Austria's Moving-Day Rules: Two Paid Days Are the Norm, but a 2026 Digital Shift Could Change the Game
Published on 06/18/2026 at 08:23 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A change of address in Austria does not automatically entitle employees to special leave. Whether workers get time off for a move depends on collective bargaining agreements or individual contracts. Yet across most sectors, a clear pattern has emerged: two paid days are now the standard.
Where no specific regulation exists, Austrian courts typically follow the Chamber of Labour’s recommendation of up to one week of leave for pressing personal reasons. In practice, however, the two?day benchmark has become the default.
Metalworking, IT and retail all grant this period. Workers in the retail sector can flexibly take those two days within six months before or after the move.
Industry Exceptions and a 2026 Public?Sector Change
The construction industry often ties the entitlement to a change of the main residence. In hospitality, employees sometimes receive only one day off – and only if they must transport their own furniture.
A more significant shift is coming for public?service workers. Starting in 2026, staff outside hospitals and nursing care will be allowed to convert part of their annual special payment into up to three extra days off. That option can also be used for moving.
The federal government is meanwhile preparing broader administrative reforms that could make moving leave more effective. In mid?June 2026, it announced a planned amendment to the General Administrative Procedure Act.
Automated processes and a central data infrastructure are meant to speed up bureaucratic procedures. All relevant registers are scheduled to be accessible by the end of 2029. Abolishing certain certificate requirements for EEA citizens would eliminate tens of thousands of procedures each year – potentially freeing up employees to concentrate on the move itself.
Sustainability: Cardboard, Diesel and Reusable Crates
An average private relocation requires between 30 and 60 cardboard boxes and generates considerable waste. A moving truck burns 12 to 18 litres of diesel per 100 kilometres in city traffic.
Reusable rental crates made of polypropylene?corrugated board can be reused up to 400 times. Each move using them saves roughly 25 to 30 kilograms of CO? equivalent. In professional office moves in Vienna, about 60 percent of furniture is reused; only ten percent ends up in the trash. Electric vans, increasingly used for local relocations, reduce on?site emissions to zero.
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