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Österreich·Destination guide · Central Europe

Austria

48.2082° N · Central Europe · Schengen

Austria still expects every overnight guest in the Gästeverzeichnis — within 24 hours, with a signature.

Meldegesetz 1991 § 5 makes Beherbergungsbetriebe — hotels, pensions and Privatzimmervermietungen alike — register guests unverzüglich, and in any case within 24 hours of arrival, in a Gästeverzeichnis. Registration is complete only when the required identity fields are recorded and the guest confirms correctness with a signature. Ortstaxe, Nächtigungsabgabe and Aufenthaltsabgabe sit on top as Länder / municipal duties; Vienna's Bauordnung separately limits commercial short-term use of Wohnungen.

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NextStay relevance · Austria

5 / 5

Essential

Meldegesetz 1991 § 5 requires every Beherbergungsbetrieb guest into the Gästeverzeichnis within 24 hours — with the guest's signature confirming the data — on top of Länder / municipal Ortstaxe, Nächtigungsabgabe or Aufenthaltsabgabe.

At a glance · Austria

  • Gästeverzeichnis

    ≤ 24h + signature

  • Vienna tax

    5% from Jul 2026

  • Wohnzonen

    Vienna BO § 7a

  • Privatzimmer

    ≤ 10 beds / GewO

Who this is for

What hosts and hotels actually need to know

Austria splits federal Meldepflicht from Länder tourist-tax and local building rules. Meldegesetz 1991 (BMI / oesterreich.gv.at) sets the national Gästeverzeichnis duty for every Beherbergungsbetrieb guest — including Austrian nationals — with a 24-hour clock and a guest signature on the data. The Meldezettel form used for Hauptwohnsitz / Nebenwohnsitz registration with the Meldebehörde is a different track: it applies when someone takes up a residence, and additionally when a Beherbergungsbetrieb stay exceeds two months. Tourist tax is not federal: Vienna's Ortstaxe under the Wiener Tourismusförderungsgesetz, Salzburg's allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe under the Salzburger Nächtigungsabgabengesetz, and Tirol's Aufenthaltsabgabe (Innsbruck Tourismus) each have their own rates and remittance clocks. Self check-in works when Gästeverzeichnis data and signature are collected before access; collecting Ortstaxe remains the Unterkunftgeber's duty.

Front desk or digital, the Meldegesetz duty is the same: every guest into the Gästeverzeichnis within 24 hours, signature on the data, deregistration on departure — plus the local overnight tax.

  • 01Enter every guest in the Gästeverzeichnis within 24 hours of arrival and deregister on departure
  • 02Capture Meldegesetz fields (including travel-document details for foreign guests) and obtain the guest's signature confirming correctness
  • 03Keep an electronic Gästeverzeichnis or Meldebehörde-signed paper Gästeblattsammlung ready for inspection
  • 04Collect and remit Ortstaxe / Nächtigungsabgabe / Aufenthaltsabgabe at the rate for the property's Gemeinde

Chapter · Meldepflicht

Gästeverzeichnis under Meldegesetz 1991

Federal Meldegesetz 1991 § 5 governs Unterkunft in Beherbergungsbetrieben. Hotels, Gasthöfe, pensions, Privatzimmervermietungen, supervised campsites and similar overnight places all fall under the Beherbergungsbetrieb definition.

Statute

“Wer als Gast in einem Beherbergungsbetrieb Unterkunft nimmt, hat sich unverzüglich, jedenfalls aber innerhalb von 24 Stunden nach dem Eintreffen im Beherbergungsbetrieb anzumelden. Die Anmeldung ist erfolgt, sobald dem Beherbergungsbetrieb Vor- und Familiennamen, Geburtsdatum, Geschlecht, Staatsangehörigkeit, Herkunftsland und Adresse samt Postleitzahl sowie – bei ausländischen Gästen – die Art, die Nummer, das Ausstellungsdatum und die ausstellende Behörde des Reisedokumentes bekannt gegeben wurden und der Meldepflichtige die Richtigkeit der Daten mit seiner Unterschrift bestätigt hat.”
Meldegesetz 1991, § 5 Abs. 1 (RIS / Bundesrecht konsolidiert) [01]
  1. 01

    Who must be entered

    Every guest taking Unterkunft in a Beherbergungsbetrieb must be registered — Austrian nationals included. oesterreich.gv.at (Fremdenverkehrsabgabe und Meldepflicht) and Stadt Wien confirm that commercial and private Beherbergungsbetriebe, including Privatzimmervermietungen, must keep a Gästeverzeichnis. The guest bears Meldepflicht; the Inhaber is responsible for making the entries and alerting guests to the duty.

    [01][02][07]
  2. 02

    24 hours and a signature

    Anmeldung must happen unverzüglich, and in any case within 24 hours of arrival. It is complete only when the statutory fields are known to the establishment and the Meldepflichtige confirms correctness with a signature. On departure, deregister with a corresponding Gästeverzeichnis entry. A passport photo alone, without the signed confirmation of the recorded data, does not close § 5.

    [01][02]
  3. 03

    Gästeverzeichnis ≠ Meldezettel (Wohnsitz)

    For ordinary tourist stays, registration runs through the Gästeverzeichnis (electronic or Meldebehörde-signed paper Gästeblattsammlung). The Meldezettel is the form used to register a Hauptwohnsitz or Nebenwohnsitz with the Meldebehörde. Stadt Wien and WKO note that guests staying longer than two months in a Beherbergungsbetrieb must additionally complete residence registration with a Meldezettel at the Meldeservice — do not treat the tourist guest-sheet and the Wohnsitz Meldezettel as the same document.

    [07][05][03]
  4. 04

    Retention and inspection

    Stadt Wien states Gästeverzeichnisse must be retained for seven years from the last entry, and that the Meldebehörde and police may inspect at any time. Paper collections must be signed by the Meldebehörde before use; electronic registers are permitted under Meldegesetz rules. WKO notes updated Gästeverzeichnisblatt gender fields applied from 1 November 2023.

    [07][05]

Chapter · Gewerbe & Wohnraum

Gewerbeordnung and Vienna Wohnzonen

There is no single nationwide Airbnb ban. Federal Gewerbeordnung draws the line between Privatzimmervermietung, Gastgewerbe and pure Raumvermietung; Vienna's Bauordnung adds Wohnzone and Ausnahmebewilligung limits for Wohnungen.

  1. 01

    Privatzimmervermietung as häusliche Nebenbeschäftigung

    oesterreich.gv.at (Zimmervermietung und Gewerberecht) summarises the GewO carve-out: Privatzimmervermietung as häusliche Nebenbeschäftigung is outside the Gewerbeordnung when rooms are in the host's own household, at most ten Fremdenbetten are offered, work is done by ordinary household members, and the activity remains subordinate to other household tasks. Exceeding those limits, or offering hotel-like services that tip into Gastgewerbe, requires a Gewerbeanmeldung for Beherbergung.

    [04][07]
  2. 02

    Freies vs reglementiertes Gastgewerbe

    Where Gewerbeordnung applies, Beherbergung is Gastgewerbe. Stadt Wien notes a free Gastgewerbe track for Beherbergung with not more than ten Fremdenbetten plus limited breakfast / drinks, without a Befähigungsnachweis; larger or fuller food-and-drink operations are reglementiertes Gastgewerbe and need a qualification proof. Case-by-case assessment still decides pure Raumvermietung versus Beherbergung with services.

    [04][07]
  3. 03

    Vienna Wohnzonen — § 7a BO

    In designated Wohnzonen, Bauordnung für Wien § 7a makes regular commercial provision of Wohnräume for short-term Beherbergung gegen Entgelt impermissible. 'Gewerblich' here means regular paid short-term lodging, not Gewerbeordnung status. Occasional home-sharing where the host's own residential use still predominates remains allowed under the city's guidance — confirm the parcel in the Flächenwidmungs- und Bebauungsplan before listing.

    [07][08]
  4. 04

    Outside Wohnzonen — 90 days and Ausnahmebewilligung

    From 1 July 2024, Stadt Wien states Wohnungen outside Wohnzonen may only be offered for short-term rental beyond 90 days per calendar year with a time-limited Ausnahmebewilligung under § 129 Abs. 1a BO (max five years). Home-sharing up to 90 days per year without permanently giving up residence, where Ortstaxe is due, remains allowed without that permit. This is a Vienna building-law track — do not generalise it as a federal Austrian Airbnb ban.

    [07][08]

Chapter · Tourist tax

Ortstaxe, Nächtigungsabgabe, Aufenthaltsabgabe

Overnight tourist tax is set by Land and Gemeinde — not by a single federal rate. Hosts collect from guests and remit; names and bases differ by Bundesland.

  1. 01

    Vienna Ortstaxe (percentage of stay charge)

    Under the Wiener Tourismusförderungsgesetz, anyone making temporary paid Unterkunft available in Vienna must open an Abgabenkonto (VIETour) and collect Ortstaxe. Stadt Wien publishes: 3.2% of the stay charge (excl. VAT and breakfast, after an 11% lump-sum deduction) until 30 June 2026; 5% from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; 8% from 1 July 2027 (excl. VAT and breakfast). Payment is due by the 15th of the following month; annual declaration by 15 February. Stays over three months uninterrupted are exempt.

    [06][02]
  2. 02

    Salzburg — allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe

    Stadt Salzburg applies the Salzburger Nächtigungsabgabengesetz: allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe (formerly Ortstaxe) on paid overnight stays in Gastgewerbe rooms, Privatunterkünfte, camping and similar. From 1 May 2025 the city states allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe samt Mobilitätsbeitrag at €3.50 per overnight stay, with Mobilitätsbeitrag €0.50 through 30 April 2027 (€1.10 from 1 May 2027), plus a €0.05 Tourismusförderungsfonds contribution. Register with MA 4/03 before letting; file monthly (including zero months). Confirm any later Verordnung with the Abgabenbehörde.

    [09][10]
  3. 03

    Innsbruck — Aufenthaltsabgabe via Tourismusverband

    Tirol levies Aufenthaltsabgabe (often still called Ortstaxe / Kurtaxe) through Tourismusverbände. Innsbruck Tourismus states the Aufenthaltsabgabe in its Verbandsgebiet rises from €3.00 to €4.00 per person per night from 1 May 2026. Confirm the current figure and remittance process with Innsbruck Tourismus or the Gemeinde — do not assume a single Tirol-wide rate.

    [12]
  4. 04

    Other Gemeinden — confirm locally

    Outside Vienna, Salzburg city and the Innsbruck Tourismus area, overnight tax names and amounts vary by Land and Gemeinde. oesterreich.gv.at notes private hosts may owe Fremdenverkehrsabgabe depending on local law. Always confirm with the competent Gemeinde or Tourismusverband before quoting guests.

    [02]

Chapter · EU layer

EU law that sits underneath

Austria's Meldegesetz and municipal tax rules sit inside the same European stack hosts meet elsewhere — Schengen lodging purposes, GDPR, and the 2024 short-term rental data framework.

  1. 01

    Schengen Convention — Article 45(1)(b)

    Lodging providers across Schengen states are expected to account for who stayed where. Austria's Gästeverzeichnis duty under Meldegesetz § 5 is a national implementation of that public-security logic — covering guests regardless of nationality.

    [13][01]
  2. 02

    GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679)

    Gästeverzeichnis data, signatures and travel-document details are personal data. Collect what Meldegesetz requires, inform guests, secure storage and transmission, and respect retention limits (Stadt Wien cites seven years for Gästeverzeichnisse).

    [14][07]
  3. 03

    Short-term rental data — Regulation (EU) 2024/1028

    From 20 May 2026, where Member States operate STR registration/data systems, platforms work through harmonised registration numbers and activity reporting. Austria's existing Meldegesetz, Statistik Austria overnight reporting and city tax accounts are separate national duties; watch how any future Austrian STR registration number is wired to this EU framework without treating the regulation itself as a substitute for Meldepflicht.

    [15][16]

Remote arrival · Still the law

Self check-in under Austrian rules

Remote arrival works in Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck when Meldegesetz Gästeverzeichnis data — including the guest's signature confirming correctness — is collected before access is released. Tourist-tax collection remains a host duty alongside that gate.

01

Document

02

E.turistas

03

Keys

  • Signed Gästeverzeichnis data before access

    Build capture of the § 5 fields and the guest's confirmation signature into the check-in flow itself — release door codes or lockbox instructions only after that confirmation exists, mirroring the in-person duty.

    [01][02]

  • 24-hour clock still runs from arrival

    Pre-arrival capture helps, but Meldegesetz still measures Anmeldung from Eintreffen im Beherbergungsbetrieb. Ensure the electronic or paper Gästeverzeichnis entry is completed within 24 hours of actual arrival — and deregister on departure.

    [01]

  • Ortstaxe is not closed by the door code

    Collecting and remitting Vienna Ortstaxe, Salzburg Nächtigungsabgabe or Innsbruck Aufenthaltsabgabe is a separate Unterkunftgeber duty. Self check-in does not shift tax liability to the platform or the guest alone.

    [06][09][12]

  • Vienna Wohnzone / 90-day checks first

    A polished remote-arrival flow does not legalise commercial short-term use that Bauordnung §§ 7a / 129 Abs. 1a prohibit. Confirm Wohnzone status and whether the listing stays within home-sharing limits or needs an Ausnahmebewilligung before scaling automation.

    [07][08]

Municipal & Land layers

Meldegesetz is federal. Cities and Länder still set tourist-tax rates and — in Vienna — Wohnraum rules that decide whether a listing can run at all.

  • Vienna — Stephansdom and Ortstaxe / Wohnzone territory

    Vienna — Ortstaxe & Wohnzonen

    01

    Ortstaxe is 5% of the stay charge (excl. VAT and breakfast) from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, rising to 8% from 1 July 2027 (was 3.2% with the 11% lump-sum deduction through 30 June 2026). Open a VIETour Abgabenkonto, pay by the 15th of the following month, and file the annual declaration. Separately check Wohnzone maps and the 90-day / Ausnahmebewilligung track before advertising Wohnungen.

    [06][07][08]
  • Salzburg Altstadt and Festung — Nächtigungsabgabe territory

    Salzburg — Nächtigungsabgabe

    02

    Stadt Salzburg publishes allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe samt Mobilitätsbeitrag at €3.50 per overnight stay from 1 May 2025 (Mobilitätsbeitrag €0.50 through 30 April 2027), plus €0.05 TFF. Register the property with MA 4/03, keep a Meldebehörde-registered Gästebuch / Gästeverzeichnis, and file monthly declarations (including empty months). Confirm Baurecht before tourist use of Wohnungen.

    [09][11]
  • Innsbruck beneath the Nordkette — Aufenthaltsabgabe territory

    Innsbruck — Aufenthaltsabgabe

    03

    Innsbruck Tourismus sets Aufenthaltsabgabe for its Verbandsgebiet at €4.00 per person per night from 1 May 2026 (previously €3.00). Hosts update platform and PMS tax settings themselves; confirm remittance details with the Tourismusverband or Gemeinde rather than assuming a nationwide Tirol figure.

    [12]

This is the law · Here is the reference

Sources & references

Primary statutes, EU instruments and competent authorities. Open the link when your property is at stake.

  1. [01]Local law
    Meldegesetz 1991 — § 5 (Unterkunft in Beherbergungsbetrieben)

    Federal statute: 24-hour Gästeverzeichnis registration, required fields, guest signature, deregistration on departure.

  2. [02]Authority
    oesterreich.gv.at — Fremdenverkehrsabgabe und Meldepflicht

    BMI citizen summary: Gästeverzeichnis within 24 hours for Beherbergungsbetriebe including Privatzimmervermietungen; example Ortstaxe under Wiener Tourismusförderungsgesetz.

  3. [03]Authority
    oesterreich.gv.at — Anmeldung Hauptwohnsitz / Nebenwohnsitz

    Distinguishes Meldezettel Wohnsitz registration with the Meldebehörde from Beherbergungsbetrieb Gästeverzeichnis entries.

  4. [04]Authority
    oesterreich.gv.at — Zimmervermietung und Gewerberecht

    Privatzimmervermietung as häusliche Nebenbeschäftigung (≤ 10 Fremdenbetten, own household) vs Gastgewerbe Anmeldung.

  5. [05]Agency
    WKO — Meldepflicht: Gästeverzeichnis / Gästeblattsammlung

    Electronic or Meldebehörde-signed paper guest register; Meldezettel when a guest stays longer than two months.

  6. [06]Authority
    Stadt Wien — Ortstaxe

    3.2% through 30 June 2026; 5% from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027; 8% from 1 July 2027. VIETour account, monthly payment, annual declaration.

  7. [07]Authority
    Stadt Wien — Wohnungen für touristische Zwecke vermieten

    Wohnzonen § 7a BO, 90-day home-sharing, Ausnahmebewilligung, Ortstaxe, Meldepflicht / Gästeverzeichnis (7-year retention), Gewerbe notes.

  8. [08]Authority
    Stadt Wien — Ausnahmebewilligung Kurzzeitvermietung (§ 129 Abs. 1a BO)

    Permit track for short-term use of Wohnungen beyond 90 days outside Wohnzonen (max five years).

  9. [09]Authority
    Stadt Salzburg — Allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe

    €3.50 allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe samt Mobilitätsbeitrag from 1 May 2025; Mobilitätsbeitrag schedule; MA 4/03 registration; monthly filings.

  10. [10]Local law
    Salzburger Nächtigungsabgabengesetz (SNAG) — RIS

    Land Salzburg statute for allgemeine Nächtigungsabgabe samt Mobilitätsbeitrag and besondere Nächtigungsabgabe.

  11. [11]Authority
    Stadt Salzburg — Melderecht Wohnungsanbieter

    City Meldebehörde guidance: Gästeverzeichnis within 24 hours for Beherbergungsbetriebe; Meldezettel track for Wohnungen.

  12. [12]Agency
    Innsbruck Tourismus — Aufenthaltsabgabe 2026

    Verbandsgebiet rate €4.00 per person per night from 1 May 2026 (previously €3.00).

  13. [13]EU law
    Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement — Art. 45

    EU-layer lodging / guest-record purpose.

  14. [14]EU law
    GDPR — Regulation (EU) 2016/679

    Personal-data rules for identity, signature and document processing.

  15. [15]EU law
    Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 — short-term rental data

    EU framework for STR registration data and platform sharing (from 20 May 2026).

  16. [16]Agency
    European Commission — STR transparency rules

    Plain-language explanation of the May 2026 framework.

After the law · The product

Where NextStay fits

After the law is clear: we build Meldegesetz data capture and the guest's confirmation signature into the check-in gate — so Austrian hosts can run remote-friendly arrivals without skipping the Gästeverzeichnis or losing the tax trail.

  • 01

    Signature before the key

    Online check-in collects Meldegesetz fields and the guest's confirmation signature before door instructions unlock — matching § 5 for every overnight guest.

  • 02

    Gästeverzeichnis-ready records

    Structured stay data is ready for the electronic Gästeverzeichnis or paper Gästeblatt within the 24-hour window, including deregistration cues on departure.

  • 03

    Host visibility without desk chaos

    Hotels and individual hosts see who has confirmed, who is blocked, and when access can release — including late Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck arrivals.

  • 04

    Destination guidance in the workspace

    This Austria dossier stays attached to the market — Meldepflicht, Ortstaxe / Nächtigungsabgabe, and Vienna Wohnzonen — not a generic EU footnote.

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NextStay provides operational tools and general regulatory information, not legal advice. Hosts remain responsible for confirming the rules that apply to their accommodation in Austria. Research last verified .