Strafregisterbescheinigung in Austria: How to Apply for a Criminal Record Certificate

If you work in Austria, volunteer or apply for certain permits, you may be asked to provide an Austrian criminal record certificate, known as a Strafregisterbescheinigung. This document shows whether a conviction is recorded in the Austrian criminal register. Here is where to apply, how much it costs and how quickly you can receive it in 2026.

Key points

• You must apply for the certificate yourself and in your own name.
• In 2026, the fee is 26 euros in person, 18 euros online and 29 euros for special versions.
• Applications for voluntary work can be free of charge at certain organisations.
• In most cases, the certificate must not be more than three months old.
• In Vienna, you will generally receive it immediately at the Polizeikommissariat.

What is a Strafregisterbescheinigung?

The Strafregisterbescheinigung may also be referred to by older names such as Leumundszeugnis or polizeiliches Führungszeugnis. It provides information about convictions recorded in the criminal register (Strafregister), or confirms that no such entry exists.

The criminal register contains all final Austrian criminal court convictions, as well as foreign convictions concerning Austrian citizens or people who live or usually reside in Austria.

If there is no entry, the certificate is issued in two languages: German and English.

What types of certificate are available?

In addition to the general certificate, special versions are available. You can obtain one only if your current or prospective employer or organisation provides a separate confirmation (Bestätigung).

• Certificate for child and youth welfare (Kinder- und Jugendfürsorge): for work involving the supervision, care, education, nursing or training of minors.
• Certificate for nursing and care (Pflege und Betreuung): for caring for and supporting vulnerable people.
• Terrorism and offences against the state, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes: for example, work in critical infrastructure, with explosives or pyrotechnics, or in the security or weapons industry.

The first two special certificates show whether there is an entry for offences against sexual integrity and sexual self-determination, including court-ordered occupational bans.

The employer’s confirmation must be presented as an original or a copy and must be issued specifically in your name. Blank, general or downloaded forms are not accepted.

How much does it cost?

• In-person application or application recorded in the official minutes: 26 euros
• Online application using ID Austria or EU Login: 18 euros
• Special certificate for child protection, care or terrorism-related work: 29 euros
• Voluntary work at certain organisations: free of charge

The application is free of charge if it is required for voluntary work at a voluntary organisation, an institution eligible to receive donations (spendenbegünstigte Einrichtung), or a legally recognised church or religious community. For a voluntary organisation, you must also attach the standard form Bestätigung des freiwilligen Engagements (Freiwilligenpass).

Where can you apply?

The responsible office depends on where you are currently staying. Your registered main residence (Hauptwohnsitz) does not determine which office is responsible.

• Vienna: Polizeikommissariat
• City with a Landespolizeidirektion or Polizeikommissariat: Landespolizeidirektion or Polizeikommissariat
• City or municipality without either of these offices: Bürgermeister
• Krems and Waidhofen/Ybbs: Magistrat
• Rust: Landespolizeidirektion Burgenland
• Outside Austria: Austrian diplomatic mission

You can apply for and collect the certificate only during public service hours (Parteienverkehr), which may differ from the office’s general opening hours. At police locations, booking an appointment online is specifically recommended.

Applying online

You can apply online for the general certificate if you have ID Austria or EU Login. Special versions cannot be requested online because they require confirmation from an employer or organisation.

On request, the certificate can also be sent by post. As a standard option, it is sent by registered personal delivery (RSa-Brief), but you can also request ordinary mail.

Which documents do you need?

• An official photographic identity document (amtlicher Lichtbildausweis)
• Proof of your previous names, such as a birth, marriage, divorce or adoption certificate, because these names must be listed in the application
• A power of attorney (Vollmacht) if someone else is acting on your behalf
• For a special certificate, a signed confirmation from the employer or organisation

If your identity document still shows a previous name, you must also bring proof of the name change. If you want to include an academic title that is not shown on your identity document, you need the certificate issued by the awarding institution.

For identity verification, you must appear in person at least once, either when applying or collecting the certificate, except for online applications. When an attorney represents you, this is generally not required if the attorney attaches a copy of your photographic identity document.

How long does it take?

In Vienna, you will generally receive the certificate immediately at the Polizeikommissariat if all documents are in order. At many other offices, the process also takes only a few minutes. If the municipality does not have direct access to the register, the waiting time may be approximately 10 days. Applications through a diplomatic mission may take longer.

Frequently asked questions

Can citizens of another EU Member State request information from their home-country register?

Yes. As a citizen of another EU Member State, you can ask the Vienna Strafregisteramt to obtain information from your country’s register and send it later as an addition to the Austrian certificate that has already been issued. You must also prove your citizenship, for example with a passport or identity card.

How long is the certificate valid?

In most cases, authorities accept a certificate that is no more than three months old.

When does a conviction disappear from the certificate?

Once the expungement period (Tilgungsfrist) has expired, the conviction may no longer appear on the certificate. For a single conviction, the period is three, five, ten or fifteen years, depending on the sentence.

Some convictions stop appearing earlier under the restricted disclosure rules (beschränkte Auskunft), including imprisonment of no more than three months. Earlier expungement can be requested only by way of a pardon through the Ministry of Justice (BMJ); there is no legal entitlement to it.

Can someone else collect the certificate for me?

Yes, with a power of attorney, but only if you submitted the application in person. No substitute is permitted when the certificate is handed over immediately in Vienna.

Practical steps

1. Check whether you need the general Strafregisterbescheinigung or a special version.
2. If you need a special version, ask your employer or organisation for a signed confirmation in your name.
3. Prepare your photographic identity document and proof of any previous names.
4. Choose the responsible office based on where you are currently staying, not your Hauptwohnsitz.
5. Book an appointment online if you are applying at a police location.
6. Alternatively, apply online for the general certificate using ID Austria or EU Login.
7. Check that the certificate is no more than three months old when you submit it to the requesting organisation.

This information is based on sources available online and does not constitute professional advice. For specific advice, contact a lawyer or another relevant professional.

Source: oesterreich.gv.at