Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

MOVING TO AUSTRIA

What makes Austria a difficult country for foreign residents to get started?

Austria generally ranks high in quality of living surveys, but it can be complicated for immigrants who move there. What makes Austria complex for new arrivals and how does it compare to its neighbours?

Published: 21 March 2023 15:01 CET
What makes Austria a difficult country for foreign residents to get started?
Vienna's Stephansdom, a symbol of the Austrian capital. (Photo by Matthew Yong on Unsplash)

Austria is considered one of the best countries in the world to live and work in. It is always placed high on quality of living rankings, has excellent public services and is generally a safe country. 

However, Austria is a challenging place to move to, as a new InterNations survey showed.

Austria ranked 32nd in the Expats Essentials List title “Where do Expats Struggle Most to Get Started”, just behind Brazil, Hungary and Denmark, and ahead of the Philippines, Cyprus and Hong Kong.

The top destinations for dealing with administrations, digital life, housing and language were Bahrain, UAE, Singapore, Estonia, Oman, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kenya and Canada.

The bottom ten were Malta, France, Czechia, Vietnam, Greece, Italy, Kuwait, China, Japan and Austria’s neighbour Germany.

READ ALSO: Reader question: Will Austria follow Spain in introducing a digital nomad visa?

The ranking took into consideration four main criteria. The first was digital life, which includes the availability of administrative services online, ease of obtaining high-speed internet access at home, ease of paying without cash, and unrestricted access to online services such as social media.

It also looked into housing, both affordability of housing and ease of finding a home for expats; administration topics, including ease of dealing with local bureaucracy, ease of opening a local bank account and ease of obtaining a visa. 

READ ALSO: Renting in Austria: How to find a furnished apartment

The fourth factor was language, considering ease of living without speaking the local language and the ease of learning the local language.

Language remains an obstacle

The immigrants interviewed for the InterNations survey found that getting started in the Alpine republic wasn’t easy. Besides its overall ranking of 32nd, it was in the bottom ten in two criteria: cashless payments (45th) and applying for a visa to move (43rd). 

READ ALSO: Why is cash so important to Austrians?

The lack of cashless payment options is particularly disturbing to foreigners, with 14 percent saying they are dissatisfied with it, almost twice as many as worldwide (8 percent). “You can rarely pay by card, and ATMs are hard to find,” said an Irish resident. 

They also struggle with the national language. Austria is a German-speaking country, but the many dialects can make it even more challenging to get around – even if you took German classes.

“The locals speak a dialect that I, as a foreigner, don’t quite understand. This makes me feel excluded sometimes”, said a survey participant from the UK. “I have taken German courses, but people here don’t speak as they do in the courses’, they added.

READ ALSO: ‘Brutal’: What it’s really like to learn German in Austria

Survey participants found it difficult to find their way around Austria without knowing the national language (39 percent), and 52 percent found it difficult to learn (compared to 38 percent worldwide).

On the other hand, the housing search wasn’t an obstacle for immigrants, according to the survey. The majority of respondents (56 percent) found it easy to find a place to live, which is slightly above the global average of 54 percent. They also consider housing affordable (47 percent are satisfied with prices, compared to 39 percent worldwide).

Austria’s administration receives mixed ratings: While opening a bank account is easy (14th), Austria ranks in the bottom ten for visa issuance (43rd): 31 percent of immigrants had difficulties obtaining a visa (vs 24 percent worldwide).

How does Austria compare?

When looking at the DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) region, Austria was right at the middle of the ranking, 32nd, while Switzerland ranked higher (20th), and Germany was the worst country to settle as an immigrant (52nd).

READ ALSO: 11 Austrian life hacks that will make you feel like a local

Switzerland was among the top ten (7th) regarding digital infrastructure and administrative issues, but Austria ranked 29th in the first and 27th in the latter (Germany was 48th and 36th).

Austria took the lead compared to its neighbours when it comes to housing, ranking 25th, ahead of Switzerland (44th) and Germany (47th).

Regarding languages, how well you can live without speaking the national language, or how easy it is to learn it, Switzerland ranked 30th, followed by Austria at 38th, and then Germany in the 49th spot.

READ ALSO: 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

LIVING IN AUSTRIA

‘Haushaltsversicherung’: How does Austria’s home insurance work?

'Haushaltsversicherung' is one of Austria's most popular types of insurance. It is not mandatory, but it is certainly worth evaluating, especially as it comes with many possible add-ons.

Published: 2 May 2024 15:22 CEST
'Haushaltsversicherung': How does Austria's home insurance work?

Austrians are certainly obsessed with insurance coverage, and one of the most popular and common ones is known as the “Haushaltsversicherung”—if you don’t have it already, you have certainly heard of it. Here’s what you need to know about household insurance.

Firstly, this insurance covers damages to “all movable objects within your own four walls,” as Austria’s Chamber of Labour (AK) explains. This includes furniture, carpets, and electrical appliances. It would also cover damages caused by fire, storms, water, burglary, and glass breakage. 

Certain types of insurance, such as private liability insurance or mandatory dog liability insurance, are almost always combined with household insurance—another reason why the Haushaltsversicherung is so popular in Austria.

READ ALSO: What kind of insurance do I need to have in Austria?

However, there are enormous differences in premiums and benefits, so experts suggest you check precisely what you need before taking out insurance. The AK also says you should talk to an insurance advisor to learn more about your specific case and needs, particularly if you have any valuables in your home. 

Additionally, they said: “It makes sense to check your policy every few years to ensure that you are properly insured. This guarantees that the sums insured and the risks included are up-to-date and sufficient”.

What should I keep an eye on when reviewing policies?

Of course, different companies have their own offers, and they are often highly customisable to fit your apartment and lifestyle—some things you need to be aware of, though.

Certain policies are tied to the size of your apartment, while others will have a lump sum regardless of the size of your place. Policies also usually differ depending on whether you live in an apartment or a house. 

While most insurance will cover glass breakage (such as when a hail storm breaks your window, for example), some might have it as an add-on (wahlweise mit Glasbruch). 

You may also add other types of insurance to your household insurance, the most common being mandatory dog liability insurance (Hunde-Haftpflicht), legal insurance (Straf-Rechtsschutz), and sports insurance.

READ ALSO: Should I take out insurance before skiing in Austria?

It’s worth it to read each policy, but you should know some common clauses beforehand. For example, insurance often won’t cover burglary costs if your house has not been properly secured and locked. This might seem obvious, but since door knobs don’t open from the outside without the key, people often leave their homes, especially for short errands, and don’t lock the doors all the way. Insurance and safety experts recommend you get in the habit of locking your home doors.

It’s also important to check if your insurance will pay you “Neuwert” or “Zeitwert” in case of damage. 

A Neuwert means the insurance will pay for a replacement object, regardless of how old the stolen or broken one was. However, many insurance policies still contain the so-called “Zeitwert”, something like “current value”, so you wouldn’t receive an amount that could pay for a new product. Instead, a loss of value of around 10 percent per year could be expected for most objects.

What should I do if there is damage to my home?

If you see any damage to your home from burglary, accident or other types, you need to notify your insurer immediately and report the damage you have suffered. 

The insurance conditions usually stipulate a maximum period of three days for reporting a claim in property insurance. The Chamber of Labour also recommends that you send a written notification of the claim (preferably by registered mail, they add).

“Make a list of all items that have been destroyed or lost and enclose it with your report to both the insurer and the security authorities”, they said. And, of course, in the event of fire burglary or robbery, always inform the fire department or police authorities.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The Austrian insurance for if you get sued – or want to sue someone

How long does the insurance last, and how much does it cost?

The insurance term is usually specified in the counteract. In general, though, you can terminate it after the third year with one month’s notice if the contract has not already expired.

If you move house or move abroad, you can terminate your household insurance contract. You can cancel the insurance the day before the move begins (preferably by registered letter).

If you do not exercise your right of termination, the insurance will remain valid during the move and in the new home.

Regarding prices, they can be as low as a few euros a month (such as insurance specifically tailored to students living in shared flats) to several hundred a month if you have a large place with plenty of valuables or include several add-ons. 

SHOW COMMENTS