Austrian Passport and ID Card: What Dual Citizens Need to Know

If you are also an Austrian citizen, you can apply for an Austrian passport and ID card in the same way as any other Austrian citizen. This guide explains where to apply, what the process involves, how much the documents cost in 2026 and how long delivery takes.

Who can apply for an Austrian passport and ID card?

Both documents require Austrian citizenship. The passport (Reisepass) and ID card (Personalausweis) prove your identity and citizenship. Within Austria, both are accepted as official photo identification documents (amtlicher Lichtbildausweis).

A driving licence is not a valid travel document for foreign travel. You need a travel document for every border crossing, including travel to Schengen countries and short trips abroad. The ID card can be used as a travel document within the European Union, but the entry rules of the destination country always apply.

Where can you apply?

You can generally apply to a passport authority (Passbehörde), including:

• the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft),
• the municipal authority (Magistrat) in statutory cities,
• the district offices (Magistratische Bezirksämter) in Vienna,
• the municipality in Leoben and Schwechat.

In Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg, some municipalities (Gemeinde) also accept applications and forward them to the responsible authority. You must have a registered address there, either as your main or secondary residence. Processing may take longer through a municipality, so a district authority is advisable for urgent applications.

Some authorities require an appointment. Check this in advance.

How does the application process work?

You must submit the application in person. At the passport authority, there is no separate form: the office records the application in an official statement (Niederschrift). A form is generally required only when applying through a municipality.

You will need a colour passport photograph measuring 35 x 45 mm that is no more than six months old. If you have an old passport or ID card, bring it with you. It may have expired no more than five years ago, or you must still be recognisable in the photograph.

If you have neither document, you must present another official photo ID together with a birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) and proof of citizenship (Staatsbürgerschaftsnachweis). Documents must be presented as originals or certified copies. When a new document is issued, the old one must be handed in for cancellation.

From the age of 12, fingerprints are also taken from two fingers, usually the index fingers. They are deleted from the passport register no later than 90 days after the document is issued and remain only on the document's chip.

How much does an Austrian passport cost in 2026?

Adult passports

• Passport (Reisepass): 112 euros; delivery in approximately 5 working days.
• Express passport (Expresspass): 148 euros; delivery in approximately 2–3 working days.
• One-day express passport (Ein-Tages-Expresspass): 326 euros; delivery on the next working day by courier.

Passports for minors

• Until the 2nd birthday, first issue: standard application is free, express costs 67 euros and one-day express costs 245 euros.
• After the 2nd birthday: standard application costs 44 euros, express costs 67 euros and one-day express costs 245 euros.
• From the 12th birthday: standard application costs 112 euros, express costs 148 euros and one-day express costs 326 euros.

ID cards for minors

For children up to their 2nd birthday, the first ID card is free. After that, it costs 39 euros, and from the 16th birthday it costs 91 euros. The free-of-charge first issue at birth applies to only one document.

What should dual citizens pay attention to?

If you present a foreign document to an authority for the first time, such as a foreign passport, ID card or birth certificate, an official usage fee applies. The fee is 42 euros for a passport and 21 euros for an ID card.

If you have already paid the fee for the same document, you do not have to pay it again in another procedure, provided you can prove the previous payment with a receipt.

The family name and given name on the ID card appear as they do on the birth certificate. However, the machine-readable lines use the international ICAO alphabet, which does not include accents or special characters.

If your name changes after marriage and you plan to travel soon afterwards, you need a new document. At border crossings, the document must show your current name, and the ticket must also be issued in that name.

Validity and expiry

An adult passport is generally valid for ten years and cannot be extended. Once it expires, you must apply for a new one.

For children, both passports and ID cards are valid for two years until the 2nd birthday, five years from the 2nd birthday and ten years from the 12th birthday. Blue ID cards issued before 2 August 2021 remain valid.

A reminder service can notify you before the document expires.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply in a place where I do not live?

Yes. Within Austria, you can submit your application to any passport authority, regardless of your place of residence. To apply through a municipality, however, you must have a registered address there.

What can I do if I need to travel urgently and do not have a passport?

In certain cases, you can apply for a temporary passport (Notpass). It is generally issued immediately and costs 112 euros. You must prove the urgent reason, for example with a flight ticket. Not every country accepts it; for example, it cannot be used to enter the USA without a visa.

Can I travel with a passport that was reported lost but later found?

This is risky. Some countries may refuse entry even if you have reported the document found and the alert has been withdrawn. Withdrawing the document from the international database takes at least 24 hours.

Do I need to complete a form?

Not at the passport authority. The office records the application in an official statement (Niederschrift).

Practical steps

1. Confirm that you have Austrian citizenship and check which document you need.
2. Choose a passport authority (Passbehörde) and check whether an appointment is required.
3. Prepare a recent colour photograph measuring 35 x 45 mm.
4. Bring your existing passport or ID card, or prepare another official photo ID, your birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) and proof of citizenship (Staatsbürgerschaftsnachweis).
5. Bring originals or certified copies and any receipt proving that a foreign-document usage fee has already been paid.
6. Submit the application in person and select the standard, express or one-day express option if available.
7. Before travelling, check that your document is valid, that your name matches your ticket and that the destination country accepts your chosen travel document.

Source: oesterreich.gv.at