Content updated and validated on: 21/09/2026

Austria is bound by the Reception Conditions Directive and has transposed its provisions in the Federal Basic Care Act 2005 Grundversorgungsgesetz – Bund 2005 (short: GVG-Bund)).

Reception provisions are regulated by the GVG-B 2005 and the Agreement between the Federal State and the Provinces on Basic Care (Grundversorgungsvereinbarung, Article 15a B-VG (short: GVV)). At the provincial level, federal provinces have their own laws governing basic care.

The reception system follows the principle of shared responsibilities, which means that the tasks are shared between the federal state and the federal provinces.

Upon the lodging of an application, the federal state through the BBU GmbH is responsible for providing material reception conditions, including the provision of accommodation, everyday goods (e.g. food, clothing and personal hygiene items) and social, medical and psychological care. The BBU is also responsible for providing legal advice and legal representation, interpretation and translation services, human rights monitoring, return counselling and return assistance. 

According to the GVG-Bund, the federal state provides basic care as long as the authority is examining the admissibility of the application or subsequent application, provided that the federal state had already provided the applicant with basic care upon the conclusion of the previous procedure and as long as the responsibility determination procedure is being conducted, the application is being examined under the accelerated procedure or as long as the application is being examined in the border asylum procedure. 

Following the allocation of an applicant to a federal province and their accommodation in a provincial reception facility, the respective federal province becomes responsible for providing basic care. They provide both collective and individual accommodation.

The GVV outlines the legal framework to distribute asylum applicants across federal provinces. The coordination office at the federal level manages the allocation of applicants to the states following a predefined distribution quota. Applicants are allocated among the federal provinces on the basis of an annual overall assessment, taking into account the share of the population in each federal province. Redistribution may occur if one region faces a disproportionate burden, in agreement with the coordination office.

The BBU GmbH offers training to different target groups on various topics. Some examples are: children/child protection, trafficking of human beings, LGBTIQ, etc. The training is undertaken together with the EUAA, UNICEF and other specialised national NGOs. There is mandatory, as well as voluntary, training for staff members, depending on their expertise and field of work (e.g. medical staff, care staff, child protection officers, etc.). 

In the implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, the BBU GmbH and the BFA established joint training material and co-operated closely in certain areas of training.

The entitlement to receive reception conditions is triggered immediately upon lodging an application. 

Following the completion of the legislative implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum through the Asylum and Migration Adaptation Act (AMPAG), the national provision no longer provides for a separate admissibility procedure. The admissibility examination is a pre-examination of the application for international protection.

For the duration of the provision of federal basic care (Section 2(1) and (1a) of the Federal Basic Care Act 2005, GVG-B 2005), an applicant is permitted to stay only within the administrative district in which the reception facility is assigned (Section 15 Asylum Law).

Applicants are subsequently transferred from a federal reception facility to a smaller provincial facility, where they will stay until the end of the procedure. 

When necessary, applicants who are already receiving support in a federal reception facility may be transferred to another federal reception facility. 

Following the allocation of an applicant to a federal province and their accommodation in a provincial reception facility, the respective federal province becomes responsible for providing basic care. 

The federal state may continue to provide support to applicants in federal reception facilities, to the extent strictly necessary, pending their allocation to a federal province. 

Applicants are entitled to material benefits in accordance with the Reception Conditions Directive for up to 4 months after receiving a positive decision. Applicants whose applications have been rejected may continue to receive basic care from the federal state until they leave the territory. 

During consultations conducted pursuant to the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR), applicants may, with the agreement of the competent authority of the respective federal province, be accommodated in and provided with basic care at reception facilities of the respective federal province.

Under the GVG-Bund, the federal state is responsible for ensuring that sufficient reception facilities are available. For this purpose, some facilities were temporarily shut down and not completely closed. 

The federal reception system uses tents and containers as temporary emergency accommodation as a last resort measure. Military barracks may be designated as federal reception facilities by regulation.

Reception facilities at the federal state level include: 

• EAST: Initial reception facility (Erstaufnahmestellen))
• BBE: Federal reception facility (Bundesbetreuungseinrichtungen))
• BBR: Return advice facility (Rückkehrberatungseinrichtungen)) for people with a final return decision after a negative asylum decision until their departure.

After the transfer of responsibility to the federal province:

• Federal provincial reception facilities (Landesgrundversorgung): for applicants under the regular procedure. This includes organised as well as individual housing.

Depending on the profile and the stage of their application, vulnerable applicants may be accommodated in a specific area within a federal reception facility or in a specialised reception facility in a province. Housing placement is arranged on an individual basis depending on the needs assessment of the vulnerable applicant.

Unaccompanied minors are accommodated separately from adults and with specialised staff at the federal level, only if the Child and Youth Welfare Service cannot provide immediate accommodation. The Child and Youth Welfare Service is responsible for providing adequate care, irrespective of the stage of the asylum procedure.

The federal reception facility of Traiskirchen accommodates single women and mothers with small children in a separate building and with only female staff members.

Applicants with special medical needs are accommodated in separate rooms (e.g. wheelchair accessible) and only in federal reception facilities, with medical staff on site.

Material reception conditions are defined in the GVV. They include suitable accommodation, adequate food, a monthly allowance for people accommodated in a federal reception facility, healthcare, information, advice and social support, transportation and school supplies, benefits in kind or in cash to obtain necessary clothing, and return counselling.

The GVG-Bund states that special consideration is given throughout the duration of basic care to the specific situation of applicants with special needs, existing family relationships, ethnic particularities and the best interests of the child, including an adequate standard of living for the child’s development. The authority carries out an assessment within 30 days of lodging an application for international protection to determine whether the applicant has special needs. The assessment takes into account whether the applicant is an accompanied or unaccompanied minor, person with disabilities, elderly person, pregnant woman, homosexual, bisexual, intersex or transgender person, single parent with minor children, victim of trafficking in human beings, person with serious illnesses, person with a mental disorder including post-traumatic stress disorder, or victim of forced marriages, child marriages, torture, rape or other serious forms of psychological, physical or sexual violence, in particular gender-based violence.

The assessment is carried out based on visible external physical characteristics, statements or behaviour of the applicant, and statements made by parents or the legal representative. The results of the screening checks are also considered when assessing special needs. 

If special needs are identified, they are regularly reviewed during the provision of material reception conditions and adjusted when necessary. The assessment outcome is communicated to the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum and the applicant. 

Unaccompanied minors: Unaccompanied minors are accommodated separately from adults and with specialised staff at the federal level, only if the Child and Youth Welfare Service cannot provide immediate accommodation. The Child and Youth Welfare Service is responsible for providing adequate care, irrespective of the stage of the asylum procedure. Unaccompanied minors have the same rights to specialised healthcare and psychological support as Austrian children. 

Applicants with special needs: Applicants with special medical needs are accommodated in a separate room (e.g. wheelchair accessible) and only in federal reception facilities with medical staff on site. At the provincial level, special needs are also taken care of and adequate care is provided. 

The federal reception facility of Traiskirchen accommodates single women and mothers with small children in a separate building and with only female staff members.

Access to the regular public education system is provided in accordance with national provisions. Compulsory schooling generally begins at the age of 6 and lasts for nine school years. Parents have the obligation to send their children to school. In principle, children participate in regular classes as extraordinary pupils.

German language courses and bridge classes (school classes in selected reception facilities) are available to children. These focus on German language acquisition and include classes on Austrian society, values, history, geography, politics, sports, etc. There are also informative workshops and mandatory courses on the rules of living in Austria.

Compulsory schooling applies to all children who reside in Austria, irrespective of their nationality or residence status.

Upon arrival and during the stay in the reception system, asylum applicants are asked about their financial means and possessions. People with sufficient means are excluded from the provision of material reception conditions. The information, whether an applicant has an income from employment in Austria, can be accessed in the system of the Austrian Health Insurance.

Applicants who received material reception conditions but were able to support themselves from their own resources at the same time are required by the competent authority to reimburse the necessary costs. When deciding to reduce or withdraw material reception conditions, the authority takes due account of the principle of proportionality and the applicant's special needs.

Upon arrival and during the stay in the reception system, asylum applicants are asked about their financial means and possessions. People with sufficient means are excluded from the provision of material reception conditions. The information, whether an applicant has an income from employment in Austria, can be accessed in the system of the Austrian Health Insurance.

Basic care may only be reduced or withdrawn by the BFA for persons for are under federal basic care. Under no circumstances, however, may this result in a restriction of access to emergency medical care.

The legal basis can be found in:

• Section 3 of the Federal Basic Care Act (GVG-Bund);
• the House Rules for Federal Reception Facilities, which must be issued for each federal reception facility pursuant to Section 5(3) of the Federal Basic Care Act (GVG-Bund).

With regard to the reduction or withdrawal, a distinction is made between an allowance to cover daily expenses and material benefits provided within the framework of basic care.

• Allowance to cover daily expenses: An allowance is provided within the framework of basic care and made available to applicants on a regular basis as a monetary amount, in the form of vouchers, benefits in kind or a combination thereof, where such an allowance includes a monetary amount, in order to enable them to maintain a minimum degree of autonomy in their daily lives. 
• Material benefits provided within the framework of basic care: Benefits are provided within the framework of basic care, including accommodation, food, clothing and personal hygiene products, provided in kind, as financial benefits or vouchers, or as a combination thereof, as well as allowances to cover daily expenses (e.g. reduced accommodation standards, restricted structured daily activities or recreational activities). 

Allowances covering daily needs, with exception of appropriate food provision, may be withdrawn or reduced if the applicant:

1.  Fails to cooperate in the determination of their identity or their need for assistance, despite being requested to do so;
2. Has submitted a subsequent application;
3. Fails to cooperate in establishing the necessary facts for the asylum procedure;
4. Leaves for another reception facility or the area of the district without approval;
5. Failed to disclose that they are able to support themselves from their own resources and have thereby unlawfully obtained material reception conditions;
6. Serious or repeated violations of the house rules of the reception facilities;
7. Is removed from the reception facility pursuant to Section 38a of the Security Police Act (SPG); or
8. Has committed a dangerous attack against life, health or freedom within the reception facility and it is assumed that they will commit another such attack. 

Material benefits provided within the framework of basic care may be reduced and may only be withdrawn in the cases referred to in paras vi-viii.

The decision to withdraw or reduce material reception conditions must not restrict access to essential medical care and must take due account of the principle of proportionality, the special needs of the applicant and the need to ensure an adequate standard of living. Before a decision is taken to reduce or withdraw material reception conditions, the applicant is invited to submit a written statement and is informed which support the authority will reduce or cancel.

Applicants who received material reception conditions but were able to support themselves from their own resources at the same time are required by the competent authority to reimburse the necessary costs.

Decisions of the BFA to withdraw, reduce or exclude material reception conditions can be appealed before the Federal Administrative Court and free legal assistance is provided in the law and implemented in all federal provinces (Section 52 BFA-VG). The BFA must inform the foreign national or applicant in writing that they are entitled to free legal advice for the appeal proceedings.