Moving abroad is a privilege – but it also comes with difficulties like navigating a new culture and languages. So anything that makes life in Austria that bit easier for foreign residents is welcome.
Austria's electronic identity aims to do just that. The ID Austria can be used for carrying out various tasks online, from taxes to healthcare. It can be used for logging in to applications online, and for providing electronic signatures.
Around 4.8 million people already use the system, which replaced the previous Handy-Signatur.
Overall, it appears to be easing the burden of bureaucracy, but many people also report issues with setting it up, and say it's more difficult for foreign residents to navigate than Austrian citizens.
'Impossible to sign up with foreign passport'
The ID Austria system comes in two versions: a full "Vollfunktion" and a basic "Basisfunktion." Most readers who responded to our survey said they had the full version, typically using it to access government services, manage taxes and social security and verify their identity online.
Despite easing bureaucracy many readers described huge frustration at setting it up.
As The Local has been reporting, the registration process for ID Austria is handled differently for residents without Austrian citizenship. Foreign residents usually have to make an appointment at a police station or other specified official office. Austrian nationals have the option of doing the process online.
READ ALSO: New site tracks ID Austria appointment slots across Vienna offices
Several said booking appointments at police stations or authorities was difficult or inconvenient.
One UK reader in Ried im Innkreis said they had not yet applied because they would need to travel to a main police station to set it up.
A 38-year-old Australian in Vienna questioned why foreigners have to visit a police office to register. He said: "Holly sh*t it was the worst thing I’ve ever used. The police to setup an account? I have an Austrian government issued ID/Visa card.
"Let me use that. Unless the police have solved all the crime in Austria."
Hamid, from Iran and living in Lower Austria, has the basic version. He said: "It would be great if I could upgrade it without needing to visit police."
Brian Stephens, 68, in Salzburg said it feels "impossible to sign up with a foreign passport".
Not sure if I would recommend it'
Jarad Carleton, 56, a US national living in Burgenland, described a frustrating "Kafkaesque" experience trying to register for the ID at police headquarters in Eisenstadt.
Although he uses it for some administration tasks, he's not impressed. "I do cybersecurity market research at a global firm and I’ve seen complicated security systems with a better user interface than ID Austria," Jarad said. "Frankly, I fumble through it every time I open it."
He added that while he doesn't recommend it, it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid it as more services move online.
READ ALSO: Why foreign residents in Austria cannot renew ID Austria online and what to do
Language barriers were also raised. Tiago, 43, who's from Portugal and moved from London to Vienna in 2024, noted that while browser translation helps on websites, the app itself lacks an English-language option.
Others reported occasional technical glitches or confusing login processes. Igor said the system usually works well but sometimes throws up password errors that end up resolving themselves later.
Charlie, a US resident in Klosterneuburg with the basic version, said he "sometimes difficult to log in or find what I want".
"Not sure if I would recommend it to others, it depends on their circumstances," he added.
'Clearly easier' if you're Austrian
Some respondents said ID Austria is of limited use without a tax number or social security number.
Paul Frank Covello, 56, who previously lived in Vienna, said the ID came in handy for de-registering his Austrian address when he returned to the US, and for EU citizenship initiative voting. But he was unable to use many services.
"Foreigners will have little to no use for ID Austria unless they first get a job in Austria and have been assigned a Tax ID and Social Security number."
He said he could not access sites such as FinanzOnline or health insurance portals because he had not yet been assigned these numbers, leaving him locked out of essential services.
Others said that it appears to much simpler for Austrian nationals to use, with one Vienna-based respondent saying it is "clearly easier" if you are a citizen.
Thank you so much to everyone who completed our survey. We will soon publish another story on the advantages of using ID Austria.
Comments (2)