Your first 30 days in Vienna, a checklist

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Days 1 to 3 – register your address

   Register at any Meldeservice within three days of moving in, with the Meldezettel signed by your landlord or main tenant and your passport or ID card. Walk-in mornings run Monday to Friday 8:00 to 11:30; afternoons need an online appointment. Registration is free. See Registering your address in Vienna.

2. 2

   Step 2: Days 1 to 3 – save the emergency numbers

   Save 112 and 144 (ambulance), 133 (police), 122 (fire brigade), 1450 (health advice by phone, around the clock) and 141 (doctors' on-call service in the evening, at night and at weekends). See Emergency numbers in Austria.

3. 3

   Step 3: Week 1 – get a ticket and the WienMobil app

   A single trip in Vienna's core zone costs €3.20, or €3.00 when bought digitally (2026). If you will travel daily, the annual pass (Jahreskarte) costs €467 paid at once (€461 digitally), and a 31-day ticket €75 (€65.20 digitally). See Public transport in Vienna.

4. 4

   Step 4: Week 1 – Austrian phone number

   New SIM cards, including prepaid cards, must be registered with your identity: in a shop with an official photo ID, through your bank, or by video call, depending on the provider.

5. 5

   Step 5: Week 1 – bank account

   Open a current account once you have your registration confirmation; your employer and landlord will need your IBAN. Everyone lawfully resident in the EU has a right to a basic account. See Opening a bank account in Austria.

6. 6

   Step 6: Weeks 1 to 4 – residence documents

   • EU, EEA and Swiss citizens: book an appointment with MA 35 for the registration certificate; the deadline is four months after entry and the fee is €44 (2026).
   • Non-EU nationals: collect your residence permit card at MA 35 by appointment if it is not yet in your hands, and check its expiry date. Ask the residence authority whether you must complete the integration agreement.
7. 7

   Step 7: Weeks 1 to 4 – health insurance and the e-card

   If you are employed, your employer registers you with the health insurer before your first day and your e-card is sent to you, provided a photo is on file. Non-EU nationals usually have a photo on record from their residence permit; otherwise you may need to submit one at a photo registration point. If you are not employed, arrange insurance yourself. See Health insurance in Austria.

8. 8

   Step 8: Weeks 1 to 4 – electricity, gas and internet

   Check with your landlord whether electricity (and gas, if your flat has it) is already connected. You register supply with an energy supplier of your choice; you can compare offers with the E-Control tariff calculator. If energy has to be switched on for the first time, someone must be present with photo ID and a fee is charged. Read and photograph the meters on the day you move in.

9. 9

   Step 9: Weeks 1 to 4 – ORF contribution

   The ORF contribution (ORF-Beitrag) is charged per main residence: €15.30 a month for private households (2026), owed by an adult registered at the address, whether or not you own a TV or radio. New registrations since 2024 receive an annual payment slip; you can set up a direct debit instead. Changes go to the ORF-Beitrags Service (OBS).

10. 10

    Step 10: Weeks 1 to 4 – learn the waste rules

    Vienna separates paper, glass, plastic and metal packaging (yellow bin), organic waste and residual waste. Bulky items go to an MA 48 recycling centre (Mistplatz), where household quantities of recyclables are accepted free of charge. The city's Mist-ABC tells you where each item goes.

11. 11

    Step 11: Weeks 2 to 4 – ID Austria

    ID Austria is the digital ID for FinanzOnline, the online registration service and many other portals. Foreign citizens aged 14 or over register in person at a police directorate or a tax office, with an official photo ID, a current passport photo (not needed if you already submitted one for the e-card) and proof of a connection to Austria such as your registration confirmation or an employer letter.

12. 12

    Step 12: Weeks 2 to 4 – first contact with the integration services

    If you recently received a first residence permit, book a free StartWien orientation meeting with the city; it covers housing, work, education and German courses in many languages. EU citizens and everyone else can attend the free StartWien information events and use the ÖIF's German course information. See Learning German in Austria.

If you have children

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Signing a lease for a flat where you cannot register a main residence.
• Assuming your e-card will arrive automatically when no photo is on file.

Tips

• Make a short folder with your passport copy, registration confirmation, employment contract, rental contract and residence document; most offices ask for some of these.
• Book appointments online where possible; many Vienna offices only see visitors by appointment in the afternoon.

Official links

In your plan

• Set up electricity, internet and the ORF contributionAdd to plan
• Register for ID AustriaAdd to plan
• Get an Austrian phone numberAdd to plan
• Register your address at a MeldeserviceAdd to plan
• Collect your residence permit card at MA 35Add to plan
• Apply for your registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung)Add to plan
• Open a bank accountAdd to plan
• Save the emergency and health numbersAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 5 Feb 2027.