Germany → Austria

Driving in Austria when you know Germany

Differences first, worst-to-get-wrong first. Rules that match are folded away at the bottom.

Driving to Austria from Germany: what to check before you go

These are the key destination rules to check first. The comparison below shows every verified difference. Follow local signs and instructions on the road.

Which side of the road do you drive on in Austria?: In Austria you drive on the right.
What is the speed limit in Austria?: 130 km/h on motorways, 100 km/h on country roads and 50 km/h in towns and cities. Those are the national default limits, which apply where no sign says otherwise.
What is the drink driving limit in Austria?: The legal limit in Austria is 0.5 g/l. A breath reading of 0.25 mg/l is the same thing. Drivers who passed their test recently are held to 0.1 g/l.
What do you have to carry in your car in Austria?: You must carry a first aid kit, a warning triangle and a high-visibility vest.

Read the full driving rules in Austria and the required car equipment in Austria .

Looking to rent a car? Rental agencies often have there own rules on driving ages and equipment, make sure you check with them before you travel.
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What's different (5)

Speed limit on the motorway

Critical

Germany · homeNo general limitNo general limit for cars. 130 km/h is the official recommendation, and going faster can mean sharing liability after an accident. Signed limits apply on many stretches.Checked 3 Aug 2026

Austria · destination130 km/hChecked 16 Aug 2026 · official source

Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently

Important

Germany · home0 g/lZero alcohol for the two-year probationary period and for anyone under 21.Checked 3 Aug 2026

Austria · destination0.1 g/lEvery new Austrian licence is probationary for three years. If your own licence is that new, drink nothing at all.Checked 16 Aug 2026 · official source

Largest motorbike or scooter you may ride on a car licence

Important

Germany · home

Engine up to 50 cc
Power up to 4 kW
Top speed up to 45 km/h

A German category B licence includes class AM. The speed limit applies to every AM machine; the engine limit is for petrol engines and the power limit for diesel or electric. The rule itself is in FeV §6, which names only the EU class L1e-B; the figures are from the federal motor transport authority's licence-class table. With a short training course and no exam, drivers aged 25 or over who have held B for five years can add code B196 for 125 cc, 11 kW motorbikes. B196 is valid only inside Germany.Checked 2 Sep 2026

Austria · destination

Engine up to 50 cc
Top speed up to 45 km/h

A category B licence includes class AM, so it covers a moped with no extra step. The source defines a moped by both thresholds together: engine size and approved design speed. It gives no power figure. Riding up to 125 cc (11 kW) on a B licence needs "Code 111" entered on the licence first: B held for at least five years without a break, out of the probationary period, and a practical course. Code 111 is a national provision for Austrian-issued licences. The source does not say whether a foreign B licence gets the moped allowance.Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

How you pay for motorways

Important

Germany · home

None

Motorways are free for cars and motorcycles — the toll applies to trucks. A few tunnels and private roads charge individually.Checked 3 Aug 2026

Austria · destination

Vignette sticker

Buy the vignette before you join a motorway or expressway — there are no toll booths and no chance to pay at the entrance. Sold as a sticker at petrol stations near the border, or as a digital vignette online. Some tunnels and alpine passes charge separately on top.Checked 16 Aug 2026 · official source

Riding between lanes of slow traffic

Good to know

Germany · homeNot allowedWeaving between queued vehicles counts as overtaking on the right, which is banned. Passing on the left is allowed in theory but needs a full safe side gap, which a traffic jam rarely leaves. Using the emergency corridor (Rettungsgasse) is banned.Checked 2 Sep 2026

Austria · destinationAllowed, with restrictionsYou may ride forward between vehicles that have stopped, at a red light or in a jam, but only if there is enough room. Do not cross solid lines, do not use the hard shoulder or the emergency corridor, and do not ride between vehicles that are still moving.Checked 2 Sep 2026 · official source

Known on one side only (15)

Which side you overtake on

Germany · homeLeftPassing on the right is only for vehicles turning left, and for trams.Checked 3 Aug 2026