Official letters from Austria, explained in English

Austrian offices write formal letters with short, strict deadlines. Most decisions (Bescheid) become final after 4 weeks or one month unless you object in writing (Beschwerde).

Offices that write to you

Finanzamt Österreich — Tax office. Handles income tax and other taxes. There is one tax office for all of Austria, with local branches.
Familienbeihilfe (Finanzamt Österreich) — Family benefits. The tax office pays child benefit (Familienbeihilfe) together with the child tax credit (Kinderabsetzbetrag).
AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice) — Public employment service. Pays unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) and Notstandshilfe, and helps you find work.
Magistrat / Bezirkshauptmannschaft — City or district authority. Your local authority. In big cities it is the Magistrat, elsewhere the Bezirkshauptmannschaft (BH). It handles many things, for example fines, driving licences and permits.
MA 35 / Niederlassungsbehörde — Immigration office. Handles residence permits and EU registration certificates. In Vienna this is the MA 35; elsewhere it is the Bezirkshauptmannschaft or the Magistrat.
Meldeamt / Meldeservice — Registration office. Registers your address (Meldezettel). You need this registration for many other papers.
ÖGK (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse) — Health insurance. The public health insurance for most employees. Your e-card comes from your social insurance.
SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen) — Social insurance for the self-employed. Health, pension and accident insurance for self-employed people and farmers. It sends a bill every quarter.
Pensionsversicherungsanstalt (PVA) — Pension insurance. Runs the state pension for most employees. Your insurance months are recorded here.
ORF-Beitrags Service (OBS) — ORF fee office. Collects the ORF fee (ORF-Beitrag) for public TV and radio. Every household with a main home in Austria pays it, even without a TV.
Polizei / Landespolizeidirektion — Police. The police. In some places, such as Vienna, the Landespolizeidirektion also handles traffic fines.
Gericht (Bezirksgericht) — Court. A court. Letters from a court are always important — never ignore them.
Inkassobüro — Debt collection agency. A company that collects money for someone else. Check if the debt is real before paying.
Vermieter / Hausverwaltung — Landlord or property manager. The owner of your flat or the company that manages it.
Energieversorger — Energy supplier. The company that sells you electricity, gas or district heating.
Sozialamt / MA 40 — Social aid office. Pays basic support to live on (Sozialhilfe; in Vienna: Mindestsicherung) if your income is too low.

Common kinds of letters

Exekution — Enforcement notice. They are about to take money or things from you by force, for example part of your wages or money in your bank account.
Zahlungsbefehl — Court payment order. A court order to pay. If you don’t owe the money, you must object (Einspruch) in time — usually within 4 weeks. If you ignore it, they can take the money by force (Exekution).
Rückforderung — Request to pay money back. They think they paid you too much and want the money back.
Strafverfügung — Fine. A fine from the police or the district authority, for example for speeding. You can object (Einspruch) within 2 weeks after delivery.
Anonymverfügung / Organmandat — Quick fine. A quick fine, often for speeding or parking. You can’t object to it. If you pay the exact amount in time, the matter is closed. If you don’t, a normal procedure starts, which can cost more.
Mahnung / Zahlungserinnerung — Payment reminder. You have not paid something on time. Extra fees (Mahnspesen) or interest may be added if you wait longer.
Einladung / Ladung — Appointment. They want you to come to an appointment. Missing it without a good reason can have consequences, for example the AMS can stop your payments.
Aufforderung / Unterlagen — Request for documents or information. They need papers, information or a statement from you before they can decide. If you don’t answer in time, they can decide without you or reject your application.
Abweisung / Ablehnung — Rejection. Your application was turned down. You can usually object (Beschwerde) if you think this is wrong.
Einkommensteuerbescheid — Tax assessment. The result of your tax return. It shows whether you pay more tax (Nachforderung) or get money back (Gutschrift).
Zuerkennung / Bewilligung — Approval. Your application was approved. The letter shows how much you get and for how long.
Kündigung — Termination notice. A contract is being ended, for example your flat, your job or a subscription.
Betriebskostenabrechnung — Yearly bill for building costs. Your landlord’s yearly bill for shared building costs, like water, rubbish, cleaning and insurance. You may have to pay extra or get money back.
Hinterlegungsanzeige — Letter waiting at the post office. You were not home when an official letter (RSa or RSb) came, so it is waiting for you at the post office. It usually counts as delivered on the first day you can pick it up, and deadlines start then — even if you collect it later.

German office words

Bescheid, Beschwerde, Einspruch, Vorstellung, Mandatsbescheid, Rechtsmittelbelehrung, Frist, Zustellung, Hinterlegung, RSa / RSb, Jänner, Feber, Meldezettel, Hauptwohnsitz, e-card, Sozialversicherungsnummer, Exekution, Pfändung — see all 49 words.

Reply templates in German

Questions

How long do I have to answer an official letter in Austria?

It depends on the letter. Look for words like “Frist”, “bis zum”, “innerhalb” — they mark the deadline. In Austria, an official letter sent by normal post usually counts as delivered on the 3rd working day after it was posted. A registered letter (RSa or RSb) counts as delivered on the day you get it — or, if you were not home, usually on the first day you can pick it up at the post office. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“Beschwerde”, “Vorstellung”, “Einspruch”, “Beschwerde”).

Can I understand a German letter without speaking German?

Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It reads the German text on your device, explains it in plain English, finds deadlines and amounts, and can translate the whole letter.

Is my letter uploaded anywhere?

No. Briefly runs completely in your browser. The letter never leaves your device, there is no account, and it works offline after the first visit.