EXPLAINED: The Covid rules you need to know if you're skiing in Austria
Half term holidays are coming, and for Austria that means the winter tourism season will be in full swing.
But what are the new rules regarding vaccination, test and recovery you will need to hit the slopes, stay in hotels or go to bars, restaurants and shops during February? And what happens if you are on holiday with your kids?
The rules for all these activities change a lot during February. Here is our roundup of what you need to know.
A word of warning. Individual states and venues in Austria may implement new rules at short notice, so it pays to check ahead with your hotel or ski school before planning trips and holidays. The following acts as a general guide.
Until February 19th Austria has the so-called ‘2G’ rule in place (the ‘G' stands for Geimpfte which means vaccinated and Genesene which means recovered). This means anyone who wants to go to a cafe, bar or use a ski lift has to show a vaccine or recovery certificate.
Until February 12th you even need to show a 2G certificate to go to a shop in Austria, unless you are shopping for essentials in a supermarket or a pharmacy. Late night venues are closed at present, including night-clubs and apres ski venues.
READ MORE: How Austria's Covid restrictions are changing in February
FFP2 masks must be worn indoors (including in cable cars) and outdoors if you cannot maintain a 2m distance between others. Pregnant women and children aged 6-14 can wear MNS (masks which cover the mouths and nose) instead. Children aged under six years old are exempt from wearing masks.
What you can do in Austria depends a lot on how many vaccine doses you have had, or if you have proof of recovery from Covid-19.
Fully boosted (three doses)
Life will be easy for tourists aged 12 and over as long as they have had three vaccination doses including the booster jab in the nine months (270 days) before the end of their stay.
As long as you have a valid vaccination certificate such as the digital EU Covid Pass or the NHS Covid Pass you can access ski lifts, hotels, restaurants and cafes without a problem. Austria’s curfew will also move to midnight on Saturday February 5th, giving you longer to relax and enjoy a drink or food after skiing.
Double vaccinated and recovered
To prove you have recovered from Covid-19, you can show your EU Covid pass (Grüner Pass in Austria) or the UK's NHS covid pass. A recovery certificate is valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive test in the infection. If you have been vaccinated twice in the previous nine months and can show a recovery certificate you should be given the same status as someone who has received their booster.
Vaccinated once and recovered
If you have been vaccinated once and recovered from Covid-19, your certificate will be valid for 180 days.
Double vaccinated with no proof of recovery
If you have only been vaccinated twice and have no proof you have recovered from Covid-19 then your vaccine will only be considered valid for six months after the second dose. There’s an exception for people aged between 12 and 18: in this age group, two doses will be valid for seven months (210 days).
A word of warning, since January 3rd, the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccination is only valid for 2G proof with a recovery certificate (if you recovered from Covid-19 before you were vaccinated) or a second vaccination.
There is a vaccine calculator here if you want to check how long your jabs are valid for.
Unvaccinated but recovered from Covid-19
In order to access venues with proof of recovery, visitors must have a medical document proving past infection and showing the date of recovery.
This should appear in the EU Covid Pass (Green (Grüner) Pass in Austria) or the UK's NHS Covid Pass. A recovery certificate is valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive test proving infection.
Unvaccinated adults
Unvaccinated adults with no proof they have recovered from Covid-19 will be unable to access bars, hotels, restaurants or ski lifts until the rules change on February 19th. On this date most states in Austria will allow unvaccinated people to access these venues with a recent negative Covid-19 test. For adults PCR test results will be valid for 48 hours and antigen tests for 24 hours in restaurants and bars.
However, in Vienna, the restrictions for unvaccinated people will not be lifted at the same time as the rest of Austria.
READ MORE: Vienna to keep tighter Covid measures in place for bars and restaurants
Some venues in Austria may decide to impose their own rules, so always check ahead before making plans.
Rules for children aged 12 and over
The rules depend on how old your children are. Children aged 12 and over (born on or after September 1st 2006) can use a Holiday Ninja Pass which you can find here as 2G proof within Austria. The Ninja Pass records that children have the correct negative PCR or antigen test results to access 2G venues, such as restaurants, cinemas or cable cars.
Teenagers are required to take at least 2 PCR and one LFT test during a week-long period and record the results in the Holiday Ninja Pass. For teenagers PCR tests are valid for 72 hours, LFT/antigen tests for 48 hours. If a PCR test was shown to enter Austria, this can count towards the first test
There is free Covid-19 testing available in Tirol, Salzburg, Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Styria and Vienna.
Rules for children aged under 12
Before their 12th birthday, children are exempt from having to show evidence of being vaccinated, tested, or having recovered from Covid-19 in Austria.
However, rules may vary from state to state (particularly in Vienna where rules are often stricter) and at different venues, so we recommend you check to see if your child needs to provide a negative PCR or antigen test result.
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But what are the new rules regarding vaccination, test and recovery you will need to hit the slopes, stay in hotels or go to bars, restaurants and shops during February? And what happens if you are on holiday with your kids?
The rules for all these activities change a lot during February. Here is our roundup of what you need to know.
A word of warning. Individual states and venues in Austria may implement new rules at short notice, so it pays to check ahead with your hotel or ski school before planning trips and holidays. The following acts as a general guide.
Until February 19th Austria has the so-called ‘2G’ rule in place (the ‘G' stands for Geimpfte which means vaccinated and Genesene which means recovered). This means anyone who wants to go to a cafe, bar or use a ski lift has to show a vaccine or recovery certificate.
Until February 12th you even need to show a 2G certificate to go to a shop in Austria, unless you are shopping for essentials in a supermarket or a pharmacy. Late night venues are closed at present, including night-clubs and apres ski venues.
READ MORE: How Austria's Covid restrictions are changing in February
FFP2 masks must be worn indoors (including in cable cars) and outdoors if you cannot maintain a 2m distance between others. Pregnant women and children aged 6-14 can wear MNS (masks which cover the mouths and nose) instead. Children aged under six years old are exempt from wearing masks.
What you can do in Austria depends a lot on how many vaccine doses you have had, or if you have proof of recovery from Covid-19.
Fully boosted (three doses)
Life will be easy for tourists aged 12 and over as long as they have had three vaccination doses including the booster jab in the nine months (270 days) before the end of their stay.
As long as you have a valid vaccination certificate such as the digital EU Covid Pass or the NHS Covid Pass you can access ski lifts, hotels, restaurants and cafes without a problem. Austria’s curfew will also move to midnight on Saturday February 5th, giving you longer to relax and enjoy a drink or food after skiing.
Double vaccinated and recovered
To prove you have recovered from Covid-19, you can show your EU Covid pass (Grüner Pass in Austria) or the UK's NHS covid pass. A recovery certificate is valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive test in the infection. If you have been vaccinated twice in the previous nine months and can show a recovery certificate you should be given the same status as someone who has received their booster.
Vaccinated once and recovered
If you have been vaccinated once and recovered from Covid-19, your certificate will be valid for 180 days.
Double vaccinated with no proof of recovery
If you have only been vaccinated twice and have no proof you have recovered from Covid-19 then your vaccine will only be considered valid for six months after the second dose. There’s an exception for people aged between 12 and 18: in this age group, two doses will be valid for seven months (210 days).
A word of warning, since January 3rd, the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccination is only valid for 2G proof with a recovery certificate (if you recovered from Covid-19 before you were vaccinated) or a second vaccination.
There is a vaccine calculator here if you want to check how long your jabs are valid for.
Unvaccinated but recovered from Covid-19
In order to access venues with proof of recovery, visitors must have a medical document proving past infection and showing the date of recovery.
This should appear in the EU Covid Pass (Green (Grüner) Pass in Austria) or the UK's NHS Covid Pass. A recovery certificate is valid for 180 days from the date of the first positive test proving infection.
Unvaccinated adults
Unvaccinated adults with no proof they have recovered from Covid-19 will be unable to access bars, hotels, restaurants or ski lifts until the rules change on February 19th. On this date most states in Austria will allow unvaccinated people to access these venues with a recent negative Covid-19 test. For adults PCR test results will be valid for 48 hours and antigen tests for 24 hours in restaurants and bars.
However, in Vienna, the restrictions for unvaccinated people will not be lifted at the same time as the rest of Austria.
READ MORE: Vienna to keep tighter Covid measures in place for bars and restaurants
Some venues in Austria may decide to impose their own rules, so always check ahead before making plans.
Rules for children aged 12 and over
The rules depend on how old your children are. Children aged 12 and over (born on or after September 1st 2006) can use a Holiday Ninja Pass which you can find here as 2G proof within Austria. The Ninja Pass records that children have the correct negative PCR or antigen test results to access 2G venues, such as restaurants, cinemas or cable cars.
Teenagers are required to take at least 2 PCR and one LFT test during a week-long period and record the results in the Holiday Ninja Pass. For teenagers PCR tests are valid for 72 hours, LFT/antigen tests for 48 hours. If a PCR test was shown to enter Austria, this can count towards the first test
There is free Covid-19 testing available in Tirol, Salzburg, Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Styria and Vienna.
Rules for children aged under 12
Before their 12th birthday, children are exempt from having to show evidence of being vaccinated, tested, or having recovered from Covid-19 in Austria.
However, rules may vary from state to state (particularly in Vienna where rules are often stricter) and at different venues, so we recommend you check to see if your child needs to provide a negative PCR or antigen test result.
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