'Life is about opportunities': Why people move to Austria
Austria is home to people from all over the world, but why do they move here in the first place? We asked readers of The Local to tell us more.
Austria is a small, land-locked country in Central Europe that is famous for classical music, stunning landscapes and a high standard of living.
But it’s also expensive, can be hard for foreigners to integrate and the varying dialects across the country make learning the language a challenge.
As in many countries around the world, there are pros and cons to living in Austria. But what makes it attractive to foreigners? And why do some people decide to stay?
This is what we asked readers of The Local and here’s what they had to say.
FOR MEMBERS: Tips for how to make friends in Austria from those who have done it
“I didn't know what else to do with my life"
When it comes to the main reason why people move to Austria, the most popular response at 30.7 percent was for work.
For many people that relocated for work, the decision was easy — especially for those that moved to Austria on a fixed-term contract and visa.
Liam, from the UK but currently based in Vienna, said: “I am single, it is close to the UK and life is about opportunities, so I thought, why not?”
Anna, who works as a language assistant in St. Pölten, but is originally from Northern Ireland, said: “It was fairly easy because it was an open-ended move, with a temporary contract, and I honestly didn't know what else to do with my life at that point.”
Work is the most common reason for people to move to Austria, according to the results of a survey by The Local.
But for others it was not an easy decision, mostly due to the language barrier.
Victoria from Canada said: “It surely was not an easy decision since I don’t speak German and moved here from Vancouver. But the urge to broaden my experience was stronger.”
Similarly for some, the move to Austria involved supporting a partner with a new job, which also made the decision harder.
As one respondent from the USA put it: “My wife had a great opportunity to work in Wien and further her career. No, it was not an easy one to make.”
Likewise, Corina from Romania said: “We weren’t looking to relocate, but an HR head-hunter reached out to my husband with an offer for a new position and he accepted it. It was hard to leave everything behind but so far, we don’t regret it.”
READ MORE: Which regions in Austria have the best (and worst) weather?
“I met the most wonderful person”
After work, the second most popular reason to move to Austria was to join a partner and 22.8 percent of respondents sais they followed their heart to the Alpine Republic.
Charlie Polenick in Klosterneuberg near Vienna moved to Austria from Hawaii a quarter of century ago and never left.
Charlie said: “I met the most wonderful person I'd ever known while living in Hawaii. She was from Vienna. We married, lived in Maui for several years, then moved to Austria "temporarily". That was 25 years ago, my wife died two years ago, but I find Austria a much nicer place to live than the USA for many reasons, so I remain here.”
Another respondent from Finland said: “It was during the pandemic, and I was living alone so I decided to move here to live with my boyfriend. It was an easy decision because I was already living abroad on my own, so it was nothing new to me.”
But when asked if Austria will be home for the long-term, she said: “I would like to, but it's very difficult to learn German here because of the dialect, and the people can be quite mean. I believe this would change if I learnt German, but it's demotivating when everyone I try talking to is mean to me or doesn't treat me well.”
However, for some that moved for love, the question of whether they will stay in Austria on a long-term basis was a difficult question to answer, with many torn between their home land and their adopted country.
As Lasy from South Africa put it: “Leaving your country of birth is never easy, no matter the reason.”
READ MORE: Austria ranked world’s ‘second least friendly country
“Our homeland is lost”
The survey results showed 21.9 percent of respondents moved to Austria for a better quality of life, with many leaving behind uncertainty, safety concerns or politics they didn’t agree with.
Velina in Vienna said she moved to Austria from Bulgaria for a “better future for our children”.
Milena from Serbia, but living in Salzburg, said she stays for the “healthy air, better quality of life” and intends to live in Austria permanently.
Whereas Charly from Poland went further and described his move to Austria as a “communism refugee in the 90s”.
A resident in Wiener Neudorf from South Africa, said: “After our son was born in 2018 in South Africa, we knew we had to move, not just for us, but for him too.”
But when asked if Austria is now home, she said: “Not sure if I will ever feel at home here.”
A respondent from Russia, who asked to remain anonymous, said they originally moved to Austria for an “opportunity to see the world, to know how people live”.
FOR MEMBERS: 23 essential articles to help you navigate life in Austria
However, when asked what keeps them here, the reply was: “Our family is here, work is here, friends are here and everything in our homeland is lost, no point of going back.”
For others though, the reason was simpler and boiled down to searching for a different lifestyle.
Rebecca Summers from the UK said: “Loved Austria and the way of life for many years. Retired and took the plunge. There is no reason presently for us to return.”
Another respondent from the UK said: “I love it here. I feel so safe, compared to Britain.”
Unsurprisingly, Brexit was also a reason for some British people to move to Austria.
Chris Sadowski in Vienna — who plans to stay in Austria — said: “Brexit was my motivation and the election of Johnson, and the Conservatives was the final straw.”
Nature, language, education and retirement
For the remaining respondents of the survey, 13.2 percent cited “other” as their motive for moving to Austria, with reasons ranging from the access to nature to wanting to learn German and a simple curiosity to explore the world.
This was followed by 8.8 percent who decided to study in Austria and 2.6 percent who relocated for retirement.
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Austria is a small, land-locked country in Central Europe that is famous for classical music, stunning landscapes and a high standard of living.
But it’s also expensive, can be hard for foreigners to integrate and the varying dialects across the country make learning the language a challenge.
As in many countries around the world, there are pros and cons to living in Austria. But what makes it attractive to foreigners? And why do some people decide to stay?
This is what we asked readers of The Local and here’s what they had to say.
FOR MEMBERS: Tips for how to make friends in Austria from those who have done it
“I didn't know what else to do with my life"
When it comes to the main reason why people move to Austria, the most popular response at 30.7 percent was for work.
For many people that relocated for work, the decision was easy — especially for those that moved to Austria on a fixed-term contract and visa.
Liam, from the UK but currently based in Vienna, said: “I am single, it is close to the UK and life is about opportunities, so I thought, why not?”
Anna, who works as a language assistant in St. Pölten, but is originally from Northern Ireland, said: “It was fairly easy because it was an open-ended move, with a temporary contract, and I honestly didn't know what else to do with my life at that point.”
But for others it was not an easy decision, mostly due to the language barrier.
Victoria from Canada said: “It surely was not an easy decision since I don’t speak German and moved here from Vancouver. But the urge to broaden my experience was stronger.”
Similarly for some, the move to Austria involved supporting a partner with a new job, which also made the decision harder.
As one respondent from the USA put it: “My wife had a great opportunity to work in Wien and further her career. No, it was not an easy one to make.”
Likewise, Corina from Romania said: “We weren’t looking to relocate, but an HR head-hunter reached out to my husband with an offer for a new position and he accepted it. It was hard to leave everything behind but so far, we don’t regret it.”
READ MORE: Which regions in Austria have the best (and worst) weather?
“I met the most wonderful person”
After work, the second most popular reason to move to Austria was to join a partner and 22.8 percent of respondents sais they followed their heart to the Alpine Republic.
Charlie Polenick in Klosterneuberg near Vienna moved to Austria from Hawaii a quarter of century ago and never left.
Charlie said: “I met the most wonderful person I'd ever known while living in Hawaii. She was from Vienna. We married, lived in Maui for several years, then moved to Austria "temporarily". That was 25 years ago, my wife died two years ago, but I find Austria a much nicer place to live than the USA for many reasons, so I remain here.”
Another respondent from Finland said: “It was during the pandemic, and I was living alone so I decided to move here to live with my boyfriend. It was an easy decision because I was already living abroad on my own, so it was nothing new to me.”
But when asked if Austria will be home for the long-term, she said: “I would like to, but it's very difficult to learn German here because of the dialect, and the people can be quite mean. I believe this would change if I learnt German, but it's demotivating when everyone I try talking to is mean to me or doesn't treat me well.”
However, for some that moved for love, the question of whether they will stay in Austria on a long-term basis was a difficult question to answer, with many torn between their home land and their adopted country.
As Lasy from South Africa put it: “Leaving your country of birth is never easy, no matter the reason.”
READ MORE: Austria ranked world’s ‘second least friendly country
“Our homeland is lost”
The survey results showed 21.9 percent of respondents moved to Austria for a better quality of life, with many leaving behind uncertainty, safety concerns or politics they didn’t agree with.
Velina in Vienna said she moved to Austria from Bulgaria for a “better future for our children”.
Milena from Serbia, but living in Salzburg, said she stays for the “healthy air, better quality of life” and intends to live in Austria permanently.
Whereas Charly from Poland went further and described his move to Austria as a “communism refugee in the 90s”.
A resident in Wiener Neudorf from South Africa, said: “After our son was born in 2018 in South Africa, we knew we had to move, not just for us, but for him too.”
But when asked if Austria is now home, she said: “Not sure if I will ever feel at home here.”
A respondent from Russia, who asked to remain anonymous, said they originally moved to Austria for an “opportunity to see the world, to know how people live”.
FOR MEMBERS: 23 essential articles to help you navigate life in Austria
However, when asked what keeps them here, the reply was: “Our family is here, work is here, friends are here and everything in our homeland is lost, no point of going back.”
For others though, the reason was simpler and boiled down to searching for a different lifestyle.
Rebecca Summers from the UK said: “Loved Austria and the way of life for many years. Retired and took the plunge. There is no reason presently for us to return.”
Another respondent from the UK said: “I love it here. I feel so safe, compared to Britain.”
Unsurprisingly, Brexit was also a reason for some British people to move to Austria.
Chris Sadowski in Vienna — who plans to stay in Austria — said: “Brexit was my motivation and the election of Johnson, and the Conservatives was the final straw.”
Nature, language, education and retirement
For the remaining respondents of the survey, 13.2 percent cited “other” as their motive for moving to Austria, with reasons ranging from the access to nature to wanting to learn German and a simple curiosity to explore the world.
This was followed by 8.8 percent who decided to study in Austria and 2.6 percent who relocated for retirement.
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