Drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties
Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties, with long jail sentences and heavy fines for possessing, using or smuggling them.
Local Rules for Travellers
🇦🇹 Local Rules in Austria for Travellers
Austria's rules mostly catch out drivers: motorways need a vignette (digital-only from the 2027 vignette year), winter tyres are compulsory in wintry conditions from November to April, and drivers must form an emergency corridor in traffic jams. These rules were checked against ASFINAG, the Austrian government portal, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Austro Control and the UK government's official travel advice for Austria.
🚫 Drugs & cannabis
🏛️ Public places & behaviour
Face coverings in public are banned
It is generally illegal to wear clothing or objects in public that cover your face, with fines of up to €150.
🪪 ID, fees & documents
Keep your passport within easy reach
By law you must always have easy access to your passport.
🚗 Driving
You need a vignette to drive on motorways
All cars, motorbikes and camper vans up to 3.5 tonnes need a valid vignette to use Austria's motorways and expressways, and you can be fined without one. From 1 December 2026 vignettes are sold only in digital form. Online 2-month and annual vignettes bought by consumers start 18 days after purchase.
Winter tyres in wintry conditions, 1 November to 15 April
Cars up to 3.5 t may only be driven in wintry conditions between 1 November and 15 April with winter tyres on all wheels, or with snow chains on at least two driven wheels.
Form an emergency corridor in traffic jams
In congestion on motorways and expressways drivers must form an emergency corridor: the left lane moves left, the other lanes move right. Blocking emergency vehicles or driving in the corridor can be fined up to €2,180.
Drink-drive limit 0.5, lower for some drivers
The standard blood-alcohol limit is 0.5 per mille. For some drivers, including provisional licence holders, it is 0.1 or lower, and above 0.8 your licence can be suspended.
Extra tolls on the Brenner, Arlberg and other routes
On certain sections, such as the Brenner (near Innsbruck) and the Arlberg, a separate route toll applies in addition to the vignette, typically €7 to €15 per journey.
🚇 Public transport & boats
Validate your ticket: fines of €100–500
Tickets that need validating must be stamped in a machine before you start your journey on public transport. Otherwise you can get an on-the-spot fine of €100 to €500.
🛸 Drones
Drone pilots must register, visitors included
Flying a drone in Austria requires operator registration and a pilot competence certificate, including for short stays by visitors from outside the EU. Drones under 250 g must be registered if they have a camera. Fines go up to €22,000, and a flight-restriction zone covers central Vienna.
Source: Austro Control (dronespace.at) ↗
🌿 Nature, beaches & wildfires
Off-piste skiing can void your insurance
Off-piste skiing is very dangerous and can invalidate your travel insurance. Follow local skiing rules, and make sure insurance for off-piste skiing, climbing or paragliding covers mountain rescue and helicopter costs. Mountain rescue: 140.
🛃 Customs & what you can bring
From outside the EU: 200 cigarettes, 1 L spirits, 4 L wine
Travellers aged 17+ arriving from outside the EU can bring 200 cigarettes (or 100 cigarillos or 250 g of tobacco), 1 litre of spirits over 22% or 2 litres up to 22%, 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer. Other goods are duty-free up to €430 for air travellers (€300 otherwise); anything more must be declared.
Law, venue rule, custom or advice?
Every rule on this page is labelled, so you can tell what is enforced by law from what is simply polite.
- Law
- Set by national, regional or city law. Breaking it can mean a fine or worse.
- Venue rule
- A rule set by a venue or operator, such as a bath, museum, hotel or transport company.
- Local custom
- Not a law, but expected behaviour. Ignoring it can cause offence.
- Safety advice
- Practical advice from an official source to keep you out of trouble.
Sources checked for this page
- ASFINAG (Austrian motorway operator)
- Austria.info (official tourism site)
- Oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian government portal)
- ASFINAG (Austrian motorway operator)
- Oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian government portal)
- UK government travel advice (FCDO) for Austria
- Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), Customs
- Austro Control (dronespace.at)
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the source.