Austria on an Indian Licence 2026: IDP, Vignette, Right Side

Austria is one of the most rewarding countries in Europe to drive: alpine passes, clean motorways and tight enforcement that keeps traffic orderly. For an Indian visitor there are three things to get right before the wheels turn, and only one of them is about your licence.

Buy the vignette before you touch a motorway

Every autobahn and expressway needs a vignette, and there is no toll booth to remind you. For 2026 a car pays EUR 9.60 for a day, EUR 12.80 for ten days, EUR 32.00 for two months or EUR 106.80 for a year. The digital version is bought online from ASFINAG in advance; the sticker comes from petrol stations and border shops. ASFINAG’s control teams and cameras charge a EUR 200 substitute toll to cars caught without one, and if that goes unpaid the administrative fine is EUR 300-3,000. The Vignette Calculator helps you choose the period.

Right side, and a licence that needs company

India drives on the left; Austria drives on the right, so take the first hour slowly: roundabouts flow the other way and your reflexes at junctions point the wrong direction.

On paper, Austria is generous: without Austrian residence, a foreign licence is valid for up to twelve months from entry for drivers aged 18 and over. The condition is language. Austria’s embassy in New Delhi says a licence not written in German counts only together with an international driving licence or a translation. India issues the 1949-format IDP, and both countries are parties to the 1949 Convention, so get it from your RTO before you fly. The Driving Permit Checker covers other nationalities.

Speeds, cameras and alcohol

Motorways run at 130 km/h, rural roads 100 km/h, towns 50 km/h, with fixed and mobile cameras and section control on some motorways. The alcohol limit is 0.05%, marginally higher than India’s 0.03%, but not headroom worth using.

Kit and winter rules

The car must carry a warning triangle, a reflective vest and a first-aid kit, which a hire car will have. From 1 November to 15 April, winter tyres (or chains on the driving wheels, where snow covers the road) are compulsory whenever wintry conditions occur. The general emergency number is 112; police are on 133.

For the complete set of rules, read our Austria driving guide before you collect the car.

Sources

• Austrian Embassy New Delhi, driving in Austria (12 months, IDP or translation): bmeia.gv.at
• ASFINAG, 2026 vignette prices: asfinag.at
• ASFINAG, controls and substitute toll: asfinag.at
• UN Treaty Collection, 1949 Convention on Road Traffic (India, Austria): treaties.un.org
• Austria, Kraftfahrgesetz §102 (equipment, winter tyres): ris.bka.gv.at
• India, Motor Vehicles Act 1988 s.185 (0.03%): indiacode.nic.in