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POSTAL SERVICE

11 things you didn’t know you could do at an Austrian post office

Most people go to the post office to pick up orders, buy stamps or send letters, but there are actually other useful services offered that you might not know about.

Published: 8 March 2024 12:51 CET
11 things you didn't know you could do at an Austrian post office
The logo of Austrian post is pictured in Vienna on November 12, 2008. (Photo by SAMUEL KUBANI / AFP)

The postal service in Austria is called “Österreichische Post AG”, and it offers a lot of different services beyond the classical letter sending, stamp buying and package sending and receiving. It can be a useful place to go when you need help also with other things, such as applying for a passport or when you want to exchange your soda maker cylinder. 

Here we list 12 of the things that you can do when you visit a post office.

Receive and send money orders

Most post branches offer money order services, especially the larger ones. Here, you can send and receive secure payments to and from other people or businesses.

Go shopping

In Austria, most post offices sell a variety of items, and even if you mainly find boxes, envelopes, tape, and other packing supplies on the shelves, you can also lay your hand on office materials, chewing gums, wall frames and more. 

Pay bills

Some post offices allow you to pay your bills in person, which is perfect if you do not like e-banking services or mobile apps. You can pay your bills at the counter, and it is not uncommon to see people, mainly elderly people, pay their bills in cash.

READ ALSO: Why is cash so important to Austrians?

Access banking services

Some post offices allow basic banking transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and account inquiries. Larger ones often have self-service zones where you can find an ATM and withdraw money.

Apply for passports

At some post branches, you can submit your application for a new (Austrian) passport or renewal of a passport.

Access postal savings accounts

In some offices, you can create savings account services, such as deposit and withdraw funds.

Verify your identity

Many post offices offer identity verification services. This is useful for many different purposes, for example, if you want to open a bank account, apply for certain government services, or do legal transactions.

Post box at Vienna Airport in Austria. AFP PHOTO PIERRE VERDY (Photo by PIERRE VERDY / AFP)
 

Play the lottery

You can play the lottery in almost every post office and win items such as envelopes and scratch cards.

Get a parking permit

Paid parking permits are available at all postal branches in Vienna and its surrounding area.

READ ALSO: How much does it cost to post items within Austria and abroad?

Print a document

Most offices have a “Post Web Print service” where you can upload documents and print them out.

Change your soda maker cylinder

At most of Austria’s postal offices, you can exchange your empty CO2 cylinders for new ones and continue enjoying your sparkling water.

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For members

RENTING

Can I get out of a rental contract in Austria?

Have you viewed an apartment in Vienna o elsewhere in Austria and hastily signed a contract? Don't you like the apartment after all? These are your withdrawal rights in Austria.

Published: 23 April 2024 17:24 CEST
Can I get out of a rental contract in Austria?

In Austria, the rental market is highly competitive, with apartments often staying on rental platforms for short periods due to high demand and limited supply. This, coupled with brief apartment visits (sometimes with other prospective tenants) and the pressure to secure a place, can lead to hasty contract signings. 

Understanding your withdrawal rights is essential in such a market.

READ ALSO: Renting in Austria – The key things foreign residents need to know

If you signed a rental contract and then realised you don’t want the place, you might feel stuck in your contract. Austria does have really strict rules on contracts, so that “anyone who signs a rental offer makes a binding declaration that they wish to rent the apartment at a certain rate”, Austria’s Tenants Association says.

The real estate agent will also remind you that you cannot leave your contract, as you signed a contractual agreement (“verbindliches Angebot“, which means a binding offer). But what exactly are your rights then?

It’s all about timing

Basically it’s very tricky and almost impossible to back out after signing a rental contact in Austria.

According to Austria’s Chamber of Labour (AK), Austrian law is on your side – but only in a particular case. 

Under a consumer law that applies to all types of contracts, including rental agreements, you are protected against potential pressure from real estate agents and property owners. If you view an apartment and sign an agreement on the same day, you have the right to withdraw from the contract within the week. Furthermore, if the estate agent fails to inform you of your right to cancel, you can withdraw from the contract within one month.

READ ALSO: Shopping in Austria – What are your consumer rights when purchasing goods?

The Tenants Association is more critical and explains that withdrawal is only possible within the “narrow” limits of the Consumer Protection Act. “If you as a consumer submit your contractual declaration on the same day that you viewed the apartment for the first time, you can withdraw from your contractual declaration in writing within one week.”

If the offer was not signed on the day of the very first viewing, though, there is no right of withdrawal in Austria.

READ ALSO: Tenant or landlord – Who pays which costs in Austria?

If you have the right to do so, the most effective way to withdraw from a rental contract is to do it in writing, preferably by a registered letter, as explained by the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK). This not only provides a clear record of your intent but also empowers you to navigate the legal aspects of the process with confidence. 

If you signed the offer after the viewing, you don’t have the right to withdraw from the contract you signed. In that case, you could ask for a mutual agreement termination, seeking an amicable termination option with the landlord. Otherwise, you’d be bound by the contract, which in Austria usually means you’d have to stay for one year in the apartment and give three months’ notice before leaving.

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