From working hours reporting to rent rules and motorway vignettes, January brings a wide set of changes across Austria that affect everyday life.
Employers must report agreed working hours when registering staff
From January 1st, employers will have to include the agreed working hours for each new employee when registering them with Austria’s social insurance system. Until now, registrations included the employment start date and salary basis, but not the extent of working time.
In practice, this means employers will need to specify whether a role is full-time or part-time, and, for example, the number of hours per week. The aim is to improve transparency and compliance, including helping authorities detect under-reported employment and ensuring benefit calculations are based on properly documented working hours.
This change affects employers nationwide, including payroll administrators who file registrations through ELDA. Employees are also indirectly affected because their working hours will be formally recorded in the social security system from the outset.
READ ALSO: Working in Austria: Which new jobs are expected to be created in 2026?
Side jobs while receiving unemployment benefits are largely restricted
From January 1st, unemployed people will generally no longer be able to top up Arbeitslosengeld or Notstandshilfe with marginal employment, except for specified exception groups.
For people already combining benefits with a marginal side job, existing side jobs must be ended by January 31st, 2026 unless an exception applies. That deadline matters because it turns this from a “new rule for new claimants” into something that can affect people already in a routine.
The change is nationwide and primarily affects people receiving unemployment benefits who currently have, or were planning to take up, a marginal job.
If you are in an AMS-supported training or programme, the details will depend on the benefit you are receiving and whether you are in an exception group.
Advertisement
New rules limit how indexation clauses can be used in new rental contracts
From January 1st, 2026, rent increases via indexation clauses in many new residential rental agreements are restricted so they cannot be applied continuously throughout the year.
The detail depends heavily on the type of contract and the legal category it falls under. Separate rules apply depending on the rental agreement type, and some areas remain excluded or treated differently.
If you are signing a new contract in 2026, this is the kind of change that is often first noticed in the fine print. It affects both tenants and landlords in the private rental market where indexation clauses are used, but the exact applicability depends on the legal framework of the specific rental agreement.
Rent increase limits apply for parts of the regulated sector
Also from January 1st, 2026, rent increase limits are set for parts of the regulated rental sector under the rent relief package..
As with the indexation rules, the scope depends on the rent category and legal basis. This is not a simple “all rents” measure, and private market contracts without regulated-rent rules are not necessarily covered.
Advertisement
For renters, the key point is that the rules are based on legal category, not location. For landlords, it is a compliance issue as well as a financial one, because rent increases will depend on what segment a property and contract fall into.
The 2025 motorway vignette expires at the end of January
Austria’s 2025 motorway vignette remains valid only until January 31st, 2026, according to ASFINAG.
From February 1st, drivers need a valid 2026 vignette (sticker or digital) for tolled motorways and expressways that fall under the vignette requirement. This affects cars and motorcycles up to 3.5 tonnes using the vignette network nationwide, including foreign residents and cross-border commuters.
Vienna introduces enforceable safety rules for boating on the Alte Donau
From January 1st, 2026, Vienna introduces legally binding safety rules for boating on the Alte Donau under a new regulation that replaces the previous non-binding rules.
The new rules include a 10 km/h speed limit for motor-driven craft and a maximum engine power of 4.4 kW, alongside size limits of up to 7 metres in length and 2.55 metres in width. Most watercraft must be registered online and display an assigned identifier, with specified exceptions for certain small craft.
Advertisement
Existing larger boats already used on the Alte Donau must be registered by April 1st, 2026, and the registration process starts on January 1st, 2026.
The scope is Vienna and specifically the Obere und Untere Alte Donau, Kaiserwasser, Schießstattlacke, and Wasserpark.
Public holidays, winter events, and Eurovision milestones
Austria starts the year with two nationwide public holidays: New Year’s Day on January 1st and Epiphany on January 6th.
In Vienna, the smaller Rathausplatz ice area linked to the Christmas market season is scheduled to run until January 6th, 2026, according to the Stadt Wien. The main Wiener Eistraum is then scheduled to open on January 22nd, 2026 and run until March 8th, 2026, with published opening hours of 10 am to 10 pm.
January is also a key month for Eurovision 2026. The semi-final allocation draw is scheduled for January 12th, 2026, according to ORF. Ticket sales are then scheduled to open at 1 pm on January 13th, 2026 for people who pre-registered.
Outside Vienna, several major winter sports events are scheduled.
Advertisement
The Hahnenkamm Races in Kitzbühel are set for January 19th to 25th, 2026, with race days listed as Super-G on January 23rd, Downhill on January 24th and Slalom on January 25th.
The Schladming night races are scheduled for January 26th to 28th, 2026, with a giant slalom night race on January 27th and a slalom night race on January 28th.
For football fans, a friendly match between FC Red Bull Salzburg and FC Bayern Munich is scheduled for January 6th, 2026 at 3pm CET at Red Bull Arena. Salzburg also has a European home match listed against FC Basel on January 22nd, 2026.
Typical January weather in Austria
January is usually Austria’s coldest month, but conditions can vary sharply by region and altitude. In lowland cities such as Vienna, average January temperatures are just above freezing, with mean values around 1C. Typical daytime highs are around 3 to 4C, while nights often drop below zero.
Snow is common but not guaranteed in cities. In Vienna, long-term averages show around 10 days with snow cover in a typical January, with an average monthly new snow total of roughly 16cm. Other lowland cities such as Linz tend to be slightly colder and wetter, while Alpine valleys like Innsbruck see snow cover more frequently.
A classic January pattern in Austria is sunshine in the mountains while lowland basins sit under persistent fog or high fog. This can lead to striking contrasts, with bright winter sunshine above about 1,000 metres and grey, colder conditions below. At higher altitudes, January usually brings continuous snow cover, which is why ski resorts typically have their most reliable conditions of the season.
Advertisement
With a new year, a lot is changing. We will be publishing a series of stories with more changes, new events and all you need to know to start 2026 well-informed in Austria.