Good to know
Basic Austrian vocabulary
Ever listened to a conversation between Austrians and even though you understand German, you couldn't get half of what was said?
While learning German is admittedly not an easy task in general, learning the language in Austria can come to be tricky. To help you during your journey of language discovery and exploration, read here all words and phrases that are essential.
Oh! Servus und Grüß Gott!
Did you know, that we don't speak "Deutsch" in Upper Austria, but "Deitsch"? That's why we say "Serwas" instead of "Servus" and "Griaß God" instead of "Grüß Gott".
Read here some words and phrases that are essential.
Assistance for filling out forms
Moving to a new country is often filled with bureaucracy. Filling out forms and documents in the language of the respective country can be a real challenge. Although these documents differ in their requirements, we have translated many of the key terms used in these documents in alphabetical order of the German word:
Accident and Emergency numbers
Here you can find a list of the most important numbers in case you ever have an emergency or accident.
Fire department (Feuerwehr) 122
Police (Polizei) 133
Service hotline for police (connects automatically to the local police station) 059 /133
Ambulance (Rettung) 144
European emergency number* 112
On-call pharmacy service 1455 (www.apo24.at)
Emergency doctors service 141
Information 118811
Breakdown service – ARBÖ 123
Breakdown service – ÖAMTC 120
Mountain rescue 140
Women’s emergency hotline 01/71 71 9
Women’s hotline 0800/222 555
Gas leaks 128
State lawyer for young children and teenagers 0800/240 264
Emergency services for the deaf (text messages) 0800/133 133
Emergency hotline for young people (Rat auf Draht) 147
Emergency dentist 0732/78 58 77
Psychological advice for children, teenagers and parents 116 000
Locksmiths
Schlüsseldienst in Linz (Stadt) - HEROLD.at
Power cuts 05 9000-3030
Telephone counseling 142
Pet emergency services 0664 3220404 (Linz/German)
Poisoning hotline 01/406 43 43
Water leaks House management/Landlord/
Plumber (www.installateure-ooe.at)
Find local counselling centers of any kind in Upper Austria
www.beratungsstellen.at
European emergency number 112
112 takes emergency calls and information about the emergency, and forwards this to the relevant emergency services, such as the police, fire department or ambulance service. This number can be reached anywhere in the EU and complements the existing emergency numbers in most countries. This number is also reachable without a mobile phone contract, credit and even without a SIM card.
Travelling abroad
In general terms, people enjoy free movement within the EU. However, it is recommended to check entry requirements and destinations, especially outside the EU. www.bmeia.gv.at/en/travel-stay/travel-information
Please also consider possible e-card restrictions, and thus, insurance restrictions abroad. In case there are stars on the backside of the e-card instead of the contact information, please ask the social insurance authority, such as the Austrian Health Insurance (ÖGK), if a health insurance certificate while abroad is necessary.
A health insurance certificate can be ordered online (without login) here: https://www.gesundheitskasse.at/cdscontent/?contentid=10007.867330&portal=oegkportal