In Austria:

• the speed limit for motor vehicles (up to 3.500 kg max) is 50 km/h in build-up areas and 100 km/h outside build-up areas. On motorways (Autobahn), there is a general speed limit of 130 km/h;
• the permissible blood alcohol level is 0.5‰ when driving a car, moped or motorcycle and 0.8 ‰ when driving a bike or e-scooter. However, the first three years following the first-time issuance of a driver's license are considered a trial period during which the permissible blood alcohol level is 0.1 ‰;
• wearing seatbelts is compulsory for every person in a car and wearing a helmet is compulsory for every person on a moped or motorcycle (however, not on a bike or e-scooter, other than for children under the age of twelve);
• phone calls are only allowed when made using a hands-free kit;
• there is no general legal requirement to keep your lights on when driving in daylight. However, in case of poor visibility lights must be kept on. Mopeds and motorcycles must have their lights dipped or use daytime-running lights at all times;
• drivers are obliged to form an emergency lane when an accident occurs on a motorway. By forming an emergency lane, the left-hand lane moves as far as possible to the left-hand side of the motorway and the right-hand lane moves as far as possible to the right-hand side of the motorway.

For more information, please see the government's official information page on vehicle regulations . The website provides an overview of the most important rules on the road in Austria.

Yes, there is no need to exchange a Ukrainian driver's license for that of an Austrian driver's license.

Cars with Ukrainian license plates and Ukrainian registration can be used by displaced persons from Ukraine with right of residence in Austria for one year. After the period of one year, the Ukraine-registered car must be registered in Austria.

In general, it is possible to drive a Ukraine-registered car that is not registered to the driver. However, the driver should be able to prove that the actual owner of the car has agreed to the use of his/her car (e.g. by issuing a confirmation letter which includes details like the license plate number and the insurance number of the car). Furthermore, the owner of the car should contact the insurance company to avoid coverage gaps in the insurance.

In Austria you are legally obligated to insure your car.

If your car already has a Ukrainian car insurance, you can prove the required insurance via a "green card" issued by the Ukrainian insurer. In such case, the Austrian Insurance Association (Versicherungsverband) will deal with damages covered under your existing car insurance.

If you do not own a green card insurance, you need a cross-border insurance, which can be taken out at any Austrian insurance company.

The period of preferential travel expires on April 30, which means that starting from May 2023, Ukrainians will be obliged to pay the road toll (Vignette).

A vignette is a way of charging a usage fee for motorways and express roads. In Austria, a driver can choose between a physical sticker or a digital vignette. The price depends on the vehicle and on the validity period – you can choose between an annual vignette, a ten-day vignette or a two-month vignette. The sticker vignette must be firmly attached to the front-windshield in a clearly visible manner so that the vignette does not affect the sight. When buying a digital vignette, you do not have to attach anything to your windshield. Another advantage is, that you can register up to three license plates for one digital vignette.

By driving without a valid vignette you risk to pay fines. For further information please see this information page on tolls and vignettes .

In Austria, vignettes can be bought at petrol stations, post offices, toll stations, automotive clubs as well as in tobacco shops. The digital vignette can be bought online in the webshop of ASFINAG .

Etolls is an application for purchasing electronic vignettes to pay for travel in 7 European countries, including Austria, developed by Ukrainians. The application is simple and intuitive. More detailed information is available on the website .

In Austria, parking rules depend on the local area and on your vehicle. Generally, motorcycles and mopeds are exempted from parking fees, in many communities electric cars are exempted, too.

Urban areas are commonly short-term parking zones where you have to pay parking fees according to the parking duration.

In Vienna, parking fees can be paid via mobile parking, parking ticket or parking sticker. For more information on parking in Vienna, please see the city's official information page on parking .

In Lower Austria it is recommended to carry a parking meter (Parkuhr) with you because a certain time period is free of charge. Parking meters are available at any Austrian automotive association as well as in most post offices and tobacco stores.

Generally, in Austria the parking situation is rather complex, so please make sure to check on the local parking conditions before every trip. For getting a better overview, you can get the ÖAMTC app , which includes maps with detailed parking information and other helpful information.

What is the parking disk?

A parking disk is a device used in some countries in free parking lots to record the time a car has been parked. It is especially common in the countries of Western Europe, in particular Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, and others.

The parking disc is used in specially created "blue" zones. These zones in city centers allow you to park a vehicle for free for two hours (unless otherwise specified by road signs) using a parking disc. In some cities, the use of a parking disc is mandatory, for example, in Copenhagen.

In Austria, the most common fines in road traffic are based on drinking and driving, speeding, disregard of priority rules at crossings and talking on the phone without hands-free kits while driving.

• Driving with a blood alcohol level between 0.5‰ and 0.79‰ leads to a note in the Austrian driving license register and a mandatory traffic safety coaching for which you must pay on your own. Additionally, penalties between € 800 and € 3,700 are imposed.
• Driving with a blood alcohol level more than 0.8‰ leads to a suspension of the driving license and penalties up to € 5,900. These penalties also apply when rejecting an alcohol level test.
• Speeding is penalized with fines up to € 5,000 and temporarily withdrawal of the driving license.
• Talking on the phone without a hands-free kit while driving is penalized with a fine between € 50 and € 72.
• Disregard of priority rules at a crossing leads to a fine between € 58 and € 80.

Fines of less than € 90 are charged by a legal penalty order (Organstrafverfügung) and may be put on your windshield. These penalty orders must be paid within two weeks, a remedy against a penalty order is not possible. If you do not agree with the imposed fine or the stated breach you should not pay. After the payment period has expired the responsible authority will start formal proceedings where you can object to the penalty.

An anonymous penalty order (Anonymstrafverfügung) is issued if the violation is less than € 365, the payment period is four weeks.

You can pay your fine by transferring the imposed amount to the bank account of the issuing authority. All relevant payment details are stated on the penalty order.

You need the following documents for a mandatory registration of trailers/cargo in Austria:

• a valid identity card or passport
• an insurance confirmation
• a type-approval certificate
• a single approval
• a proof of registration
• a valid certificate of conformity, or
• a data extract from the approval database for vehicles with EC type-approval.

For further information please government's official information page on vehicle registration .

There is no general declaration requirement in Austria or the EU.

As a private individual, there are no limits on what you can buy and take with you when travelling between EU countries as long as the products purchased are for your own use and not for resale. However, EU customs authorities may check and determine whether the purchased products are for your own use only or for commercial use as well. If you are not able to provide sufficient evidence, the EU customs authorities may collect duties or even confiscate the products.

Furthermore, when travelling, cash amounts over € 10.000, alcoholic drinks, tobacco products, fuel or other specific goods (e.g. perfume) are subject to certain restrictions. Further information on this matter can be found on this EU information page .