Culture Shock! Austria - A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

Settling In 85

For more information on all official documents, visit http://
http://www.austria.org/govsite.htm on the Internet or contact your
consulate or embassy.

Getting a Job

To get a job, a temporary residence permit is required.
To obtain the permit, you must provide proof of health
insurance (Unfall- und Krankenversicherungsnachweis), proof
of accommodation (rental contract or Mietvertrag) and
financial means, police record certificate (Leumundszeugnis)
and working papers (Arbeitsgenehmigung) issued by the Labor
Office (Arbeitsmarktservice).
Diplomats (United Nations, foreign embassy and consulate
staff) and their families are exempted from Meldezettel and
residence permit requirements.

BANKING

Banking in Austria is as simple as pie. The hardest part is
getting there while the bank is open, as the hours don’t fit
the working person’s schedule. Vestibules open during banks’
hours of closure allow you to withdraw cash, make payments
or print out a statement. In the main cities, one has several
banks to choose from, including Die Erste Bank, Bank Austria
Creditanstalt, Volksbank, Raiffeisenbank, Österreichische
Postsparkasse AG (P.S.K.) and Bank für Arbeit und Wirtschaft
(BAWAG). There are also regional banks in small cities.

Banking Hours

Mon–Wed, Fri: 8:00 am–12:30 pm, 1:30 pm–3:00 pm

Thurs: 8:00 am–12:30 pm, 1:30 pm–5:30 pm

Sat–Sun, holidays: Closed

Banking Services

Depending on the service you are looking for, you may have to
go to a special counter or speak to one of the representatives
(banks are one of the few places in Austria where the
customer is king). If you are just changing money, go to the
window labelled Geldwechsel; all other transactions are done