Living in Austria: the ultimate expat guide

Austria's geography and demography

The country is surrounded by eight European neighbors: Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. You will find some of the best skiing areas in the world in the southern and western parts of the country (Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia, and Vorarlberg), including some of the best ski resorts and densely forested areas.

A quarter of Austria's population (almost 9,1 million, the population has increased in recent years) lives in Vienna, and this is also where most expatriates' lives revolve around. In total, as many as one-third of all Austrians live in Vienna and Lower Austria.

Austria's economy

Austria's main economic, intellectual, and business activities are taking place in its capital city Vienna. But there is also an exciting cultural program and prestigious universities and colleges in the other larger and smaller cities such as Salzburg, Linz, Krems and Innsbruck. Companies and organizations have locations all over Austria.

Many international organizations (United Nations' institutions, NGOs, and energy companies) have their headquarters in Vienna. 

Big organizations and professionals benefit from Austria's access to the single European market, its proximity to emerging markets such as Hungary and the Czech Republic, an exemplary private banking system, and its continuous promotion of entrepreneurship with a special focus on social entrepreneurship. But Vienna successfully combines the past with the present, and from one moment to another, visitors get transported to a time when the palaces were filled with waltzers. 

Social life in Austria

Austrians are very respectful of their work-life balance, and this is something they are proud of — getting work done shouldn't mean sacrificing family time or staying in the office until late hours. They also find it reasonable to pay higher taxes when education and healthcare are covered and come at high quality. Austria is very rich in culture and home to many famous musicians and composers like Joseph Hayden, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Josef Strauss, and Herbert von Karajan. Some of the famous artists are Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Gustav Klimt whose art you can enjoy in one of the many museums like the Albertina and the Leopold Museum. 

This results in numerous prestigious music universities in Vienna. In the western part of Austria, there are the Alps, which aren't just beautiful to enjoy some fantastic days sliding down the slopes but are also home to many great athletes like ski racer Marcel Hirscher or Hermann Maier.

Quick Information

Capital: Vienna

Official Language: German Minority Languages: Burgenland-Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Romani, Slovenian, Slovak

Currency: Euro

Area: 83858 Km²

Population: 9,078,237

Calling Code:  43

Timezone: Europe/Vienna, UTC 1