Week 1
Meldezettel: register your address
Anyone who moves into a home in Austria must register within three days, and it is free. In Linz you do it in person at the Bürger*innen-Service in the Neues Rathaus (Hauptstraße 1–5; Mon and Thu 7:00–17:00, Tue, Wed and Fri 7:00–14:00), at the Service-Center in the Wissensturm (Kärntnerstraße 26) or at several city library branches. Booking a slot online or on +43 732 7070 saves waiting. Bring the Meldezettel form signed by your landlord or main tenant and, if you are not Austrian, your passport. Online registration with ID Austria only works if you have been registered in Austria before.
Registration in Linz (Stadt Linz) · Meldezettel form (PDF) · Book an appointment · Registering a new address (oesterreich.gv.at)
Week 1
Tickets for tram and bus
LINZ AG LINIEN fares as of October 2026: a MIDI ticket (any distance, one direction, changes allowed) costs €3.20, a MINI for up to 4 stops €1.60, and the 24-hour MAXI €6.40. If you ride every day, the Monatskarte costs €64.50 for one month in the Linz core zone, and the KlimaTicket Kernzone Linz annual pass €467. Buy tickets in the LinzMobil app, at ticket machines or, as a pack of six MIDIs for €18, in many Trafiken and at the LINIEN-Infocenter, Hauptplatz 34 (Mon 7:30–15:30, Tue–Wed 8:30–15:30, Thu 8:30–17:30, Fri 8:30–13:00).
Single and day tickets · MIDI ticket: where to buy · Weekly and monthly tickets · Annual tickets · LINIEN-Infocenter · LinzMobil app
Week 1
Phone: SIM or eSIM
In Austria every SIM, prepaid included, is registered: before the contract starts, the provider must check your identity, so have your passport or ID card ready. Keeping your number when you switch provider is free and the number must be active within one working day. Inside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway you use your phone on almost the same terms as at home (“roam like at home”). The regulator RTR explains your rights and runs a free dispute service.
Telecom Act TKG 2021, §§ 119 and 166 (RIS) · Roaming (RTR) · Consumer service (RTR)
Week 1
Safety basics
Save these numbers: 112 European emergency number (free, even without a SIM), 133 police, 144 ambulance, 122 fire brigade, 141 out-of-hours doctor for Linz, and 1450 health hotline. Lost something? The city's Fundservice in the Neues Rathaus takes reports and keeps found items; the Wissensturm and the city library branches also accept loss reports, and you can file one yourself on the online lost-property service.
Emergency numbers (Stadt Linz) · Lost and found (Stadt Linz)
Weeks 1–2
EU registration certificate or residence permit
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying longer than three months must register with the residence authority within four months of arrival and receive an Anmeldebescheinigung; skipping it can lead to a fine. In Linz this is the Aufenthaltsrecht department at the Neues Rathaus (Hauptstraße 1–5; Mon 8:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:00, Tue–Fri 8:00–12:30); book a slot first. Non-EU citizens usually have to apply for a first residence permit abroad, at an Austrian embassy or consulate; check the city page for who can apply in Linz.
EU/EEA citizens (Stadt Linz) · First applications, non-EU (Stadt Linz) · Appointments, residence matters
Weeks 1–2
Your first weekend: free things
Linz has 51 parks: walk along the Danube in the Donaupark or explore the Stadtpark, Volksgarten and Promenadenpark in the centre. The city's Stadtwanderwege are signposted walks through the green belt, including the climb up the Pöstlingberg. For the rest of the weekend, the city's events calendar Linz-Termine has a “Gratis” filter that lists only free events.
Parks in Linz · City walking routes · Free events (Linz-Termine)
Weeks 2–3
Health insurance and e-card
To see a doctor you usually need health insurance and the e-card, so sort this out early. Start with a general practitioner (Hausarzt): specialists and hospitals often need a referral, and hospitals are for emergencies and booked appointments. In an emergency you get help even without an e-card. The city's newcomer guide links to the health insurance fund and the national health portal.
Health in Linz (Ankommen in Linz) · First steps in Linz · Public health portal
Weeks 3–4
Your first plan to meet people
Get a Stadtbibliothek card at any branch with photo ID: with it you can also borrow a cargo bike for free, handy when you are still moving in. Drop by the Volkshochschule in the Wissensturm for free course advice, including German courses, and look at the city's “Ankommen in Linz” guide and its mentoring and buddy links. Or go to one of the events below: they are picked because it is easy to go alone and talk to people.
Library card · Linzrad cargo bikes · VHS advice · Ankommen in Linz · Mentoring and buddies
Rules change: always confirm on the official page before you go.
City libraries, adult education, the integration office, parks and a neighbourhood centre in Linz, each with its official page. Hours change: check the page before you go.
The main city library in the Wissensturm, Kärntnerstraße 26. Open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10:00–18:00, Wednesday 14:00–18:00 and Saturday 10:00–15:00; closed on Sundays and public holidays. You get a library card with photo ID, valid at every branch.
The city's adult education centre, run with the Chamber of Labour, in the same tower. Its learning centre LeWis offers advice on German and integration courses and exams; the Service-Center is open Monday to Thursday 8:00–18:00 and Friday 8:00–14:00. A course is an easy way to see the same people every week.
City library branch in the Neues Rathaus, Hauptstraße 1–5. Open Monday 12:00–18:00, Tuesday 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–18:00, Wednesday and Thursday 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, Friday 9:00–17:00. Handy to combine with your errands at the town hall.
The city's integration office in the Altes Rathaus, Hauptplatz 1 (+43 732 7070 1169, integration@linz.at). It publishes the multilingual “Ankommen in Linz” guide and lists German courses and intercultural associations. Contact them before visiting.
Linz has 51 parks and about 400 hectares of public green space. In the centre: the Donaupark along the river, plus Stadtpark, Volksgarten, Promenadenpark and Schillerplatzpark. Free and always a good place for a walk on your own.
A city neighbourhood centre at Ing.-Stern-Straße 15–17, where community workers connect residents and local organisations and help people put their ideas for the area into practice. Open Monday and Thursday 9:00–12:30 and 14:00–17:00, Tuesday and Friday 9:00–12:30.