Vienna raised its accommodation tax from 3.2 to 5 percent on 1 July 2026, and it goes to 8 percent a year later. Expect it as a separate line on the bill.
- Vienna's accommodation tax rose from 3.2 to 5 percent on 1 July 2026 and is confirmed to reach 8 percent on 1 July 2027.
- Booking sites often leave it out, so a room quoted at EUR 140 can settle at closer to EUR 146 at the desk. Other provinces charge a flat Kurtaxe of about EUR 1 to EUR 3.50 a person a night.
- Your hotel registers you with the authorities from your passport at check-in. A short-term rental host who never asks for passport details is probably operating outside the rules.
- Check-in is usually from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00, and Austrian hotels are stricter about it than Mediterranean ones. Smaller pensions may not staff reception overnight, so say if you arrive late.
- A Doppelzimmer is often two single duvets on one bed, which is normal across the German-speaking world. Book festival weeks, Christmas markets and ski weeks months out.
The accommodation tax went up this summer
- Vienna's Ortstaxe rose from 3.2 percent to 5 percent on 1 July 2026.
- It rises again to 8 percent on 1 July 2027, which is already confirmed rather than proposed.
- It is charged on the room price excluding VAT and breakfast, so it is a little less than 5 percent of what you actually paid.
- Every kind of accommodation charges it, including campsites and private apartments.
- Booking sites often exclude it, so a room quoted at EUR 140 can settle at closer to EUR 146 at the desk.
- Other provinces charge a flat nightly Kurtaxe instead, typically EUR 1 to EUR 3.50 a person a night, and ski resorts are at the top of that range.
Registration
- Your hotel registers you with the authorities. You hand over your passport at check-in, they fill in the Meldezettel, and that is the end of your involvement.
- Short-term rental hosts must do the same. A host who does not ask for your passport details is probably operating outside the rules, which is your problem if there is a complaint.
- Vienna restricts short-term letting in residential buildings. Legitimate apartments are registered; unregistered ones get shut down mid-booking.
Practical notes
- Check-in is usually from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00, and Austrian hotels are stricter about this than Mediterranean ones.
- Reception is not always staffed overnight in smaller pensions. Say if you are arriving late or you will find a locked door.
- A Doppelzimmer is often two single duvets on one bed. This is normal across the German-speaking world.
- Book Salzburg festival weeks, Vienna's Christmas market season and any ski week months out. Prices double and availability disappears.
- Mountain huts are booked directly and need reserving, and many take cash only when you settle up.
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