Work, Life and Leisure: Experience the High Standards of Austrian Living
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Table of Contents
- Wondering What Makes Austria “The Expats’ Choice” in Europe?
- Working Culture in Austria
- Additional Paid Vacation in Austria
- Financial Benefits for Parents in Austria
- Austria’s Finance Factors
- Social Security Benefits in Austria
- Transportation Hub of Europe: Ease of Travel in Austria
- Experience the Balance of Austrian Work, Life, and Leisure
- Thinking of Moving Abroad? Here's How We Can Help
- Frequently Asked Questions
Looking for destinations offering the best quality of life?
Well, the wait is over, Austria offers one of the finest living standards, which are not to be missed.
Wondering What Makes Austria “The Expats’ Choice” in Europe?
Working Culture in Austria
Austria’s Work-Life balance is one of the major contributors to the quality of life in Austria. Its working culture restricts that at a maximum an employee is allowed to work only for 60 hours a week which as well includes overtime.
Companies also offer recreation opportunities and generous leave allowances like study leave, carer’s leave, public holidays, etc to support employees and help them re-energize, which they believe would result in increased efficiency.
Additional Paid Vacation in Austria
Austrian companies also offer compensatory 5-week annual leaves based on the working hours employees had spent throughout the year.
Parental Leaves in Austria
- Austria is a very supportive country for new parents, the country includes strict laws that say women are strictly not allowed to work for 4 months during the critical period i.e., the last 2 months of pregnancy and the first 2 months post-birth.
- The Austrian Paternity Leave Act provides fathers with the option to take unpaid leaves for 30 days after the new baby's birth, sharing the maternity leave along with mothers.
Financial Benefits for Parents in Austria
Austria offers a wealth of resources to promote a healthy work-life balance that includes monetary and physical benefits included even for families. These benefits include
Child Benefits
It is a universal program for all residents in Austria, as a result of which every employer has to contribute to the same through their taxes or contributions. The parent, however, is eligible to earn a benefit of about €2000 per year per child (for children below 18 years), and €650 per year per child post-child’s 18th birthday.
Child Tax Credits
For families consisting of more than one child additional support is provided by the Austrian government in the form of the child tax credit.
For example, if the family has 2 children then they would be paid €7.10 per month per child, subsequently if the family has 5 or more children they would be paid €35.70 per month per child.
Given the case, if the parents come under the low-income threshold they have an advantage of an additional €20 per month per child.
Government Support for Raising Kids
- Understanding the concerns of the parents of providing a quality life to their children the Austrian government provides flat rate child rising allowances that cover daily benefits per child ranging between €14.53 to €33.88 (dependent on how the parents structure receiving)
- Parents also have access to income-related child-raising allowances which need to be claimed within a year of the child’s birth, the claim amount totals 80% of the parent’s latest income or up to a maximum of €66 per day.
*This 80% allowance is reserved only for the youngest child but a supplement of 50% is added for subsequent children.
Is Free Education Available for Expats’ Kids in Austria?
Parents have the benefit of availing financial aid and scholarships provided by the Austrian government in the form of general family allowance, the tax credit for children, schools start amount, and a supplement for children with disabilities, etc to support the impartial study facilities and opportunities to the children in the country.
Austria’s Finance Factors
- 53% of the expats have rated the cost of living on the positive side and 64% of the expats have mentioned that they are happy with their current financial situation.
- 68% of expats rated the country's job security as good, while 85% rated the local economy as positive.
Social Security Benefits in Austria
The social security system is mandatory for every employed person in Austria. The premium amount is incurred from the pockets of both employer and employee. Social benefits insurance covers the insured against emergency health or illness, accidental coverage, self-employment provisions, and pension.
The voluntary unemployment insured has the benefit to choose from the available payment packages i.e., €89.78, €179.55, and €269.33.
Austria Social Security Contributions Percentage
Type of Insurance |
Employer Contribution |
Employee Contribution |
Health Insurance |
3.78% |
3.87% |
Accident Insurance |
1.2% |
- |
Pension Insurance |
12.55% |
10.55% |
Unemployment Insurance |
3% |
3% |
Transportation Hub of Europe: Ease of Travel in Austria
The transport system in Austria is one of the most highly developed networks in the entire European Union.
- The train network in Austria boosts a punctuality rate of 97%, departing over 1.3 million passengers daily.
- Austria offers free transport passes for pupils and apprentices issued by the transport association which is applicable to all public transportation in the chosen route.
- 35% of the people in Austria access public transport, supporting sustainability and an eco-friendly approach to travel.
Experience the Balance of Austrian Work, Life, and Leisure
Even though working in Austria can be a delightful experience due to its work-life balance, the immigration process might be challenging for many.
The Solution?
Well, hiring an immigration consultant could ease off most of your burden to self-work on every minor thing that too in an unstructured way.
So, why delay?
Learn about the facilities offered by GetGIS, one of the top immigration experts, and reserve your consultation slot to discuss your plans with the best!
Thinking of Moving Abroad? Here's How We Can Help
- Point calculation: In GetGIS, we calculate your points on your behalf to eliminate any chances of rejection or failure.
- Visa application: GetGIS helps you to complete your visa application properly and we even train you for your visa interview process, to make your immigration journey easier.
- Preparation for Language Test: GetGIS offers you expert guidance for your preparation for language tests like IELTS/PTE/CELPIP.
- Expert guidance for each step of your immigration: With GetGIS, you rest assured about your immigration journey. We help you to take every step in the right direction to make your immigration journey smooth.
- Job Search assistance: At GetGIS, you receive complete job search assistance, from CV optimization, to mock interviews everything is covered by GetGIS. And we won’t leave you alone until you get your job in your dream country.
So don’t waste your time thinking about the best time to visit Austria. Start your career in Austria with GetGIS by booking a free consultation today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the social security ceiling in Austria?
The maximum contribution base eligibility for contributors in Austria is €5,850 per month i.e., €70200 annually.
Q2. What is the 14-monthly salary system in Austria?
By working in Austria you get the advantage of gaining 2 months' additional salary apart from the monthly payouts. The 13th month's salary is paid at the end of June and the subsequent 14th month's salary is paid out at the end of November every year.
Q3. What is “flexitime” in Austrian work culture?
According to flexitime, an employee has the eligibility to select his/her working timings though the day between the bracket mentioned by the employer. Also, the other benefit of this plan is that the employee could credit his extra working hours of one day to cover the working timings another day.
Q4. Is Austria a bilingual country?
No, German is the only official language in Austria. However, irrespective of not holding an official tag, English is still a widely spoken and used language in the country.
Q5. Is Austria a safe place to settle in Europe?
Austria is certainly one of the best countries to live in the world as it provides the best healthcare, education opportunities, work-life balance, healthy air quality and high-quality living standards.
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