Pictures: flickr.com / © Dual Career Service Styria - Carinthia / © Universität Graz /
© Medizinische Universität Graz
Steiermark Tourismus
St. Peter Hauptstraße 243, A-8042 Graz
Tel.: +43 (0)316/4003-0
FAX: +43 (0)316/4003-30
info@steiermark.com
Welcome to Styria - Work and live in Styria
Graz, the capital of Styria, is located in the southeast of Austria, only 48 km away from the Slovenian border and
70 km from the Hungarian one. With approximately 300,000 inhabitants Graz is the second-largest city in Austria and its cultural life is rather traditionally on the one hand, but very
“present-orientated”, open-minded, and avantgardistic on the other hand.
Leoben, located right in the heart of Styria and with about 61.558 inhabitants (source: www.bh-leoben.steiermark.at) its second largest city, is the economic hub of „Hochsteiermark“ (High Styria). Slowly but surely Leoben is going to be a very interesting place for both researchers and students. The symbiosis of teaching, basic research and close cooperation with international industrial partners holds promising future prospects for Leoben as research location.
The city of Graz has almost 300,000 inhabitants and is divided into 17 districts that carry names - like Geidorf, St. Leonhard, St. Peter, Mariatrost and Andritz. Especially these five districts are the most popular and preferred residential areas in Graz. Please find below a list of real-estate agents who will be able to assist you in apartment-hunting in Graz and the surroundings.
The city of Leoben is divided into nine districts - Donawitz, Göss, Hinterberg, Josefee, Judendorf-Seegraben, Leitendorf, Lerchenfeld, Mühltal, and Waasen. Please find below a list of real-estate agents who will be able to assist you in apartment-hunting in Leoben and the surroundings.
www.graz.net/dienstleistungen/immobilienmakler/
www.a-immobilienmarkt.at
www.immobilienscout24.at
www.willhaben.at
www.immoads.at
www.immowelt.at
www.wohnnet.at
An overview of limited-profit housing associations in Styria you will find here. Furthermore, local newspapers offer apartments and houses in their real estate sections (print version and on-line).
In Styria, a compulsory kindergarten year before starting school has been introduced in 2010. So
kindergarten attendance up to 30 hours per week for all five-year-olds is free charge. A new model with attendance fees for full-day care and care for children between three and six
years of age, respectively- dependent on income - exists since September 2011.
Please find below a list of some child care institutions and care organizations, respectively. This list shall help you finding your ideal child care institution or health care
facility.
School attendance is compulsory for all children living permanently in Austria. Children, who have turned six years of age, have to start school in September after their sixth
birthday. Compulsory school attendance in Austria lasts nine years.
The first four years children generally go to elementary school. After that comes either junior high school* or a so called “general secondary school” for
another four years. Thereafter, you either go to a “polytechnical” school for one year or move on to a general secondary school for another four or five years.
The educational- and school system in Austria is very manifold and offers a great variety of school types (humanities, economics, technical schools, etc.). So children can receive a broad spectrum of training and education, depending on their skills and competences.
All relevant information on and deadlines for school registration in Styria you will find here. For general information on the Austrian
education system, click here.
The following site (click here)
offers detailed information on all public schools in Graz and its outskirts. Generally, you have the option of school type, but children who want to attend private schools or those with
focus on certain subjects (e.g. music), have to take an entrance test before being accepted.
If the native tongue of your child is not German, please turn to Kontaktstelle des Steirischen Landesschulrates. For English-speaking and multilingual children, we would recommend the following schools:
- BIPS Graz – Graz Bilingual Primary
School
- GIBS - Graz International Bilingual School
Apart from the four universities in Graz and the Montanuniversität in Leoben with a total of almost 45,000 students, there are also universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen) with different degree programs which account for Styria’s educational landscape.
Both the universities and the universities of applied sciences provide high-quality advice and detailed information for those interested in the programs and the first-year students:
Except for institutions of higher education, there is an abundance of educational opportunities for adults in the sense of lifelong learning. To find out more, please click here.
In Styria, there are also a large number of extra-mural research institutions and centers of excellence. General information on Styria as business location and various funding opportunities you will find at: Website der Steirischen Wirtschaftsförderung SFG.
For information on foundations and funds, please click here.
You are planning a longer stay in Austria and would like to get information on entry, residence, and insurance? The following links will assist you in all these questions.
Moving to Austria means to bear in mind all the laws and regulations on visas, residence permit, and the like. Please make yourself familiar with these regulations prior to moving to Austria. For further information, click on the following links:
- Offizielle Amtshelfer in
Österreich Help.gv (for "working in Austria" there is also ample Information
available in English)
- OEAD - österreichische Agentur für internationale Mobilität (English)
- Wirtschaftskammer - Ausländerbeschäftigung
- USA – Bureau of consular affairs –
Informationen about Austria
There are special guidelines for international scientists and researchers.
In Austria, registration is obligatory. So all Austrian citizens and guests, who intend to stay in Graz for more than three days, have to fill out a residence registration form and lodge it together with the passport at the „Amt für Statistik, Wahlen und Einwohnerwesen“(Office for Statistics, Elections and Registration). For further information, please click here.
You can download the form from here and it has to be signed by the landlord/landlady. If you stay at a hotel or guest house, you have to register there. In case you move within Graz, you have to make notification of change of address. Before you leave Graz, you have to give notice of removal and departure.
Contact:
Referat Meldewesen
Amtshaus, Schmiedgasse 26/3, Zi.nr. 356, 8011
Graz
Tel.: +43/(0)316/872-5155, Fax: +43/(0)316/872-5109
Mo+Mi 7.30-18.00 / Di+Do 7.30-16.00 / Fr
7.30-13.00
meldebehoerde@stadt.graz.at
You can download the form from here and it has to be signed by the landlord/landlady. If you stay at a hotel or guest house, you have to register there. In case you move within Leoben, you have to make notification of change of address. Before you leave Leoben, you have to give notice of removal and departure.
Contact:
Stadtgemeinde Leoben
Fachbereich
Meldewesen
Erzherzog Johann-Straße 2, 8700 Leoben
Tel.: +43/(0)3842/4062
249
meldewesen@leoben.at
Detailed information on working in Austria you will find under the following link (Public Employment Center).
If you would like to have your certificate/degree and your educational qualifications evaluated or recognised you find detailed information under the following link.
In Austria, there are two types of health insurance:
- Compulsory insurance (guarantees necessary medical treatment, non-profit-oriented)
- Additional or private insurance (offers additional services, e.g. single rooms; profit-oriented, because offered by private insurance companies)
Social insurance in Austria is composed of health, pension and casualty insurance. Health insurance is compulsory, so the employed population has health insurance as long as the monthly income exceeds the marginal earnings threshold (help.gv.at). Unemployed and retired persons are also subject to health insurance and children are co-insured contribution-free. All the relevant information on co-insurance for family members you will find here.
However, it is not possible to freely choose a health insurance institution because the institution depends on the employer and its location. You will find all the relevant information on Austrian providers and insurance companies here.
For further information on social insurance in Austria, please visit the official website.
For general information on wage tax and personal income tax
in Austria visit the Website des Bundesministeriums für Finanzen (Federal Ministry of Finance).
Important information on free services and tax reduction you will find here.
Information from Euraxess Austria about Austrian income tax for researchers.
How to open an account?
In order to open an account in Austria you need a
passport and a place of residence here – regardless of whether it is your principal or secondary residence. You just need your documents (passport, residence registration form) and show up at the
bank in person – nothing else is required. Further information you will find here.
The Chamber of Labor, for instance, will give you an overview of the best possible fees and commission rates.