Settling in Vienna

Arrival and first steps

No visa for a French family: Austria is in the European Union, you enter with an ID card or passport. Registering your address, however, is taken very seriously, and every household member gets their own residence certificate.

Good to know

The whole household must register with the City no later than three days after moving in, and again at every move: this is the Meldezettel, the document you will then be asked for everywhere, from the bank to the Lycée français. Source
Registration is free at any Meldeservice in Vienna, whatever your district: the Meldezettel form signed by you and the landlord (Unterkunftgeber), passport or ID card, and for children the birth certificate plus the marriage certificate. Source
For a stay of more than three months, every family member applies for an Anmeldebescheinigung (EU registration certificate) at the MA 35, no later than four months after arrival; it has no expiry date and also applies to children born in Austria. Source
Conditions for the certificate: being employed or self-employed, or having sufficient resources and health insurance; a non-working spouse is covered by the other's situation. Forgetting is an administrative offence and can be fined. Source
Registration with the French consular register is free, valid five years and done online on service-public.fr: French ID card or passport, proof of residence in Austria, a recent photo, and for each child proof of parentage or parental authority. Source
Week 1, in order: Meldezettel for the whole household, bank account, health insurance registration through the employer (the e-card arrives by post), Kindergarten or school application, Anmeldebescheinigung at the MA 35, then the consular register. Source

Addresses

Section consulaire de l'ambassade de France à Vienne

Consulate

Wipplingerstraße 24-26, 1010 Wien (rez-de-chaussée)

Right in the 1st district, in the building that also houses the 'Vivre à Vienne' premises. Open Monday to Friday 8:45 to 12:15 and Wednesday afternoon 13:30 to 17:00; passports and ID cards by appointment, collections without appointment at set times.

Website Source

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

French families follow the Lycée: Alsergrund (9th) and the leafy north-western districts, Döbling, Währing, Hietzing. Vienna remains a capital where housing is reasonable, thanks to a tradition of regulated housing, but the private market has its own rules.

Good to know

The 9th district, around the Lycée français, is the French speakers' favourite and rents there are fairly high; expats also like the 2nd and 4th to 8th, while the 1st is hard to afford on a family budget. Source
More than 60% of the Viennese live in rent-regulated housing (municipal flats and cooperatives); newcomers almost always go through the private market, where owners rarely let directly and use agencies. Source
The agency commission (Maklerprovision) is paid by whoever commissioned the agent, so by the landlord in most cases; the deposit (Kaution) is generally three months' rent. Source
Fixed-term leases are the norm, often three years, with three months' notice; at the end, the landlord may ask for the flat back, and subletting is legal if you leave early. Source
Local pitfall: the Ablöse, a sum the outgoing tenant asks for furniture or works left behind. It is not refunded when you leave and some slip in renovations that are the landlord's responsibility: negotiate it, or decline. Source
The City of Vienna's MieterHilfe gives free housing-law advice to all Viennese, checks your lease and service charges, and publishes model contracts: a reflex before you sign. Source
Have the landlord sign the Meldezettel when you get the keys: without their signature you cannot register your address within the three days. Source

Addresses

Alsergrund (9e)

Neighbourhood

The district of the Lycée français (Liechtensteinstraße), the AKH university hospital and the Votivkirche: ten minutes from the centre, very popular with French-speaking families, rents to match.

Source
Döbling (19e)

Neighbourhood

Vineyards, villas and Heuriger wine taverns: the Lycée français nursery is in Grinzing, the American International School in Salmannsdorf. The leafy, upmarket family district, well served by tram.

Source
Währing (18e)

Neighbourhood

Between the Lycée and Döbling, a quiet residential district around the Türkenschanzpark, one of the city's loveliest parks for children.

Source
Hietzing (13e)

Neighbourhood

Schönbrunn park and the Lainzer Tiergarten as your garden, houses with gardens, the country's largest maternity unit (St. Josef): the south-west for families who want space.

Source
Leopoldstadt (2e)

Neighbourhood

The Prater and the Augarten for pushchairs, the Danube canal for bikes, the Institut français on Praterstraße: a young district, five minutes by metro from the centre.

Source
Landstraße et Wieden (3e et 4e)

Neighbourhood

The Belvedere, the Stadtpark and the central station: central, well-heeled, popular with expats from the international organisations, with the Franco-Austrian chamber of commerce on the Heumarkt.

Source
Donaustadt (22e)

Neighbourhood

Across the Danube: the Vienna International School, the Donauinsel, new builds and the Seestadt. More space for less money, at the cost of longer journeys to the Lycée.

Source

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Phone and insurance

A phone line is activated quickly with ID. On insurance, only one is compulsory, the car's; on the other hand, every household pays an automatic broadcasting fee as soon as it is registered.

Good to know

For the phone, a prepaid SIM is bought in a supermarket or tobacconist and activated with an ID; a contract plan requires an Austrian address and often a local account.
The broadcasting fee (ORF-Beitrag) is due for every address where an adult is registered as a main residence, television or not: the residence register data is passed on automatically, no need to sign up, the bill simply arrives. Source
If you bring your car, registration must begin within the first month of settling, with Austrian insurance, a roadworthiness test and, where applicable, the NoVA tax; a vignette is compulsory on motorways and expressways. Source
Home insurance (Haushaltsversicherung) is not compulsory but nearly universal; it usually includes family liability cover (Haftpflicht), which school and clubs take for granted.

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Banking and money

An Austrian account is opened quickly once your address is registered, and it unlocks salary, rent and direct debits. Day to day, Austria remains one of the most cash-loving countries in Europe.

Good to know

To open a current account, valid ID and proof of address are enough; in practice, the bank asks for the registration confirmation (Meldezettel), so do it in your first days. Source
As a legal EU resident, you are entitled to a basic payment account (Basiskonto), with a card, transfers and direct debits, without having to buy other products from the bank. Source
Until you have a Austrian account, your French bank card works just as it does at home: a payment or withdrawal in euros in another EU country must be charged as it would be in France. Still, check your card's terms before you leave. Source
Day to day, cash is still the most used means of payment at the till, and the vast majority of Austrians want to keep it; the debit card comes next, and paying by phone is growing mostly for small amounts. Always keep a few notes on you for markets, cafés and Heurigen. Source
To send or receive money with France, a euro transfer is enough: since 2025, euro area banks must offer instant transfers, at the same price as a standard one, and check the payee's name before sending. French school fees can therefore be paid from your French or local account. Source
Your French IBAN is valid throughout the SEPA area: an employer, landlord, school or energy supplier is not allowed to refuse it because it is not local. If it happens, point to the rule; it is European law. Source
Keep your French account, useful for taxes, insurance and holidays back home, but tell your bank you are moving: it becomes a non-resident account and some terms may change. Check before you leave. Source

Addresses

Erste Bank

Bank

Major Austrian bank of the savings bank group, Vienna branches and the George app.

Website Source
Bank Austria

Bank

Major retail bank of the UniCredit group, branches and a mobile app.

Website Source
Raiffeisenlandesbank NÖ-Wien

Bank

Cooperative bank of the Raiffeisen network for Vienna and Lower Austria, Mein ELBA app.

Website Source
BAWAG

Bank

Austrian retail bank, branches and a mobile app.

Website Source
Volksbank Wien

Bank

Regional cooperative bank, branches in Vienna.

Website Source
Revolut

Bank

Online bank (Revolut Bank, EU licence): card and app; the IBAN is Lithuanian, accepted for euro transfers.

Website Source
N26

Bank

German online bank open to residents: euro account with a German IBAN, card and app.

Website Source
bunq

Bank

Dutch online bank open to residents: euro account, app; physical card with the paid plans.

Website Source
Wise

Multi-currency account (Wise is not a bank): receive money from France, pay with the card, exchange currencies.

Website Source

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Setting up your home

Vienna has three IKEA stores, including a city store at the Westbahnhof, and almost everything can be delivered. Day to day, neighbourhood supermarkets and drugstores cover baby needs; second hand goes through willhaben and the French-speaking families' mutual-help groups when people move away.

Addresses

IKEA Wien Westbahnhof

Furniture and home

Europaplatz 1, 1150 Wien

City store next to the Westbahnhof, reachable by U-Bahn.

Website Source
IKEA Wien Nord

Furniture and home

Sverigestraße 1A, 1220 Wien

Large store north of the Danube.

Website Source
IKEA Wien Vösendorf

Furniture and home

Südring, 2334 Vösendorf

Large store south of Vienna, near Shopping City Süd.

Website Source
BILLA

Supermarket

Neighbourhood supermarket chain, with delivery.

Website Source
SPAR

Supermarket

Neighbourhood supermarkets and large INTERSPAR stores.

Website Source
Lidl

Supermarket

Discount supermarkets, many stores in town.

Website Source
dm-drogerie markt

Supermarket

Drugstore: nappies, baby food, toiletries and household products.

Website Source
Donau Zentrum

Shopping mall

Wagramer Straße 94, 1220 Wien

Large shopping centre in the 22nd district, on the U1 line.

Website Source
Westfield Shopping City Süd

Shopping mall

2334 Vösendorf-Süd

Very large shopping centre south of Vienna.

Website Source
G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf

Shopping mall

G3 Platz 1, 2201 Gerasdorf bei Wien

Shopping centre north-east of Vienna.

Website Source
MediaMarkt

Appliances

Appliance and electronics chain, stores and website with delivery.

Website Source
willhaben

Second-hand

Austria's classifieds site: furniture, pushchairs, bikes.

Website Source
Flohmarkt beim Naschmarkt

Second-hand

The city's weekly flea market, on Linke Wienzeile.

Website Source

Getting around with children

Metro, tram, bus, S-Bahn: the Wiener Linien network is dense, clean and punctual, and children ride free much of the time. A car is rarely useful in town, and parking is charged everywhere.

Good to know

Children travel free with an adult until the day before their 6th birthday, and within the Vienna zone one accompanying adult can bring as many little ones as they like; in Vienna, free travel runs until the start of compulsory school. Source
Up to 15, children pay half fare and travel free in Vienna on Sundays, public holidays and during Vienna's school holidays, on presentation of a document showing their date of birth. Source
From school age, the pupils' and apprentices' Top-Jugendticket covers all public transport in the Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland region from 1 September to the following 15 September: it is the secondary pupil's season ticket. Source
For adults, the Wiener Linien Jahreskarte covers the whole city; the KlimaTicket Ö covers all public transport in Austria, trains included, with a family option to bring up to four children aged 6 to 15. Source
Pushchair: most metro stations have a lift and newer trains a marked space by the doors; on trams and buses, board through the door with the pushchair pictogram and give way to wheelchairs.
Your French licence remains valid without a compulsory exchange, but the embassy strongly advises swapping it for an Austrian one; the digital licence on a smartphone is not recognised in Austria, keep the card on you. Source
All of Vienna is a paid short-term parking zone Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 22:00, two hours maximum with a ticket; residents apply for a Parkpickerl to park without limit in their district. Source

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Admin: e-card, taxes and the consulate

Health insurance follows employment, income tax is deducted at source and family allowance is claimed from the tax office: three counters instead of ten. The consulate remains your town hall for French papers and Lycée grants.

Good to know

The employer registers the employee with the public insurer (ÖGK for most); everyone receives an e-card, the Austrian social insurance card to show at every consultation, which also serves as the European Health Insurance Card. A small yearly service fee is charged for the card. Source
A non-working spouse and the children are attached to the insured person; each child has their own e-card, to bring to the paediatrician with the Eltern-Kind-Pass and the vaccination record. Source
Income tax (Lohnsteuer) is withheld monthly by the employer; the annual return (Arbeitnehmerveranlagung) is optional and mainly serves to recover overpaid tax, on FinanzOnline or with form L1, up to five years back; without any filing, the tax office sometimes does the sums itself. Source
Family allowance (Familienbeihilfe) is claimed from the Finanzamt Österreich with form Beih100; it is paid monthly into your account, by the 8th at the latest, with a per-child tax credit (Kinderabsetzbetrag) added automatically. Source
Municipal Kindergarten is free for children up to 6 whose parent has their main residence in Vienna, only meals are charged; open 6:30 to 17:30, main enrolment in November and December for the following September. Source
What the consulate does: passports and ID cards, civil status and nationality, consular register, elections, consular protection, and means-tested school grants for French children enrolled at the Lycée français de Vienne. Source
What it does not do: the Meldezettel and Anmeldebescheinigung are City matters (Meldeservice, MA 35), and the French State does not cover your health costs or a repatriation: check your cover. Source

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Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Vienna is a good deal for a family coming from Paris: more affordable housing, free childcare, free transport and museums for children. On the other side, the French school still charges fees and a few health items are not covered. No precise figures, but here are the orders of magnitude.

Good to know

Housing: cheaper than Paris or London for the same space, thanks to the weight of regulated rents, but the 9th around the Lycée and the 1st push prices up; allow three months' deposit on moving in. Source
Childcare: markedly cheaper. Municipal Kindergarten is free from 6:30 to 17:30 for Vienna residents, meals extra, where a Paris nursery weighs heavily. Source
Transport: free before 6, free on Sundays, public holidays and school holidays up to 15, and a yearly ticket for pupils; the adult pass remains reasonable and a family easily does without a car. Source
Culture: the federal museums, led by the Naturhistorisches Museum, are free for under-19s; the parks, the green Prater and the Donauinsel cost nothing. Source
School: state schools free; the Lycée français de Vienne charges fees but its yearly tuition remains far below the French lycées of London or Geneva, with compulsory lunches through to age 15 and possible AEFE grants. Source
Health: with a contracted doctor, no upfront payment; with a Wahlarzt, you pay and the insurer refunds only part. The tick vaccine and a few schedule vaccines remain at your expense. Source
Groceries and restaurants: comparable to France, with coffee and cake on top; the household broadcasting fee and the motorway vignette are the small lines not to forget.

Settling in Vienna

Arrival and first steps

Good to know

Addresses

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Housing: neighbourhoods and renting

Good to know

Addresses

Go further

Phone and insurance

Good to know

Go further

Banking and money

Good to know

Addresses

Go further

Setting up your home

Addresses

Getting around with children

Good to know

Go further

Admin: e-card, taxes and the consulate

Good to know

Go further

Budget: what costs more, what costs less

Good to know

Go further

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