Living in Innsbruck / Tyrol

MEDICAL CARE

Taking out statutory health insurance is compulsory in Austria. Your employer will register you directly with the relevant social insurance organisation. Your close relatives can usually also be insured. Examples of social insurances are bvaeb (formerly BVA for university employees), OEGK (e.g. for workers and employees in Tyrol) or SVS (e.g. for the self-employed). This health insurance covers most of the costs for medical treatment, physiotherapy, medication and hospitalisation.

In order to identify yourself to doctors and clinics, you will receive a personal e-card from the health insurance company, which must be presented at the practice or outpatient clinic. The e-card (including the EKVK European Health Insurance Card on the back) must have a photo on it and is non-transferable. The photo must be handed in personally at an official registration centre. You can find more information on this at here.

TIP: If you have your driving licence reissued as an Austrian driving licence, you will have an official Austrian identity document. You will then also have a photo of yourself in the official register and you will not have to register another photo with the authorities, e.g. for the e-card (health insurance card).

If you have any complaints, first consult a general practitioner. They can refer you to the appropriate specialist. However, you can also consult a specialist or the outpatient department of a clinic directly if you have specific complaints. Find out about the opening hours (= surgery hours) of the practice or outpatient clinic and ask whether there are general consultation hours or whether you need to make an appointment.

In Austria there is a free choice of doctor. However, find out whether the doctor you have chosen has a contract with your health insurance company or whether they are an elective doctor. If you consult an elective doctor (or even an elective therapist), you will initially have to pay the amount yourself and will be reimbursed part of the costs by your health insurance company afterwards. Physiotherapy or psychotherapy sometimes has to be authorised by the health insurance company before it can be used. If you consult elective doctors/therapists more often or have special treatment requirements, it may be worth taking out private supplementary health insurance.

You can find information on social insurance benefits including bvaeb health insurance (formerly: BVA) at here.


Doctors

Information about doctors, surgeries/offices and on-call services in Tyrol can be found on the website of Tyrol Medical Association. Here you can also find multilingual doctors under the heading "Doctor search - advanced search - foreign languages".


Hospitals / Clinics

The Landeskrankenhaus Innsbruck - Universitätskliniken is the university hospital in the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck and is run by Tirol Kliniken GmbH. With around 1600 beds, it is one of the largest hospitals in Austria. Information can be found at here.

For information on other clinics and private clinics, visit Tirol Clinics or Tyrol.

For information on Covid 19 / coronavirus, see ARRIVALS


Useful information

Further information on the topics of social security, health and medical care can be found under the following links

LIBRARIES / LIBRARIES

University and Provincial Library for Tyrol

The University and Provincial Library for Tyrol (ULB) is the largest academic library in western Austria and is open to all university members (teaching staff, researchers and students) as well as all citizens.


City library and "Innsbook"

In addition to City library, Innsbruck also has many smaller, mostly volunteer-run district libraries that have joined together to form the cross-library network Innsbook. Here, readers can borrow a wide range of media (including e-media) for a small annual fee. The communities around Innsbruck mostly have their own community libraries.


Library of the AK

We also recommend the Library of the Chamber of Labour (AK) in Innsbruck. All members of the AK (= all workers and employees) can choose from a wide range of media and e-media free of charge.

LEISURE

For active families, individuals and students with their main residence in Tyrol, Leisure ticket is a good way to use mountain railways, swimming pools and other leisure facilities all year round at a fair price. The province of Tyrol's Family pass offers discounts for families.

Numerous leisure tips for families can be found, for example, on the website mamilade.

Events in Innsbruck and Tyrol can be found at events.tt.com.

Friends of old, classical and new music will get their money's worth in Innsbruck at concerts (opera / ballet) in the Landestheater, the Haus der Musik, the Congress, the hall of the Landeskonservatorium, the Vierundeinzig, in many churches and at many other venues outside Innsbruck. Subscriptions are often offered in addition to individual tickets.

We have put together a selection of concert organisers and venues for you:


Venues in the "Rock / Pop / Jazz" area include, in addition to the major events in the Congress or the Olympiahalle, the Treibhaus, the Bäckerei, the harbour, the pmk and many other smaller clubs. An overview of all Tyrolean theatres and their programmes can be found at Theatre Association Tyrol. Four cinemas in Innsbruck ( Leokino, Cinematograph, Metropol and Cineplexx) offer a varied programme Programme.


Important venues for concerts, cabaret and cultural events of all kinds in Innsbruck are


Further information can also be found on the joint website of Tyrolean cultural initiatives. The city of Innsbruck's Music school offers practical and theoretical music lessons, especially for children and young people.

The Tyrolean Provincial Museums with Ferdinandeum, Folk Art Museum, Hofkirche, Zeughaus and Tirol Panorama with Kaiserjägermuseum offer changing exhibitions and many other events throughout the year in addition to their permanent exhibitions. Numerous Galleries invite you to visit. Information about other sights and excursion destinationsin Innsbruck and Tyrol can be found at Touristeninformation Innsbruck or on the internet portal "Experience Tyrol".

Of course, in Innsbruck you are used to being able to enjoy all kinds of alpine sports, whether in summer or winter. There is hardly any other place in the world that offers such a variety in the immediate vicinity of the city. In addition to tourist information on Touristeninformation Innsbruck or the internet portal "Experience Tyrol", hikers, mountaineers, climbers, tobogganists, skiers (alpine and Nordic) or ski tourers will find useful information on the pages of Austrian Alpine Club. The ski and hiking areas that are easily accessible from Innsbruck include: Nordkette, Mutterer Alm, Patscherkofel, Axamer Lizum, Rangger Köpfl, Kühtai, Serlesbahnen, Berger Alm, Schlick or the Stubai Glacier. Well-known cross-country skiing areas are Seefeld and Leutasch. Information for cyclists, including mountain biking and downhill biking, can be found at on this page

The university sports centreUSI offers a wealth of other sports options. The centre offers around 1000 sports courses per academic year for students, graduates and university and college staff. However, the courses can also be booked by all other sports enthusiasts, subject to availability. Registration for the courses (semester and semester holidays) takes place at online.

An overview of Innsbruck's swimming poolscan be found on the website of Innsbrucker Kommunalbetriebe IKB. Lakes that are easily accessible from Innsbruck are the Baggersee in Rossau, the Lanser See, the Natterer See, the Wildsee in Seefeld, the Möserer See and the Achensee, which can be reached in about 30 minutes by car.

You can find the right sports clubnear your home at Club portal.

INTEGRATION

Welcome Service Tirol

An important task of Welcome Service Tirol is the private networking of highly qualified professionals, scientists and their family members who have moved here. A wide variety of events are organised at regular intervals throughout the year. These range from joint visits to the Alpine zoo or the ski jump to welcome get-togethers and mostly English-language lectures and workshops on specialised topics such as taxes or the Austrian education system.

Girl Gone International

Have you ever packed a bag and headed out into the world to see what would happen next? You are a Girl* Gone International. We create safe, free communities around the world for women and non-binary people of all ages so you can make new friends and feel at home wherever you are and wherever you want to go. You can find the local community in Innsbruck at Facebook.

Volunteering / Honorary work

Doing something meaningful, getting involved and making friends at the same time? Volunteering can be very unifying. There are many opportunities in Innsbruck and Tyrol. A very good overview of the opportunities and counselling as well as further training can be found at Tyrol Volunteer Centre.

MOBILITY

IVB - Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe

The Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe (IVB) offers an extensive bus and tram network in Innsbruck. Overviews, route maps and departure times can be found at IVB website along with a practical App. Individual tickets can no longer be purchased directly from the driver. In most cases, it is worth buying a cheaper 8-trip ticket (online, ticket machines at the stops and parking ticket machines with ticket functions or tobacconists) or a season ticket such as the climate ticket for Innsbruck, Tyrol or Austria.

Tip: Some tram lines are particularly suitable for scenic excursions, such as the Stubaitalbahn STB or line 6 to Igls!

The University of Innsbruck offers its employees an additional payment for the annual ticket (= Jobticket or KlimaTicket). In addition to U26-Klimatickets, students can also purchase discounted semester tickets.


City bike

Bicycles can be rented cheaply and easily at many stations in the city. All information on the website of City bike or Nextbike Innsbruck. You can find more bike and e-bike hire companies and information on bike repairs at here. Information on cycle tours, long-distance cycle paths, mountain biking, downhill and road biking can be found at on this page.


VVT - Tyrol Transport Association

The bus network of the Verkehrsverbund Tirol (VVT) is available to reach the regions around Innsbruck. The website VVT provides information on routes, timetables and ticket prices. Please note: Single or day tickets can no longer be purchased directly from the bus driver and must be bought online. The Fare is based on the zones travelled through in the region. Time tickets or climate tickets (week, month, year) are available at VVT sales points or online! For €519.60 (as of Feb. 2024, adult without discount), an annual ticket or KlimaTicket is offered for the whole of Tyrol. This is also available as a job ticket and is subsidised by the University of Innsbruck.


ÖBB - Austrian Federal Railways

Regional, interregional, national and international train tickets are available at Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). Particularly favourable offers can be found on the "Sparschiene" (economy rail). For frequent travellers, it is worth purchasing the so-called "VorteilsCard" or the Climate Ticket Austria. In some cases, it makes sense to research and book a (supra-regional or international) planned train journey via the German railway or Trains Italy portal.


Coach journeys

Favourable offers (e.g. airport transfer to Munich) are also available from various bus companies, such as Flixbus and others.


Airport

Innsbruck's Airport is very close to the city centre and can be easily reached by public transport (bus line F). Several important city connections and numerous holiday charter flights make this airport very attractive for both Innsbruck residents and tourists. Nevertheless, it is also worth comparing prices with flights to/from Munich (transfer approx. 2.5 hours), Zurich (transfer approx. 4.5 hours) or Vienna (transfer approx. 4.5 hours).

Driving a car

When bringing your own vehicle to Austria, there are some regulations regarding tax and customs ("NoVA") to be observed. A vehicle with a foreign licence plate (also from another EU country) may be used by a person with their main residence in Austria for a maximum of one month after bringing it to Austria. After that, the vehicle must be re-registered or exported again. Up-to-date information on this, as well as tips on buying a car, the obligatory annual safety check (the so-called "Pickerl") and the Brenner toll and motorway vignette can be found at ÖAMTC and the federal government's Public servant.


Driving licence

EU driving licences are recognised in Austria, i.e. they do not have to be, but can be converted on a voluntary basis. Non-EU driving licences, on the other hand, are valid for six months until they are converted. For all other questions concerning (foreign) driving licences, please visit Federal Government for the latest information.


Parking in Innsbruck

Parking in Innsbruck is restricted and subject to a charge for both visitors and residents in most parts of the city. The latest information on short-term parking zones or residents' parking permits can be found on the City of Innsbruck website.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS IN AUSTRIA

122 Fire brigade

133 Police

144 Rescue / ambulance

112 Europe-wide emergency call

1450 Health hotline

0800-808030 (hotline of the province of Tyrol for general questions about the coronavirus)

Other Austrian emergency numbers here

OPENING HOURS

Opening hours in Austria, and therefore also in Tyrol and Innsbruck, are regulated by law and are subject to the Opening Hours Act, the Sunday and Public Holidays Operating Hours Act and the Labour Rest Act.

The retail trade is closed on Sundays and on weekday evenings. Most food retailers are also only open on weekdays (Monday to Saturday). On some weekdays, however, some shops are open until 8.00 pm. Usual shop opening hours are Mon - Fri from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Sat from 8.00 am to 12.00 pm. A lunch break is only to be expected for smaller retailers.

Exceptions to this are some bakeries in Innsbruck and various shops in tourist communities, which are also open on Sundays.

Restaurants, museums (usually closed on Mondays) or individual service providers are often subject to different closing days. To be on the safe side, please check the opening hours before you visit.

FURTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

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