Every summer, families from the Gulf come to Austria for cool air, green mountains and a capital that leads the world’s liveability rankings – 1.5 million overnight stays from the GCC in 2025 alone. More and more of them ask us the same question: can we own here? The answer is yes – with a permit, a clear process and a partner who gives you the facts before you sign. That is what we do, at Kärntner Ring in Vienna, in English.
Whether you want a summer home for the family or a euro asset for the next generation – the law, the costs and the pitfalls are the same. We handle both from one desk in Vienna.
Not a sales pitch – the reasons our clients from Riyadh, Dubai, Doha and Muscat actually give us.
Vienna’s average July high is around 27 °C; the Alps are cooler still. Four in five Gulf stays in Austria fall in the summer months – the ones you would rather not spend at home.
Austria ranks among the five most peaceful countries in the world. Vienna is a city where children take the tram to school and a family walks home at midnight.
Vienna’s university hospital and private clinics treat patients from the Gulf every year. Owning a home near your doctors turns a hotel stay into a second address.
International schools, English-taught degrees and a safe city for young adults – a Vienna apartment often starts as a base for the children and stays in the family.
Saudia and flynas fly from Riyadh, Emirates from Dubai, Etihad from Abu Dhabi, Qatar Airways from Doha, SalamAir from Muscat. UAE citizens enter visa-free; Saudi and Omani citizens can hold five-year Schengen visas.
Ownership is recorded in Austria’s public land registry – among the strongest property rights in the world, in the euro, in the heart of the EU. No leasehold, no expiry.
A cross-section of our current register – homes in Vienna’s best districts, a villa south of the city, and two investments. Each page has full details in English and a direct enquiry form.
Prices as listed by the owners; purchase costs come on top (see below). Many of our best mandates never appear online – tell us what you are looking for and we match it against our register first. All properties →
Land-transfer law is provincial law: nine provinces, nine statutes. EU citizens buy almost everywhere without restriction; non-EU buyers – including companies majority-owned by non-EU persons – need a permit. What that means in practice:
Own statute with a routine permit process for non-EU buyers – for apartments, houses and building land. Contracts are signed subject to approval. Our home market, where most Gulf purchases happen.
Standard permit procedures; generally moderate outside tourist zones and lakefronts. The city of Graz waives the permit for third-country buyers. Whether second homes are allowed depends on the municipality’s zoning.
New holiday homes are barred in many municipalities – even for EU citizens. Zell am See and Kitzbühel are lovely to visit and hard to own as a second home. Viable routes: primary residence, investment use, or designated tourist-use apartments.
Status 2026. Permits are typically granted where the buyer poses no risk to state interests and a cultural, social or economic interest in the acquisition is shown. Rules change and details decide – we verify every acquisition with specialised Austrian counsel before you commit. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Most of it happens without you having to be in Austria. Many clients view during their summer stay and sign from home afterwards.
A call or WhatsApp conversation in English: purpose, budget, districts, timing – and who will hold the property (you, the family, a company).
Curated shortlist from our register, on- and off-market. Video viewings and 3D tours; in-person viewings when you are in Vienna.
We prepare the land-transfer application and, where sensible, the holding structure – with Austrian lawyers and tax advisors. Contract signed subject to approval.
Notarised purchase contract (by power of attorney if you prefer), payment into a trustee account, registration of your title in the land registry.
Keys, utilities, property management, letting if you wish, annual tax filing – our Vienna team looks after the details while you are away.
Austria’s purchase costs are transparent and mostly fixed by law. Rule of thumb: about 10 percent on top of the purchase price.
| Item | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate transfer tax | 3.5 % | Of the purchase price; paid via the notary or lawyer |
| Land-registry fee | 1.1 % | Registration of your ownership in the Grundbuch |
| Contract drafting & trustee | 1–3 % | Austrian notary or lawyer, plus 20 % VAT and small fees |
| Brokerage fee | 3 % + VAT | Statutory maximum for the buyer in Austria (3.6 % incl. VAT) |
| Permit, translations, apostilles | small | Provincial fees and certified translations; a few hundred to a few thousand euros |
| If financed: mortgage registration | 1.2 % | Of the registered mortgage amount – most Gulf buyers purchase in cash |
Running costs: modest property tax, building service charges and, if you let the property, Austrian income tax on the rent. Austria levies no wealth tax and no inheritance tax; transfers within the family attract transfer tax on a favourable basis. We model your specific case with your tax advisors – this is information, not tax advice.
Yes. Non-EU nationals need a land-transfer permit from the province where the property is located. In Vienna this is an established, routine procedure; contracts are signed subject to approval and the price is only released when the permit is granted. We manage the process with specialised Austrian lawyers, in English.
No. Austria has no golden-visa programme; a purchase does not by itself confer residence. UAE citizens travel to the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180; Saudi and Omani citizens can obtain five-year multiple-entry Schengen visas under EU rules in force since 2024; Qatari citizens apply for a Schengen visa. For longer stays separate residence permits exist – we refer you to immigration counsel.
Rarely. Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg restrict new leisure residences even for EU citizens. Realistic routes are a home in Vienna or its surroundings, a primary residence, or designated tourist-use apartments with a rental obligation and owner weeks. We tell you before you fall in love with a property.
No. Viewings can be done by video and 3D tour, the contract can be signed by power of attorney, and payment runs through a trustee account held by an Austrian notary or lawyer. Documents from the Gulf are legalised or apostilled; we tell you exactly which ones. Many clients combine the viewing with their summer stay and sign afterwards.
Austrian banks lend to non-residents only selectively and with substantial equity. Most of our Gulf clients buy in cash or finance at home. If a mortgage is wanted, we introduce you to banks that do consider international clients – without promising an outcome.
We advise in English and German (also Russian and Hungarian). Messages in Arabic are welcome – we reply in English. Contracts are provided in German with a certified English translation on request. هذه الصفحة بالعربية
ImmoTrading GmbH is a licensed Austrian real estate brokerage and asset advisory, founded in 2012, with its office at Kärntner Ring 5–7 in Vienna’s first district – a few steps from the State Opera – and regular presence in Dubai. About us →
Three lines are enough. We reply in English – usually within one working day – by WhatsApp, e-mail or a call at a time that suits you.
Vienna office, Monday to Friday. WhatsApp is often the quickest way.
WhatsApp+43 664 350 4000 Phone+43 664 350 4000 E-mailoffice@immotrading.at OfficeKärntner Ring 5–7, 1010 Vienna, AustriaWe will get back to you in English, usually within one working day. If it is urgent, message us on WhatsApp.
Online, in Vienna, or in Dubai – we are in the Emirates regularly and at Kärntner Ring every day. The first conversation is without obligation and takes half an hour.
WhatsApp office@immotrading.at