Austria
Österreich · Capital Vienna · € EUR · +43
Last reviewed 2026-05-10 by AI-draft → Semir K review. Always verify with official sources before travelling — see references at the bottom of the page.
Rules of the road
- Urban speed limit
- 50 km/h
- Rural speed limit
- 100 km/h
- Motorway speed limit
- 130 km/h
- Alcohol limit (BAC)
- 0.05 g/L (novice 0.01)
- Minimum driving age
- 18
- Headlights by day
- Tunnel
- Mobile phone
- Hands-free only.
- Dashcam legal
- No
- Radar detector legal
- No
- On-the-spot fines
- Yes
Child seats: Children under 14 / under 135cm need an approved restraint.
- Dashcams are heavily restricted on privacy grounds — recording other road users can attract a heavy fine.
- Speed-camera detectors are illegal — devices may be confiscated.
Mandatory equipment
- Warning triangle
- Required
- Hi-vis vest
- Required × 1
- First-aid kit
- Required
- Fire extinguisher
- Not required
- Breathalyser
- Not required
- Spare bulbs
- Not required
- Headlamp converters (RHD)
- Required
Snow chains / winter tyres: Winter tyres mandatory 1 Nov–15 Apr in wintry conditions. Snow chains required on signed mountain roads.
Hi-vis note: One vest per vehicle, accessible from the cabin.
- Carry the vehicle log book and insurance on the road.
Documents you must carry
- Licences accepted
- EU, UK, IDP, national
- International Driving Permit
- Not required
- Insurance Green Card
- Not required
- Vehicle registration (V5C)
- Required
- MOT certificate
- Not required
- UK licences accepted without IDP.
Emergency & breakdown
Fuel & EV charging
- Petrol 95 (avg)
- €1.66/L
- Diesel (avg)
- €1.65/L
EV plug standards: Type2, CCS, CHAdeMO, Tesla.
Major networks: Smatrics, Ionity, EnBW, Tesla Supercharger, Wien Energie.
- Strong rapid-charging coverage on the A1 and A2 routes.
Parking, congestion & low-emission zones
Parking disc: Required in some town centres — Kurzparkzonen in many cities — buy a Parkschein at trafiks or via app.
Low-emission zones
- Older HGVs (Euro 0–2) banned within Wien's IG-L zone. No charge for cars currently.
- Pickerl (TÜV) is the Austrian roadworthiness sticker — required on Austrian-plated vehicles, not visitors.
Ferries & major tunnels
Major tunnels
- Tauerntunnel (A10)~€13 · Single fee, on top of vignette.
- Karawankentunnel (A11 to SI)~€8 · Single fee, on top of vignette.
- Brenner Pass / Brennerautobahn (A13)~€11.5 · Special toll, vignette not enough.
- Arlbergtunnel (S16)~€12 · Toll road in addition to vignette.
- Multiple Sondermautstrecken (special toll routes) on top of the standard vignette.
Tolls & vignettes
- Toll system
- Vignette
- Operator
- Website
Austria uses a vignette (Pickerl) for all motorways and expressways. Sold as digital or sticker, in 1-day, 10-day, 2-month and annual flavours. Several tunnels and Alpine passes (Brenner, Tauern, Karawanken, Arlberg) charge an additional Sondermaut on top of the vignette.
Vignette required
- 1-day digital (light)€9.30
- 10-day (light)€12.40
- 2-month (light)€31.10
- Annual (light)€103.80
Pets & border crossings
Schengen-internal: minimal checks. From UK: AHC + microchip + rabies + tapeworm for dogs.
- Up to 5 pets per traveller for non-commercial movement.
References
- ASFINAG (motorway operator) — https://www.asfinag.at
- ÖAMTC — driving info — https://www.oeamtc.at
- Austrian Federal Ministry — Transport — https://www.bmk.gv.at
Profile version 1. Last reviewed 2026-05-10 by AI-draft → Semir K review. Rules change frequently — verify with official sources before travelling.