With a gorgeous landscape and a strong economy, life is good in Austria. Their political institutions are reliable and their government functions well at the consumer level. From the Alpine Mountains to Mozart in the city, it is hard to match Austria’s natural beauty and cultural sophistication. The fact that Vienna recently received 4th place in a global quality of life survey is a testament to that fact. Read more…

Austria’s position in the Better Life Index is the envy of most countries. They’re better than most in the quality of their environment, their overall level of education, physical safety and financial security, physical health and take-home pay. Of course, nobody (and no country) is perfect. There are a few things that Austrians could improve upon. Read more…

Sorry, Zurich and Munich: Vienna’s better than you (so says Mercers). According to their latest quality of living survey, Vienna is the. best place in the world to live for expats! Mercers analyzes 39 features in 440 popular cities throughout the world. Read more at  Read more…

Satisfying sites on lifestyle in Austria

numbeo.Austria      expatarrivals.austria        expatexchange.Austria     expatfocus.Austria 

Austria may cost a bit more for the typical expat, but it’s worth it. While the quality of life in Vienna is exceptional (as a number of global independent surveys and studies suggest), it quality doesn’t come at a cheap price. Of course, living in a small town in the country will save an expat teacher considerable money, and while they may not live in the epicenter of high society and culture, they will experience a charmed life amidst great natural beauty. Still, be warned. Basic staple expenses are high, particularly in regards to housing, food and transportation. Read more…

Satisfying sites on cost of living in Austria

Numbeo.Austria     Numbeo.Vienna      Expatarrivals.Vienna     

Climate

Summers in Austria are warm with temperatures averagely high at 25 degrees Celsius sometimes reaching above 30 degrees Celsius.  There is a surprisingly high chance of rain in summer compared with the Spring and Autumn months. Winter spans from December to February with a heavy chance of snowfall and most mornings will start with a heavy frost. Winter temperatures vary according to the region and altitude but can regularly fall below freezing. Generally the lowland areas of the North and East have a more continental climate having hotter summers and colder winters, whereas the south eastern areas have a Mediterranean climate.

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Visa Restrictions

If you are a European Union National you have the entitlement to work in any European Union country without needing to obtain a work permit. The only exception to this is if you are planning to work in Croatia where some restrictions can apply. However you should still investigate the consequences of working and the effect this will have on your benefits (health insurance, maternity/paternity, pensions, occupational accidents and diseases, death grants, unemployment, early retirement, family benefits), and the implications of where and how much tax you pay. The European Union offers this Tax advise at its Your Europe website. Once you have been in an EU country for more than 3 months you will be required to register your residence and obtain a residency permit.

If you are not a European Union National then you will require a work permit. The requirements for this often differ depending on your Nationality. For the latest up to date information for entry please visit Bundesministerin für Inneres website.

Safety and Security

The political and security status of countries around the world is constantly changing, to keep up with the current situation in any country please monitor the relevant Government websites and international news. The links below also provide useful indicators for prospective travelers:

The UK Foreign Office      US State Department       BBC World News         Al Jazeera       The Local