Austria: Passport, driving license and other documents will be more expensive

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Austria has to make savings, and several things will become significantly more expensive.

Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer (SPÖ) presented the double budget for 2025 and 2026 on Tuesday. Around a third of the savings will be made on the revenue side, which means that several things will become more expensive, such as the fees for the e-card or those for documents such as passports, driving licenses, etc. But because the subsidies for the climate ticket are also being cut back, people will also have to dig deeper into their pockets in the future.

Climate ticket
Not only will the free Climate Ticket for those aged 18 and over be abolished, but the price of the Climate Ticket will also be increased above the inflation rate, in two stages, on August 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026. From August, the Climate Ticket for Austria will cost EUR 1,300 instead of the previous EUR 1,095 (concessions EUR 975 instead of EUR 821). From January 1, the price will rise to 1,400 euros (reduced from 1,050 euros).

E-Card
The fee for the E-Card service charge will also be increased, almost doubling from 13.80 to 25 euros. It will also be extended to previously exempt pensioners.

Passport, driving license, and other documents
The fees for documents such as passports, driving licenses, and ID cards will also significantly increase. The fee rates have been increased by inflation since the last full fee valorization in 2011, which means a total increase of 48.2 percent. Starting July 1, issuing a passport will cost only 75.90 euros but 112 euros. The cost of a driving license will rise from 60.50 to 90.00 euros, and the cost of an identity card will increase from 61.50 to 91.00 euros.

Change of name and citizenship
Name changes and applications for citizenship will also become more expensive. If you want to change your name in the future, you will now have to pay 567.00 euros instead of the previous 382.60 euros. A citizenship application will now cost 163 euros instead of 125.60 euros. The issue of a gun ownership card will increase in price from 74.40 to 110 euros, and the gun pass from 118.40 to 175 euros. Consular fees will also be adjusted.

Betting and smoking
Smokers will also have to dig deeper into their pockets. Tax adjustments have been made to the tobacco tax, which also applies to heated tobacco. The betting tax was also raised from two to five percent in April.

Photovoltaic modules
Since April, you have also had to pay more to purchase and install photovoltaic modules. This is because the VAT exemption expired.

E-cars
The exemption for electric cars from motor-related insurance tax also ended in April. This is based on the average tax level for vehicles with combustion engines.

Court fees
Court fees increased by 23 percent in April. This affects the fixed fee rates, such as flat-rate fees in civil court proceedings up to an assessment basis of EUR 350,000, fees for amicable divorces, registration and filing fees in company register matters, fees for land register extracts, and fees for company register queries. Constitutional or Administrative Court submissions will increase by EUR 100 to EUR 340.