This report was last updated on January 24th. We make every effort to ensure the information is correct, but we cannot issue legal advice. Links to official authorities are provided at the end of the article.
The circumstances under which you can enter Austria depend on your reason for travel, and on your vaccination or recovery status. As of January 24th, there is no longer any distinction based on which country you travel from after Austria scrapped its virus variant list -- but note that this has been scrapped and reinstated at different points during the pandemic, so this could change.
To enter Austria as a tourist, the basic rule is that you need proof of 2G (two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine or recovery from the virus) as well as either proof of a booster dose or a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours on entry to Austria. This is called the 2G+ rule.
There are some cases in which you're exempt from these requirements, so we'll go into more detail below.
What are the rules for entering Austria?
Austria has used three different sets of regulations throughout the pandemic: low incidence countries, virus variant countries, and all others. As of January 24th, countries are no longer divided in this way and the same rules apply regardless of where you're travelling from.
In general, the 2G+ rule applies.
This means you need proof of 2G (a full course of a Covid-19 vaccine or recovery from the virus within the last 180 days) in order to enter Austria.
In order to enter without needing to quarantine or fill out a pre-travel clearance form, you also need proof of a booster dose or a negative PCR test result no older than 72 hours on arrival to meet the 2G+ requirement.
If you meet the 2G requirement but do not have a booster or negative PCR result, then you need to fill out the pre-travel clearance form before travel and enter quarantine on arrival, which can be ended after receiving a negative PCR test result. If you recovered from Covid-19 after receiving a full course of vaccination, you do not need to show a negative PCR test result.
Only a few groups are allowed to enter Austria without 2G proof, including Austrian and EU residents, as well as pregnant women and people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. For regular commuters to Austria (people who travel at least once for work, study or family reasons), the 3G rule applies, meaning they can show a PCR test or antigen test instead of 2G proof.
Low incidence countries and virus variants
Previously, Austria has had more lenient rules for certain countries judged to be 'low incidence' (mostly those inside the Schengen region, but also around a dozen from further afield, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Vietnam and Singapore) and stricter rules for countries labelled as 'virus variant countries'.
As of January 24th, these distinctions do not apply.
What applies to children?
Children aged 12 and under do not need to show any entry proof.
Children up to the age of 17 are able to enter Austria without needing to quarantine if they are accompanied by fully vaccinated or recovered adults, but between the ages of 12 to 17 they still need to have their own proof of 3G.
In general, children should follow the same rules regarding quarantine and pre-travel clearance forms as the adult they are travelling with.
What's the pre-travel clearance form?
In some cases, you will need to fill out a pre-travel form giving details about your personal information and the duration and location of your stay. You can find an English-language online version of the form here.
Which vaccines are accepted?
In Austria, for entry purposes you are considered fully vaccinated after your second shot of a two-shot vaccine (or 22 days after the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine -- this is different from the domestic 2G rules, for example to enter hotels or restaurants, where one dose of Johnson and Johnson is not considered as full vaccination).
Proof of vaccination is considered valid for 270 days after your second shot, after which you need to have proof of a third dose in order to enter using proof of vaccination. This is also valid for 270 days. This is also different from the domestic 2G rules, where a second dose will only be valid for 180 days as of February 1st 2022 although the booster is valid for 270 days.
To enter Austria, you must have been vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine or one approved from the WHO. Again, this is different from the domestic rules for 2G, which only accept EMA-approved vaccines as valid proof of vaccination.
The WHO approval requirement means vaccines from more manufacturers are accepted. This includes:
Comirnaty (BioNtech/Pfizer), Vaxzevria/AstraZeneca, and Covishield from Serum Institute of India COVID-19, Vaccine Janssen from Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Moderna, Sinopharm SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated (InCoV) and Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine, SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated.
Where can I find more?
FAQ on travel rules to Austria from the Health Ministry
Austria’s pre-travel clearance form in English
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