Customs Regulations

Entering Austria from an EU Country
Entering Austria from a member state of the European Union: In general, customs controls are no longer made; however, spot checks are possible at any time. If you come to Austria directly from another EU country by air you can use the exit for EU travelers. If you come to Austria from a country outside the EU, or your plane had a stopover in a country outside the EU, you have to comply with entry regulations for passengers arriving from a non-EU country.
Custom Allowances
If you pass customs you need to declare the following goods, i.e. fill in a declaration form: Goods that are not for your personal use, goods acquired outside the EU, goods exceeding the limits for imports of tobacco, alcoholic beverages, perfumes, eau de toilette, coffee, tea, prescription drugs and other goods, and banned or restricted goods.
Duty-Free Allowances
The following goods for your personal use or as gifts are duty-free and may be imported and carried in your luggage (there are exceptions for imports from Samnaun Valley and border traffic):
Tobacco Products (from the age of 17 years): 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos (cigars with a maximum weight of 3 grams each) or 250 grams of tobacco or a proportionate selection of these products.
Exceptions for Poland, Slovakia and Hungary: 200 cigarettes

Alcoholic Beverages (from the age of 17 years): 1 liter of distilled beverages and spirits with an alcoholic content of more than 22% or 2 liters of distilled beverages and spirits, aperitifs made of wine, sake or similar beverages with an alcoholic content of 22% or less; sparkling wine, liqueur or a proportionate selection of these products;
Non-sparkling Wines: 2 liters;
Perfumes: 50 grams and eau de toilette: 0.25 liters
Prescription Drugs: For your personal use for the duration of your journey. Other Goods than the before-mentioned: Up to a worth of EUR 175.00 per traveler.

Gold – Gold Bars – Gold Coins: For raw or not yet completely processed gold (also platinized), gold plated objects on base metals and silver, and gold powder import turnover tax needs to be paid.
But: Gold bars or gold plates with a weight accepted by the gold markets and a purity of 995 ‰ and certain gold coins are exempt from import turnover tax. This applies also for quantities exceeding the duty free allowance of EUR 175.00.

Coffee and Tea: For coffee and tea and their extracts and essences import turnover tax exemption is limited to: 500 grams of coffee or 200 grams of coffee extracts and essences (from the age of 15 years) and 100 grams of tea or 40 grams of tea extracts and essences. If you have e.g. already made use your tax allowance of EUR 175.00 with other products and therefore need to pay duty for the exceeding 100 grams of tea, this quantity of tea is nevertheless exempt from import turnover tax.

Please Note: Travelers may not add up their tax allowances; it is e.g. not possible to import a product worth EUR 350.00 duty-free if you are two travelers. The mentioned allowances can only be claimed once per calendar day.
Entering Austria from a Non-EU Country
If you come to Austria from a country outside the EU (a state which is not a member of the European Union), you have to go through customs. You must speak to a customs officer if you have goods to declare; if you have commercial goods; if you have exceeded your allowances; if you have banned and restricted goods; and if you have products that are over the limits for imports from that country. If you do not, you are breaking the law and may be prosecuted. Most airports have three exits or 'channels', while some have only one exit, with a red point phone for declaring goods. Use the Red Channel or the red point phone if you have goods to declare.
Personal Baggage
As a European Community visitor, you can bring certain goods into Austria for your own use as “personal baggage.” Personal baggage includes clothing, camping and sports equipment, cameras, tape recorders and personal computers. The definition of personal baggage for customs purpose applies only to the traveler's personal effects intended for consumption or use by the traveler, including those items necessary for the conduct of his or her business, but in any case compatible with the circumstances of his or hers trip.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: Carry documents covering the goods in your possession; customs may require receipts for items that look new (i.e. camera).
Items included in the personal baggage of a Non-EU resident can benefit from a temporary admission regime as well (no duties are applied for a specific period). Items for consumption and/or gifts are not eligible. If you bring very valuable items (such as several pairs of skis or several personal computers), a customs officer is likely to ask you a selection of questions and make checks.
Value Added Tax Refund
Non-European Union territory residents are given the opportunity to obtain refund of Value Added Tax (VAT). Foreign tourists with residence outside the European Union may claim a refund on the VAT they pay in Austria on single purchases totaling EUR 75.00 or more, by completing certain customs formalities when taking the goods out of the country. To be able to claim a tax refund you must: be an eligible traveler who is a non European Community visitor to Austria; complete a valid tax refund document obtained from the retailer; present the tax refund document and goods to customs on departure from the European Community (customs at the last point of departure from the EU); export the goods out of the EU within three months from the end of the month in which they are bought. At some border crossings there are VAT-refunding agencies that arrange for the tourist or visitor to benefit from the tax concession; VAT-refunding agencies usually charge an administration fee.

In some Non-EU Countries, retailers operate the refund scheme goods and sell tax-free at the point of sale. To find out how to claim a Value Added Tax (VAT) refund when shopping in a Non-EU Country, contact the relevant embassy or consulate.
Traveling by Train
If you travel in the sleeper, fill in the form given to you by the conductor. Still it can happen that you are woken up at the border and that your luggage is checked. If you travel by motorail train, please do not leave dutiable goods, duty-free tobacco products, alcoholic drinks, perfumes, eau de toilette, coffee, tea, prescription drugs or goods within the tolerated quantities in your car.

For more detailed information please see the Homepage of the Austrian Ministry of Finance at http://www.bmf.gv.at/zoll.

back

B2B Members Only Medienservice

forward page

print page

ABOUT US LINKS SITEMAP IMPRINT