https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Austria in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Several EU countries have caused a stir when they called to shut Spain out of the EU's visa-free Schengen travel zone after the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco was overwhelmed this week by thousands of migrant arrivals. Is that possible? https://www.thelocal.at/20260731/can-an-eu-member-state-be-kicked-out-of-schengen-zone Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:18:33 +0200 can-an-eu-member-state-be-kicked-out-of-schengen-zone People in Austria have been struggling in the last days as a heatwave blasts parts of Europe. When will it get significantly cooler? https://www.thelocal.at/20260731/how-long-will-austrias-latest-extreme-heat-spell-last Fri, 31 Jul 2026 13:59:01 +0200 how-long-will-austrias-latest-extreme-heat-spell-last August brings new residence-document rules, major rail disruption, school-start payments, collective agreement pay rises and a national public holiday. Here are the main changes residents need to know about. https://www.thelocal.at/20260721/key-dates-everything-that-changes-in-austria-in-august-2026 Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:10:46 +0200 key-dates-everything-that-changes-in-austria-in-august-2026 Austria’s housing minister wants to lower the legal barriers to air conditioning, shutters and other heat-protection measures. For now, tenants and apartment owners still face strict approval rules. https://www.thelocal.at/20260722/could-austria-make-it-easier-to-install-air-conditioning-in-flats Wed, 22 Jul 2026 13:13:25 +0200 could-austria-make-it-easier-to-install-air-conditioning-in-flats Austria is extending its fuel-price brake through August, while Greenpeace estimates that around 300 additional deaths occurred during June’s heatwave, plus more stories from Austria on Friday. https://www.thelocal.at/20260731/today-in-austria-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-252 Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:41:54 +0200 today-in-austria-a-roundup-of-the-latest-news-on-friday-252 As firefighters struggle to contain some of the worst European wildfires in living memory with reduced numbers of aerial water bombers, production of the iconic aircraft creaks along half a world away in a Canadian factory. https://www.thelocal.at/20260730/why-europe-wont-get-any-new-canadair-water-bombers-any-time-soon Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:23:51 +0200 why-europe-wont-get-any-new-canadair-water-bombers-any-time-soon Austria has strict rules for citizenship that mean even traffic offences can stop you from obtaining naturalisation, as a recent case in Vienna shows. https://www.thelocal.at/20260408/how-traffic-offences-can-cost-you-austrian-citizenship Wed, 08 Apr 2026 14:05:44 +0200 how-traffic-offences-can-cost-you-austrian-citizenship Police data offers a closer look at who faces violent hate crime in Austria, while leaving part of the picture unrecorded. https://www.thelocal.at/20260729/in-numbers-who-faces-violent-hate-crime-in-austria Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:17:21 +0200 in-numbers-who-faces-violent-hate-crime-in-austria If German is not your mother tongue, you might have spent some time in a German class in Austria, but can those expenses be deducted from your taxes? https://www.thelocal.at/20240314/can-i-deduct-cost-of-a-german-language-course-in-my-austrian-tax-return Thu, 14 Mar 2024 15:18:54 +0100 can-i-deduct-cost-of-a-german-language-course-in-my-austrian-tax-return Vienna will cover half the cost of adding certain types of exterior sun protection to eligible flats. Tenants can apply too, but they’ll need permission from their landlord and must use a professional installation company. https://www.thelocal.at/20260729/explained-how-to-get-up-to-e1500-for-exterior-blinds-in-vienna Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:26:38 +0200 explained-how-to-get-up-to-e1500-for-exterior-blinds-in-vienna Austria’s e-card can now be used on a smartphone, which means you no longer have to carry the plastic card everywhere with you if you would rather keep it digital. https://www.thelocal.at/20260409/how-to-add-your-austrian-e-card-to-your-phone Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:53:07 +0200 how-to-add-your-austrian-e-card-to-your-phone Austria’s coalition wants to add three months of compulsory militia exercises to military service, increase soldiers’ monthly pay and create a possible two-month extension of civilian service. The reform still needs parliamentary approval. https://www.thelocal.at/20260728/how-austria-plans-to-change-military-and-civilian-service-from-2027 Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:15:22 +0200 how-austria-plans-to-change-military-and-civilian-service-from-2027 A recent survey ranked Austria as offering a high quality of life while also being a difficult place for foreigners to settle in. We look at what it's like to live there. https://www.thelocal.at/20260728/whats-it-like-for-foreign-residents-to-live-in-austria-in-2026 Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:58:07 +0200 whats-it-like-for-foreign-residents-to-live-in-austria-in-2026 Very hot air from North Africa is expected to push temperatures sharply higher across Austria from Thursday, with the east facing the most intense heat and a growing risk of severe thunderstorms. https://www.thelocal.at/20260728/austria-braces-for-new-heatwave-with-temperatures-of-up-to-40c Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:18:58 +0200 austria-braces-for-new-heatwave-with-temperatures-of-up-to-40c From opera on Lake Constance and classical concerts in Salzburg to outdoor cinema, wine evenings and hands-on art workshops, here are nine events worth knowing about across Austria this August. https://www.thelocal.at/20260727/listed-the-best-events-in-each-austrian-province-in-august-2026 Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:53:22 +0200 listed-the-best-events-in-each-austrian-province-in-august-2026 Renewing your lease in Austria isn’t always simple – from legal time limits to rent hikes, here’s what tenants should know. https://www.thelocal.at/20250515/new-lease-new-rules-how-rental-contract-extensions-work-in-austria Thu, 15 May 2025 14:48:56 +0200 new-lease-new-rules-how-rental-contract-extensions-work-in-austria More than 200 found cats have been reported in Vienna since June, but fewer than half have been reunited with their owners. Here’s how to search the city’s official database and reclaim your pet. https://www.thelocal.at/20260727/what-should-you-do-if-your-cat-goes-missing-in-vienna Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:11:57 +0200 what-should-you-do-if-your-cat-goes-missing-in-vienna AI watermarking and deepfake labelling will soon be required by law in the EU as the transparency part of the bloc’s sweeping AI Act comes into force on August 2nd. https://www.thelocal.at/20260727/explained-eus-new-rules-on-ai-deepfakes-and-chatbots Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:38:09 +0200 explained-eus-new-rules-on-ai-deepfakes-and-chatbots You’ve lived in your rented apartment in Austria for years—but suddenly your landlord says they need it back for personal use. Is this allowed? Here’s what the law says. https://www.thelocal.at/20250312/reader-question-can-my-landlord-ask-me-to-leave-my-apartment-so-he-can-use-it Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:54:47 +0100 reader-question-can-my-landlord-ask-me-to-leave-my-apartment-so-he-can-use-it Croatia launched a vast search operation on Sunday for an Austrian skipper who fell into the sea while sailing in the Adriatic during severe weather. https://www.thelocal.at/20260727/croatia-searches-for-missing-austrian-skipper Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:09:47 +0200 croatia-searches-for-missing-austrian-skipper