Health, vaccinations and medical care in Austria

Cover before treatment

• EU, EEA and Swiss visitors: bring your EHIC. UK visitors use the GHIC. It gives you medically necessary state treatment on the same terms as an Austrian.
• The EHIC is not travel insurance. It does not cover repatriation, private clinics or mountain rescue.
• Everyone else needs travel insurance, and Schengen visa applicants must hold at least EUR 30,000 of medical cover as a condition of the visa.
• Buy the winter sports or hiking add-on if you are going near a mountain. The standard policy usually excludes both.

Seeing a doctor

• Look for "Kassenarzt" or "Alle Kassen" on the door. Those doctors are contracted to the state fund and treat EHIC holders without charging you.
• A private doctor ("Wahlarzt") will bill you and you claim back a portion afterwards, which is slower and rarely worth it.
• The prescription charge is EUR 7.55 per item, paid at the pharmacy. It was frozen at that level for 2026.
• Hospital emergency departments treat anyone, and the standard is high.
• 1450 is the national health advice line. A nurse tells you whether you need a doctor, an ambulance, or a night's sleep. It is the right first call when you are not sure.

Pharmacies

• "Apotheke" with a red A. Pharmacists are well trained and many things are behind the counter that you would grab off a shelf at home.
• They close on Sundays and public holidays, and at lunchtime in small towns.
• A rota covers nights and Sundays. Every closed pharmacy has the address of the nearest open one on the door, and apotheker.or.at lists the rota.
• Bring your own regular medication with the prescription, since brand names differ.

Specific risks

• Tick-borne encephalitis is a real risk in Austria, more so than in most of western Europe. Ticks are active in forest and grassland from spring to autumn.
• A vaccine exists and Austrians widely take it. If you are hiking or camping for weeks, ask about it before you travel; a single trip to Vienna does not need it.
• Check yourself for ticks after walking in long grass and remove them promptly with a proper tool.
• Alpine sun burns fast at altitude even in cold weather.
• Tap water is safe and outstanding everywhere, including from public fountains in Vienna.