Moving to Vienna
A step-by-step guide for people who actually plan to stay in Vienna, Austria. Not a vacation itinerary.
Monthly cost
$2,394
solo, city centre
Livability
77/100
strong
Safety
85/100
Safe enough to stop thinking about it
PR timeline
5 yrs
citizenship: 10y
How to move to Vienna
Visas, residency, and the paperwork you can't avoid
Austria Red-White-Red Card
Bring a lawyerDuration: 1 year (renewable)
Points-based system: education, skills, language, age. Also available for self-employed with business plan.
Visa difficulty by nationality
5 years
to permanent residency
10 years
to citizenship
⚠️ Requires B2 German, a citizenship test, and renouncing your current passport.
Work permit accessibility: moderate
What it costs to move to Vienna
First-month sticker shock, decoded
Day-one setup cost
$1,303
1-bed, city centre / mo
Cheaper than 46% of 97 cities
$2,460
3-bed, city centre / mo
Monthly burn (solo)
$2,394/moRent + groceries + transport + utilities. No avocado toast budget.
Housing friction
Moderate2–6 weeks in private market
- •Meldezettel (registration) needed for bank accounts
- •3 months' deposit + 1–2 months' agent fee common
- •Regulated Altbau rents (old buildings) vs free-market Neubau
- •Gemeindebau (social housing) not available to newcomers
First month in Vienna
The to-do list nobody gives you at the airport
- ☐
Apply for Austria Red-White-Red Card
1 year (renewable). Points-based system: education, skills, language, age. Also available for self-employed with business plan.
- ☐
Open a local bank account
Bring a German-speaking friend or prepare for mime-based banking
- ☐
Get a local SIM card
~$15/mo for 10GB+
- ☐
Find an apartment
Expect 2–6 weeks in private market. Housing friction: Moderate.
- ☐
Have $7,164 ready for move-in costs
First month + 3mo deposit + furniture
- ☐
Register with local authorities
Most countries require address registration within 30 days
- ☐
Get health insurance
Private insurance ~$170/mo until residency kicks in
- ☐
Start learning basic German
Not strictly necessary, but your landlord will like you more
Language in Vienna
Can you order coffee without pointing?
German
primary language
Very High
English proficiency
Most people speak English well enough. You can survive without learning German, but your landlord will like you more if you try.
Will the government leave you alone?
Democracy, freedom, and regime vibes
8.3/10
democracy index (EIU)
🏛️ Full democracy
regime type
#4 of 163
Global Peace Index (lower = more peaceful)
Travel advisory: Level 1 — Exercise normal precautions
Is Vienna safe?
Crime stats for people who read footnotes
👍
Safe enough to stop thinking about it
1.0
homicides per 100k
Crime index: 28/100
Low crime. You'll probably worry more about sunburn.
Weather in Vienna
What the thermometer actually says
24°C
summer highs
-2°C
winter lows
101 Mbps
average download speed
If you get sick
Healthcare access for new arrivals
System: Mandatory social insurance — coverage starts when you register employment
Before residency: EU citizens: EHIC covers medically necessary care. Non-EU on tourist/entry visa: emergency rooms treat you, but you pay — private insurance essential (~€150/mo). Residency registration triggers mandatory insurance. (private insurance ~$170/mo)
Specialist wait time: 2–4 weeks
The honest take
What we'd tell a friend
Going for it
- ✓ Low crime in Vienna — 1.0/100k. One less thing to manage.
- ✓ Vienna's mountains: ski winter, hike summer. Actually usable.
- ✓ Vienna's tech and social scene runs on English. Day-one functional.
Think twice about
- ✗ Vienna: $1303/mo city-centre. Your top expense.
- ✗ Below-freezing winters in Vienna (-2°C). Bundle up.
- ✗ Vienna's bureaucracy speaks German. Get to A2 before you need a lease.
This is the settler summary. For the full data dump:
Full Vienna profile →