Vienna City Guide

Driving in Austria Driver’s Licenses General information + Drivers caught by the police without a valid driving license will be fined and the driver might be banned from driving. The car might be confiscated on the spot. + Any damage caused by a driver holding an invalid license will not be covered by the liability insurance. + In general, in exchange for the Austrian driving license the foreign license will be kept by the Austrian authority and returned to the issuing authority. Driving licenses from EU countries + Driving licenses from EU countries do not need to be translated. It is recommended, however, that you either have your license translated into German or use your foreign license in combination with an international driving license. + Driving licenses from EU and New EU countries can be transferred into an Austrian license on a voluntary basis. Driving licenses from Non-EU countries + Non-EU driving licenses are valid for a maximum of six months, counting from the date of the first registration at the place of residence in Austria. A certified translation will have to be done right from the start and needs to be carried with the Non-EU driving license. The translation can be done by the ÖAMTC or the ARBÖ, two Austrian Automobile Clubs, for a fee of approximately € 15 to € 30 (only for driving licenses written in English). + Holders of Non-EU driving licenses will have to obtain an Austrian license when driving for a period exceeding six months. In most cases you will have to take a practical driving test. For the practical test, the holder of the foreign driving license has to provide a car of the corresponding car class. + Please note: Any driver’s license that needs to be transferred must have a date of issue on it, otherwise we advise you to obtain confirmation by the driver’s license office in your home country about the date of issue. It is required that the holder of the foreign driving license is 18 years old. + Depending on the country of origin of your driving license, however, a simple transfer might be sufficient and no practical test is required. + Practical tests are not required for the transfer for all classes for driving licenses issued in: Andorra, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey, Monaco, San Marino, and Switzerland. + Practical tests are not required for the transfer for car class B only for driving licenses issued in: Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, South Africa, South Korea (if driving license was issued after January 1, 1997), and USA. + If your license needs to be transferred and a practical test is required, it is advisable to apply for an Austrian license approximately 4-8 weeks after the first registration in Austria in order to receive the Austrian driving license in time. Processing may take 6- 8 weeks. + You can use your own car or company car for the practical test, or alternatively take the test via a driving school with their car. The driving school may ask you to take some lessons before taking the practical test. When using your own or company car, you will first have to attend a briefing lesson at a driving school in order to receive an approval document that allows you to take the practical test with your own or company car.

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Vienna City Guide