Official Letters in Austria: Postal and Electronic Delivery

Important official documents in Austria are often sent by registered mail with confirmation of delivery and may need to be collected personally. If you are not at home, the letter is usually taken to a post office. There is also a free electronic option: the Mein Postkorb service, where official letters can be delivered online.

At a glance

• An RSa letter (blue letter, blauer Brief) may be handed only to the addressee personally or to someone with postal authorisation.
• If delivery is unsuccessful, the document is taken to the nearest post office, where you can collect it with an identity document.
• Electronic delivery (eZustellung) is available after a one-time, free registration with Mein Postkorb.
• You can log in with ID Austria or EU-Login, allowing RSa and RSb letters to be received electronically.
• Documents that cannot be sent electronically, such as passports and original documents, continue to arrive by post.

What are RSa and RSb letters?

In Austrian official correspondence, you will often see the abbreviations RSa and RSb. Both indicate documented delivery (nachweisliche Zustellung): there is a record that the document reached you.

An RSa letter (Rückscheinbrief blau, commonly called a blue letter) is the stricter form. It may be handed only to the addressee personally. This is called personal delivery (eigenhändige Zustellung). It may also be handed to a person who has postal authorisation (Postvollmacht).

The use of an RSa letter must be required by law. One example is the delivery of decisions in administrative criminal proceedings (Verwaltungsstrafsachen).

What happens if you are not at home?

If the delivery worker cannot find you at home, the letter cannot simply be left there. You will receive the familiar yellow notice (gelber Zettel), informing you that the document is waiting at the post office.

The letter is deposited (hinterlegen) at the nearest post office. To collect it, you must go there personally and show an identity document.

Electronic delivery can save you this additional trip.

What are electronic delivery and Mein Postkorb?

Electronic delivery (eZustellung) allows you to retrieve official documents online. Once you register, senders can also contact you electronically and postal delivery on paper is omitted.

Your letters are collected in one central location, the Mein Postkorb application, regardless of which authority sends them. Examples include a criminal record extract (Strafregisterauszug) and a registration confirmation (Meldebestätigung).

The service offers:

• a free mailbox with one-time registration,
• access seven days a week, 24 hours a day,
• access from anywhere in the world,
• no yellow notices or queues at the post office,
• a spam-free, secure and confidential service,
• shorter processing times.

Where is Mein Postkorb available?

Private individuals can open Mein Postkorb in two ways:

• through the logged-in area of oesterreich.gv.at,
• through the ID Austria application.

Businesses can access it through the Unternehmensserviceportal (usp.gv.at), for the company's postal authorised representatives.

Login takes place with ID Austria or EU-Login. ID Austria ensures that you can also receive RSa letters electronically without difficulty. If you do not yet have ID Austria, you can read more about registration in the guide to ID Austria and Digitales Amt registration.

How will you be notified about new letters?

You will receive an email immediately when a new message arrives. You can then log in to the mailbox, accept the letter, print it or forward it by email.

For this reason, the email addresses saved in Mein Postkorb should always be valid. In the Settings (Einstellungen) section, you can change or delete an address or add a new one at any time. At least one address must always remain active for notifications.

Can you deactivate the mailbox during an absence?

Yes. If you cannot receive electronic deliveries for a period of time, for example because you do not have internet access, you can deactivate the mailbox for that period. You will then not receive electronic deliveries, while authorities can send documents by post as usual.

Deactivation applies only to electronic delivery under the Delivery Act (Zustellgesetz). If you also use the FinanzOnline message function, you will continue to receive messages from the financial authorities there.

Frequently asked questions

Does electronic delivery cost anything?

No. Registration and use of the Mein Postkorb mailbox are free.

Why did I receive a letter by post even though I registered?

Not every authority uses electronic delivery yet, although the number is continuously increasing. Some documents, such as passports and original documents, are not suitable for electronic delivery and will always arrive by post.

Can someone else collect a blue letter for me?

An RSa letter may be collected only by you personally or by a person with postal authorisation.

Where can I ask questions?

Private individuals can request assistance by email at [email protected]. Businesses can contact [email protected]. For questions about ID Austria, visit www.id-austria.gv.at/hilfe.

Practical steps

1. Register for electronic delivery through the logged-in area of oesterreich.gv.at or the ID Austria application.
2. Log in with ID Austria or EU-Login.
3. Add an active email address in the Einstellungen section so you receive notifications.
4. Check Mein Postkorb when an email notification arrives, then accept, print or forward the document.
5. If you receive a yellow notice instead, take an identity document to the named post office to collect the letter.
6. Remember that passports and original documents, as well as documents from authorities that do not yet use electronic delivery, may still arrive by post.

Source: oesterreich.gv.at, bundeskanzleramt.gv.at