India where coronavirus variants have been detected, travel to Austria is only allowed for a limited number of reasons, such as for business and medical treatment, or for Austrian citizens and residents.

Travellers must register digitally in advance to get pre-travel clearance and will have to show proof of eligibility to enter Austria at the border, as well as a negative PCR test (antigen not allowed) from within the past 72 hours.

People travelling to Austria from these countries also have to quarantine for 10 days after arrival, with the option to take a coronavirus test on day five to end the quarantine early.

A return to normality in travel will be facilitated by Austria's green pass. Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

This means Austria is not open for tourism for travellers from these countries - not even for vaccinated people.

For travellers from other countries (third countries) similar rules apply and tourism is not allowed, but people can enter for business or medical reasons with pre-travel clearance. 

For travellers from third countries that are vaccinated or recently recovered from coronavirus, there is no need to quarantine. With a negative test, a 10-day quarantine is required.

In Austria, there is also a landing ban in place on direct flights from the UK, Brazil, South Africa and India.

Direct flights from South Africa and Brazil have been banned since January and India was added at the end of April. The ban on flights from the UK was reinstated on 1 June.

There is no confirmation on when the flight bans will be lifted.

What is happening with the Green Passport?

The “Green Passport” is a digital certificate that is being rolled out across the European Union to facilitate travel and free movement within the bloc.

The certificate will show whether a person has been vaccinated, has tested negative for coronavirus or has recently recovered and is expected to go live on 1 July 2021.

EXPLAINED: What is Austria’s Covid-19 immunity card and how do I get it?

Austria’s coronavirus digital immunity card (Green Pass) was due to be implemented earlier this month but it has been delayed. 

It will operate under the current 3G system (vaccinated, recovered or tested) and will be valid across the EU when the wider scheme is rolled out.

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