Social security

• Here you can find the  Austrian Health Insurance Fund’s A1 form for temporary assignments abroad.
• You can find all the EU forms for your cross-border social security here.

• General Social Security Act (ASVG)
• Social Insurance Act for Commerce and Trade (GSVG)
• Freelance Social Insurance Act (FSVG)
• Civil Servants' Sickness and Accident Insurance Act (B-KUVG)
• General Pensions Act (APG)
• Unemployment Insurance Act (AlVG)
• Employment Contract Adjustment Act (AVRAG)

The following section provides you with all the important figures on social insurance law at a glance. These include, for example, the level of insurance contributions to be paid and the insurance limits. The figures shown relate to the year 2025. 

Social insurance	Monthly marginal earnings threshold	€551.10
	Annual de minimis limit	€6,613.20
	SVS compulsory insurance limit (social security for the self-employed)	€6,613.20
	Minimum monthly SVS contribution for new self-employed individuals (please note: the final monthly contribution is calculated retrospectively)	€159.93
	Voluntary self-insurance in the SVS ("opting-in") (note: no pension insurance)	~ €50.00
	Voluntary self-insurance in the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) for marginally employed persons	€77.81
	Voluntary self-insurance in the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK) for students	€73.48
	Prescription fee	€7.55
Social benefits	Minimum income for single people	€1,209
	Minimum income couples	€1,693
	Minimum pension/compensatory allowance for a single person	€1,273.99
	Minimum pension/compensatory allowance for couples	€2,009.85
	Minimum pension/compensatory allowance with 30 years of insurance for a single person	€1,386.20
	Minimum pension/compensatory allowance with 40 years of insurance for a single persons	€1,656.05
	Minimum pension/compensatory allowance with 40 years of insurance for couples	€2,235.34
Parenthood	Family allowance 0-3 years of age	€138.40
	Family allowance 3-9 years of age	€148.00
	Family allowance 10-18 years of age	€171.80
	Family allowance from the age of 19	€200.40
	Child tax credit (one child tax credit is paid per family)	€70.90
	Daily allowance self-employed individuals	€70.28
	Daily allowance for marginally employed individuals	€11.87
	Annual additional earnings limit for income-related childcare allowance	€8,100.00
	Annual additional earnings limit for the flat-rate childcare allowance	€18,000.00

 

On the move in the EU or EEA

• Are you a frontier worker between different EU/EEA countries? Submit the S1 form to the social security authorities in the country where you work. This enables you to claim insurance benefits in your country of residence as if you were insured there. Do you commute between Switzerland and other EU/EEA countries? You need a Swiss cross-border commuter permit.
• It is always good to know the insurance number on your European Insurance Card. You can usually find this on the back of your national insurance card.
• Have you been insured in different EU/EEA countries and would you now like to draw a pension? Check the retirement age and necessary insurance periods in all the countries where you were employed. When applying for your pension, state the countries where you have been insured.
• Have you been posted by your employer or have you posted yourself as a self-employed person? Make sure that you or your employer have submitted the completed A1 form to the social security authorities in your posting country so that you remain insured there.

Insurance in Austria 

• Are you a cross-border commuter between Austria and other EU/EEA countries? Have a certificate of residence issued. This will allow you to claim insurance benefits in your country of residence as if you were insured there. Do you commute between Austria and Switzerland? You need a Swiss cross-border commuter permit.
• Self-employed? Register with the Social Security Institution for the Self-employed (SVS) if your income is above the minimum contribution base.
• Self-employed artist? Get recognised by the Artists' Social Insurance Fund to be able to claim benefits.
• Do you earn less than the marginal earnings threshold and are you not insured with relatives? Consider taking out voluntary self-insurance.

Insurance in third countries

• Check whether your country of destination and your country of origin have concluded agreements on the recognition of foreign insurance periods.
• Check whether you are covered by social security in the third country where you are working and under what conditions you can receive medical care. If the costs are very high, it is advisable to take out private health insurance. 

 

Social security in Austria

• On the Austrian Social Security website you will find comprehensive information on many social law topics, regardless of whether you are self-employed or employed.
• The Austrian Health Insurance Fund provides information on its website about social insurance for employees working for private employers.
• The Insurance Institution for Public-Service Employees, Railway and Mining Workers provides information on social insurance for people who work for the Austrian state.  
• On the website of the Social Security Institution for the Self-employed you can find out under which conditions you have to register with the SVS as a self-employed person and which benefits you can receive. The following link will take you straight to the registration portal.
• Under this link you will find an information brochure published by the Austrian Cultural Council on social law problems faced by self-employed, employed, and unemployed artists
• The Artists' Social Insurance Fund has created a guide on the recognition of self-employed artists and the various support measures. You can also find information on the registration of dormancy in the field of artistic work under this link.
• IG Netz provides information about its funding guidelines on its website. 

Illness & accident 

• The Chamber of Labour provides detailed information on sick pay at this link.
• This link will take you to the website of the General Accident Insurance Institution, AUVA.
• The ÖGK keeps a list of all its contracted doctors. 

Parenthood

• The Federal Chancellery provides information about financial support for families on its website. 

Pension

• You can find information on pension insurance in Austria on the Pension Insurance Institution’s website.
• Under this link you will find FAQs from the Chamber of Labour for self-employed individuals about their pension account.
• The SVS informs you about pension insurance for the new self-employed and tradespeople.
• The Austrian administration provides information on its website about the recognition of foreign insurance periods.

Unemployment

• Under this link you will find information on all benefits provided by the Public Employment Service (AMS), and you can view detailed information on unemployment benefits under this link.
• This information brochure published by the Austrian Cultural Council provides an overview of the complex issue of additional income limits for people who are also unemployed.

Social emergencies

• The Public Employment Service informs you on its website about financial benefits for insured individuals, including unemployment assistance and means-tested guaranteed minimum income benefits.
• The Musicians' Guild provides information on its website about subsidies for social security contributions. 

International social insurance

• The Austrian Ministry of Social Affairs has drawn up a checklist for the social insurance of EU/EEA citizens and Swiss nationals and a checklist for the social insurance of third-country nationals.
• The European Union gives you an overview of cross-border social security on its website. For more detailed information, visit their website on social protection abroad.
• The European Union's Your Europe website provides you with information about receiving unemployment benefits if you are staying in a country other than the reference country.
• On the following  European Commission page you will find an overview concerning unemployment in EU/EEA countries.