Fee explosion! Austria is struggling with a rush to passport offices

Fee explosion! Austria is struggling with a rush to passport offices

From July 2023, significant increases in federal fees have been announced in Austria. This adjustment particularly affects passport and driving license fees, which have not been adjusted for inflation since 2011. Accordingly, a new passport will cost 112 euros from July 1st, while a driving license will cost 90 euros. These are drastic increases compared to the previous fees of 75.90 euros for the passport and 60.50 euros for the driving license, like Cosmo reported.

The measure aims to generate additional income of 65 million euros from 2025 and to bring 150 million euros into the coffers annually from 2026. Given the impending price increases, an increase in applications for passports and driving licenses has been observed. In Salzburg, additional employees were deployed in the municipal offices to meet the high demand, but passport office managers report high levels of activity and a lack of available appointments.

Government decisions

Finance Minister Magnus Brunner (ÖVP) has also announced that the increase in fees for passports, registration certificates, ID cards and driving licenses will be suspended for the time being. This is happening against the backdrop of persistently high inflation of three percent and pressure on the budget. The standard reports on the “fee brake”, which aims to provide immediate, noticeable relief for citizens.

The current fiscally tense situation is viewed as critical by economic experts. A possible adjustment to federal fees, which has not reflected price increases since 2011, could serve to consolidate the budget. The FPÖ-ÖVP coalition negotiators plan to increase fees to stop the budget hole that has existed since 2011. ORF reports possible increases, which could be up to 44 percent.

Fee increase details

An overview of the planned fee adjustments shows that the costs of passports and driving licenses will increase significantly:

Citizens have to prepare for significant increases and the associated challenges when dealing with authorities. It remains to be seen how the government will respond to the financial situation in the coming weeks and months in order to take into account the needs of the population.