Living and Working in Austria Information for Persons Eligible for Asylum Or Subsidiary Protection
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Living and Working in Austria Information for persons eligible for asylum or subsidiary protection AMS – For every facet of life. Foreword from the Board Dear Ladies & Gentlemen, This brochure of the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) is aimed at all those fleeing from war and persecution to Austria. The information contained should provide a good guide to living and working in Austria. We not only wish to address those fleeing but also gratefully support all those innumerable persons in Austria voluntarily taking care of individuals seeking refuge in our country and helping them to integrate. We have tried our best to put together the most practical as possible information related to living and working in Austria. You will find information on finding accommodation, an initial overview of the Austrian education and training system, practical tips related to finding school, apprenticeship placement or German language courses as well as information related to health insurance benefits and services in particular offered to expectant mothers or families with children. We also list numerous established counselling points and supporting aids across Austria which can offer assistance regarding recognition of foreign school certificates or legal issues. Furthermore this brochure also covers basic information related to the Austrian political system and the basic rules of co-existence along with the resulting rights and duties such as equal treatment of men and women, protection of children, personal freedom, and much more. We are aware that the path to the Austrian labour market is often anything but easy for many of the refugees in our country. This is also a result of often strongly varying requirements as well as educational and training systems. Since however in most cases German language skills and often also professional qualifications are the milestones on the road to finding employment and successful integration, the Public Employment Service Austria with the support of the Austrian Federal Government also offers a series of qualification and support opportunities. This brochure also covers the basic details of these topics. We would like to wish all our readers all the best for successful living and working in Austria. Dr. Herbert Buchinger (right) Dr. Johannes Kopf, LL.M. (left) Chairman of the board Member of the board Living and Working in Austria 2016 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. GENERAL 6 1.1 Geography and Population 6 1.2 The Political System 6 1.2.1 Elections & Electoral Law 8 1.2.2 Allocation of State Powers 8 1.2.3 Human Rights & Fundamental Rights 9 1.3 Climate 11 1.4 Migration, Languages & Religion 11 1.4.1 Migration & Refugees 11 1.4.2 Languages 11 1.4.3 Relation between the State and Religion 12 1.5 Culture, Clubs & Associations, Leisure, Sports 12 1.6 Austrian & International Cuisine 14 1.7 Labour Market Facts & Figures 14 2. ENTERING & STAYING IN AUSTRIA 16 2.1 Residence of Persons Eligible for Asylum respectively Subsidiary Protection 16 2.2 Duty of Registration 17 3. LIVING CONDITIONS 19 3.1 Currency & Price Comparison 19 3.1.1 Living Costs in Austria 19 3.2 International Dialling Code 20 3.2.1 Emergency Services Numbers 20 3.2.2 Legal & Social Counselling 21 3.3 Retail/Supermarkets Business Hours 29 3.4 Opening a Bank Account 29 3.5 Motor Vehicles 29 3.5.1 Purchase of a Motor Vehicle 29 3.5.2 Driving License 30 3.5.3 Motor Vehicle Licenses 31 3.5.4 Important Information related to Motor Vehicles 31 3.6 Housing 33 3.6.1 Accommodation during the Asylum Proceedings 33 3.6.2 Assistance in Finding Accommodation 33 3.6.3 Important Details regarding Housing 38 3.6.3.1 Rent 38 3.6.3.2 Precarium 39 3.6.3.3 Viewing a Potential Apartment 39 3.6.3.4 Costs at the Beginning of a Rental contract 39 3.6.3.5 Purchasing an Apartment 40 3.6.4 Finding Accommodation in Daily Newspapers & on the Internet 41 3.6.5 Eligibility for Council Housing (Gemeindewohnungen) 41 3.6.6 Eligibility for Housing Association Accommodation (Genossenschaftswohnungen) 41 3.6.7 Application for a Radio and TV License 42 3.6.8 Registration for Gas and Electricity 42 3.6.9 Registration of Fixed Network Phones, Mobile Phones, and Internet 42 3.6.10 Housing Subsidy 43 3.6.11 Rules of Co-existence 43 Living and Working in Austria 2016 3 4. SEEKING EMPLOYMENT IN AUSTRIA 45 4.1 Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) 45 4.1.1 Your First Appointment at AMS 45 4.1.2 Online AMS Offers 46 4.1.3 Special Offers for Persons Eligible for Asylum respectively Subsidiary Protection 48 4.1.3.1 Refugees as Skilled Labour Force Potential – Cross-Regional Apprenticeship Placement Referrals 49 4.2 Job Vacancies Published in Daily Newspapers 50 4.3 Private Recruitment Agencies & Hidden Labour Market 50 4.4 Seasonal Workers 51 4.5 Applications 51 4.6 Assistance offered for Job & Apprenticeship Placement Seekers 52 4.7 Job Opportunities for Asylum Seekers 57 4.8 Becoming Self-Employed 58 4.9 Traineeship 58 5. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT 59 5.1 Labour Law – Overview 59 5.2 Bodies representing Employees 59 5.2.1 Chamber of Labour and Austrian Trade Unions 59 5.2.2 Works Council 60 5.3 Employment Forms 60 5.3.1 Employment Contract and Position Specifications Statement 61 5.3.1.1 Working Hours and Vacation Entitlements 61 5.3.1.2 Termination of Employment 62 5.3.2 Persons Working on Short-Term Contracts as Independent Contractors 63 5.3.3 Contract for Work & Labour and New Self-Employed 63 5.3.4 Self-Employment requiring a Business License 65 5.4 Family Hospice & Filial Leaves 68 5.5 Illegal Employment 68 6. RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN GRADUATION CERTIFICATES 69 6.1 General 69 6.2 Assistance Services for Persons with Qualifications Obtained Abroad 70 6.3 Recognition of Academic Graduation and Assessment of Academic Diplomas 72 6.4 Equivalence of Vocational Training (Completed Apprenticeship Training) 73 6.5 School Graduation Certification – Nostrification & Assessment 73 6.6 Recognition of Professions 74 6.6.1 Teachers 74 6.6.2 Health Sector 74 6.6.2.1 Medical Doctors 74 6.6.3 Lawyers 74 6.6.4 Architects/Construction Engineers/Civil Engineers 74 7. TAXES 75 7.1 Income Tax and Employee Tax Assessment 75 Living and Working in Austria 2016 4 8. SOCIAL SECURITY 79 8.1 Health Insurance 81 8.1.1 Visiting a Doctor 81 8.1.2 Emergencies 82 8.1.3 Staying at a Hospital 82 8.1.4 Co-insuring Relatives 82 8.1.5 Medication 82 8.1.6 Sickness Benefits 83 8.2 Accident Insurance 83 8.3 Pensions Insurance 83 8.4 Unemployment Insurance 84 8.4.1 Financial Benefits 84 8.5 Means-Tested Minimum Benefits 84 9. LIVING WITH CHILDREN 87 9.1 Maternity Protection 87 9.1.1 White and Blue Collar Employees, Apprentices and Minimum Income Employees 87 9.1.2 Independent Female Contractors and Female Contract Assignees 87 9.1.3 Self-Employed 88 9.1.4 Mother-Child Pass 88 9.2 Before the Child Delivery 88 9.3 After the Child Delivery 89 9.4 Parental Leave, Childcare Allowance and Parental Part-Time Work 89 9.5 Family Allowance 91 10. EDUCATION 93 10.1 Education & Training – Overview 93 10.1.1 Pre-School Facilities 93 10.1.2 School (Primary and Secondary Level 1) 93 10.1.3 Secondary Schools (Secondary Level 2) 94 10.2 Teaching and School-Free Times 95 10.3 School Notification & Annual Certificate 96 10.4 Registering at Kindergarten & Primary School 96 10.5 Initial Vocational Training – Apprenticeships 97 10.6 Further Education at Universities 98 10.7 Further Education & Adult Training 99 10.8 German Language Courses and Compulsory School Graduation 100 11. MISCELLANEOUS 103 11.1 Buying Affordable Foodstuffs – Team Tafel Austria 103 11.2 Clothing & Furnishings 103 11.3 Family Reunion/Search for Relatives Geography & Population 103 IMPRESSUM, DISCLAIMER 104 Living and Working in Austria 2016 5 1. GENERAL 1.1 Geography & Population Austria covers an area of 83,878 square kilometres with a population of 8,699,730 residents (as of 2016) including 1,267,458 foreign citizens (14.6% of total population), thereof 641,728 third country citizens, i.e. non-EU/non-EEA citizens and non-Swiss citizens (7.4% of the total population). Vienna is the most densely populated province of Austria with 4,335 residents per square kilometre; Tyrol and Carinthia are the least densely populated provinces with 58 inhabitants per square kilometre. The average life expectancy is 81 years. Austria is bordered by Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia and Italy. Austria has been a member of the European Union (EU) and part of the European Economic Area (EEA) since 1995. Tschech. Republik Deutschland NIEDERÖSTERREICH Slowak. Linz WIEN Republik Sankt OBERÖSTERREICH Wien VORARL- Pölten Salzburg BERG Eisenstadt Bregenz Innsbruck ÖSTERREICH BURGEN- TIROL SALZBURG LAND Liechten STEIERMARK stein Graz Ungarn Schweiz Lienz KÄRNTEN Klagenfurt Italien Slowenien Kroatien 1.2 The Political System Austria is a constitutional state. All persons living in Austria must observe the law, personal convictions or attitudes do not prevail over the Austrian laws. All laws are equally applicable to all persons and protect all persons equally. The state guarantees the rights of the residents through its acts of law. No one – not even politicians, police or courts – are above the law. Not only individuals have to conform to the laws, they also apply to the state and authorities such as district authorities (Magistrat).