Bank and public holidays in Austria: 2017-2018 guide

The Austrian holiday calendar might look a little different to those who aren’t from the country. In Austria, religious holidays are taken very seriously, with mandated time off for several of them. Some of those holidays fall on different days each year, making them difficult to keep track of. They also vary depending on what part of the country you’re in, so it’s extremely important to know when banks and public offices will be closed so you don’t get caught off guard by a surprise holiday. The good news is that if a holiday falls on a weekend, no weekday time off is usually given, simplifying a complicated holiday calendar just a little bit. To make the most of your time in Austria — and not get caught needing a bank when they’re all closed — it’s important to know what holidays and customs are important in Austria. Read on to learn some of the basics.

National holidays in Austria

There are 16 national holidays in Austria each year.

• Austrian public holidays: 16
• Austrian bank holidays: 16

Celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day in Austria

Mother’s Day in Austria is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, the same as in the US and many other countries that observe the holiday. It’s treated as a day of love and gratitude for mothers, and many customs celebrated in the US have been adopted by Austria, like taking moms out to brunch or having a family meal together sometime during the day. Children generally make small crafts and gifts in school, which they give to their moms on Mother’s Day.

While Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June in many parts of the world, Austria celebrates fathers on the second Sunday in June. It’s a day to honor fathers and fatherhood, but there are no specific customs that are widely practiced throughout Austria. Different families celebrate Father’s Day in different ways; some may give father's small gifts, while others may share a meal to celebrate.

Neither Mother’s Day nor Father’s Day are public holidays in Austria.

The most important holidays and dates in Austria

The vast majority of Austria’s national holidays are religious in origin. The most important of them by far is Christmas, which is celebrated with gifts, Christmas trees and carolers guiding people to churches for Christmas services. In rural areas, farmers carve the initials of the three wise men over their stable doors to protect their animals from sickness in the coming year. Families spend Christmas evening together, sharing a traditional meal that usually has fried carp as the main course. After dinner, the family’s decorated Christmas tree is revealed, with an elaborate manger scene made out of hand carved figures that are passed down from generation to generation.

Although businesses close for many Austrian holidays, there's only one statutory holiday: The day of the Immaculate Conception, observed on 8 December. Employees aren’t mandated to be paid for time off on this day, but by Austrian law, no employee can be reprimanded for choosing to take this day off.

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve aren’t recognized holidays, but many businesses, including banks, close early on these days.

List of public holidays in Austria for 2017

Holiday	Name of holiday in German	2017 Date	Bank holiday?
New Year’s Day	Neujahrstag	1 January, 2017	Yes
Epiphany Day or Three Kings Day	Heilige Drei Könige	6 January, 2017	Yes
Easter	Ostern	14 April, 2017	Yes
Easter Monday	Ostermontag	17 April, 2017	Yes
May Day or Labour Day	Staatsfeiertag	1 May, 2017	Yes
Ascension Day	Christi Himmelfahrt	25 May, 2017	Yes
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday	Pfingstmontag	5 June, 2017	Yes
Corpus Christi	Fronleichnam	15 June, 2017	Yes
Assumption Day	Mariä Himmelfahrt	15 August, 2017	Yes
St. Rupert	Rupertikirtag	24 September, 2017	Yes, but only in Salzburg
National Day	Nationalfeiertag	26 October, 2017	Yes
All Saints Day	Allerheiligen	1 November, 2017	Yes
St. Leopold	Leopolditag	15 November, 2017	Yes, but only in Vienna
Immaculate Conception	Immaculate Conception	8 December, 2017	Yes
Christmas Day	Weihnachten	25 December, 2017	Yes
St. Stephen’s Day	Stefanitag	26 December, 2017	Yes

List of public holidays in Austria for 2018

Holiday	Name of holiday in German	2018 Date	Bank holiday?
New Year’s Day	Neujahrstag	1 January, 2018	Yes
Epiphany Day or Three Kings Day	Heilige Drei Könige	6 January, 2018	Yes
Easter	Ostern	1 April, 2018	Yes
Easter Monday	Ostermontag	2 April, 2018	Yes
May Day or Labour Day	Staatsfeiertag	1 May, 2018	Yes
Ascension Day	Christi Himmelfahrt	10 May, 2018	Yes
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday	Pfingstmontag	21 May, 2018	Yes
Corpus Christi	Fronleichnam	31 May, 2018	Yes
Assumption Day	Mariä Himmelfahrt	15 August, 2018	Yes
St. Rupert	Rupertikirtag	24 September, 2018	Yes, but only in Salzburg
National Day	Nationalfeiertag	26 October, 2018	Yes
All Saints Day	Allerheiligen	1 November, 2018	Yes
St. Leopold	Leopolditag	15 November, 2018	Yes, but only in Vienna
Immaculate Conception	Immaculate Conception	8 December, 2018	Yes
Christmas Day	Weihnachten	25 December, 2018	Yes
St. Stephen’s Day	Stefanitag	26 December, 2018	Yes

List of public holidays in Austria for 2019

Holiday	Name of holiday in German	2019 Date	Bank holiday?
New Year’s Day	Neujahrstag	1 January, 2019	Yes
Epiphany Day or Three Kings Day	Heilige Drei Könige	6 January, 2019	Yes
Easter	Ostern	21 April, 2019	Yes
Easter Monday	Ostermontag	22 April, 2019	Yes
May Day or Labour Day	Staatsfeiertag	1 May, 2019	Yes
Ascension Day	Christi Himmelfahrt	30 May, 2019	Yes
Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday	Pfingstmontag	10 June, 2019	Yes
Corpus Christi	Fronleichnam	20 June, 2019	Yes
Assumption Day	Mariä Himmelfahrt	15 August, 2019	Yes
St. Rupert	Rupertikirtag	24 September, 2019	Yes, but only in Salzburg
National Day	Nationalfeiertag	26 October, 2019	Yes
All Saints Day	Allerheiligen	1 November, 2019	Yes
St. Leopold	Leopolditag	15 November, 2019	Yes, but only in Vienna
Immaculate Conception	Immaculate Conception	8 December, 2019	Yes
Christmas Day	Weihnachten	25 December, 2019	Yes
St. Stephen’s Day	Stefanitag	26 December, 2019	Yes

Sending money home for the holidays in Austria?

It’s easier than you think to send money home for the holidays in Austria, even with all those bank closures. Instead of making an international transfer through a bank, try TransferWise, a service that helps you send money internationally as quickly and cheaply as possible. TransferWise uses local bank transfers to move your money, meaning it never actually crosses borders and you don’t have to pay any international or intermediary fees. TransferWise also uses the actual exchange rate, like you'd see on Google, without any hidden fees or markups. All you have to pay is a small transfer fee that’s spelled out upfront. It’s easy, fast and secure.

TransferWise also offers borderless multi-currency accounts, which allow users to manage, send and receive money in several global currencies at once. If you live in one country and get paid in the UK, the US, the EU or Australia, then you can even get bank details to get paid like a local. Borderless account holders will also have access to consumer debit cards beginning in 2018.

Give TransferWise a try today and see how easy it can really be to send money abroad.

Knowing Austria’s most important holidays means you’re ready to celebrate like a local, stress-free because you won’t get caught needing a bank on a holiday. Enjoy your celebrations!