Annual Leave in Austria: Your First Job

Planning a trip home after moving for work? Understand how leave builds up, how five weeks translates into working days and why holiday pay differs from a holiday bonus.

Five weeks of leave: start with your actual working pattern

Paid annual leave is an important part of comparing an Austrian job offer, especially if you plan to visit family abroad. The usual statutory baseline is five weeks per working year. For a five-day working week that normally means 25 working days; the six-day calculation uses 30 working days. Those figures describe the same length of rest, not a more generous entitlement simply because a different counting method is used.

This guide was reviewed on 22 October 2026 for ordinary employee arrangements. Sector-specific rules, collective agreements and public-service arrangements may affect the details. Ask which framework applies to your offer and how the employer records leave. A nurse on a rotating roster should obtain an explanation based on the real schedule, rather than comparing a number in a portal with an office worker’s calendar.

How much holiday do you have in the first six months?

Chamber of Labour guidance explains that entitlement builds proportionately during the first six months of the first working year. At the beginning of the seventh month the full annual entitlement arises; from the second working year it generally arises at the start of that year. The working year ordinarily begins with your employment start date, although a calendar-year arrangement may apply.

This means you do not necessarily have no leave until six months have passed. Equally, you should not assume the full annual balance is available on your first day. Ask payroll for the entitlement on the intended travel date and whether any leave in advance would need a separate agreement. Keep the answer with the approval for the actual dates so you know both the balance and the scheduling position.

Part-time employees also receive five weeks

Part-time and marginal employees also have the five-week entitlement under the ordinary rules. The number of days reflects the working pattern. For example, a fixed three-day working week means 15 of those working days cover five full weeks. Working shorter hours on five days is a different pattern from working three full days, even if the total weekly hours happen to be similar.

Use this example as a way to check the calculation, not as a substitute for payroll’s treatment of a variable roster. Ask how public holidays, changing shifts and changes in weekly working days are recorded. If you increase or reduce hours during the year, request a clear explanation of the remaining balance. Comparing hours and days without identifying the unit can make a correct leave balance look wrong.

Your travel dates need agreement

The Austrian Economic Chamber’s guidance says the start and duration of leave are generally agreed between employer and employee, taking operational needs and rest into account. There is ordinarily neither a unilateral right for the employee to take any desired dates nor a general right for the employer to impose them. Particular statutory exceptions exist, but should not be assumed to cover an ordinary trip home.

Ask about the leave-request process during onboarding: who approves, how early requests are accepted and when a request becomes confirmed. A submitted form or an informal conversation with a colleague is not necessarily approval. Retain a written record of agreed dates before booking expensive travel. If the team must cover weekends, public holidays or a busy season, raise important family dates early enough to discuss realistic alternatives.

Company closures and pre-booked trips

A Betriebsurlaub is a company holiday closure. WKO guidance explains that leave during a closure also needs the relevant agreement; closure alone does not automatically settle the employee’s leave use. Before accepting a job, read any agreed shutdown dates and ask how they affect your first-year balance. Do not assume that an advertised annual allowance is entirely available for dates of your own choosing.

If you already booked a family trip before receiving the offer, discuss it before agreeing the start date. Record whether the employer approves ordinary leave, an agreed advance or another arrangement. Each can have different consequences. Avoid describing unpaid time as equivalent to paid annual leave; ask about pay, insurance and any residence implications where relevant. A clear arrangement is easier to budget for than an unresolved promise.

Urlaubsentgelt and Urlaubsgeld are different payments

Urlaubsentgelt means the remuneration that continues while you take paid holiday. Urlaubsgeld is a separate special payment, often described as holiday allowance or a fourteenth salary. Chamber of Labour guidance states that the latter depends on the applicable collective or individual agreement; it is not a universal statutory bonus for every employee. Do not count it twice when comparing an annual salary offer.

Request a written annual pay illustration that identifies regular salary, any special payments and their conditions. Ask how a mid-year start affects those payments and how variable remuneration is treated during leave. A headline monthly figure multiplied by fourteen may be unsuitable if the offer uses a different structure. The right comparison is the pay actually promised under the applicable agreement, alongside the working time and benefits.

Illness, travel disruption and returning on time

Illness during holiday can affect the leave calculation when statutory conditions are met. Chamber of Labour guidance includes illness lasting more than three calendar days, no intentional or grossly negligent causation, notification after three days at the latest and a medical certificate presented on return. Additional evidence can be required for a certificate issued abroad. The agreed holiday does not automatically become longer because some days are treated as sickness.

Also check that your passport and residence documents support the entire journey, including the return. Approved holiday does not resolve an expired residence card. If disruption prevents a timely return, notify the employer promptly and retain evidence. Build some margin between arrival and a critical first shift after the trip where practical. Travel logistics and workplace permission need to fit together, particularly when several family members have different documents.

Questions to settle before accepting the offer

Ask which year the employer uses for leave, how your work pattern converts into days or hours, what balance you will have on planned dates and who approves requests. Then check shutdown periods, any special holiday payment and how existing bookings can be handled. These questions are useful whether the job is in a hospital, a hotel, an office or a factory; the answers should refer to the actual contract and applicable framework.

The Move to Austria €99 Initial Assessment can help compare the practical implications of job offers and organise travel, housing and family dates around your move. Bring the offer and your intended timeline. For a disputed entitlement, cancelled approval or incorrect pay calculation, obtain advice from the Chamber of Labour, your union or an appropriately qualified adviser. Your annual leave should be a clear part of the employment plan before you rely on it for a trip.

Helpful resources

GuideBook the €99 Initial Assessment GuideWork in Austria ArticleReview an employment offer ArticleResidence renewal and travel ArticleSick-leave reporting and pay

Official sources

Requirements and fees can change. Verify your individual case with the responsible authority before applying.

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Annual Leave in Your First Austrian Job: Five Weeks, Part-Time Work and Trips Home