Services for refugees and displaced persons

The City of Vienna provides counselling and housing and organises information events for refugees and displaced persons who apply for asylum in Vienna.

Asylum seekers: primary care (Grundversorgung)

People, who have fled their home countries and seek asylum in Austria, get primary care (Grundversorgung) to meet the basic needs of everyday life. If need be, they can get a place in an assisted accommodation. The Vienna Social Fund (Fonds Soziales Wien, FSW) is responsible for the accommodation and assistance of persons seeking help and protection in Vienna.

In a first meeting (Erstgespräch) at refugee accommodations or at the primary care service point in Vienna (Servicestelle der Grundversorgung Wien), asylum seekers get general information and advice. They can discuss issues such as a place in kindergarten or school, education, healthcare and other needs.

Persons eligible for asylum: assistance programme (Startbegleitung)

Persons and families entitled to asylum and persons entitled to subsidiary protection, who have received a positive notification letter (positiver Bescheid) from the asylum authority, can avail of the assistance programme (Startbegleitung) for two years. The programme is available in several languages and starts as soon as primary care (Grundversorgung) ends.

• Assistance programme for persons eligible for asylum or subsidiary protection

Information events

StartWien Information Modules

The StartWien Information Modules are free and voluntary information events for people who have just arrived in Vienna. Interested persons get information in several languages about residence regulations, the world of work, the education and healthcare systems, social affairs, and housing. Experts, who often have a migration background themselves, hold the Information Modules in German and in many other languages.

You can search for the dates of the Modules on the StartWien website and can select the language and topic of your choice. Registration for the Modules is not necessary.

• Search dates: Information Modules

Additional services

The StartWien programme includes additional services for refugees in several languages:

• Information events
• Workshops
• Discussion groups

Contents include the understanding of democracy and human rights as well as gender issues and anti-discrimination.

Dates are constantly updated.

For more information about the events, phone +43 1 4000-81534 from Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 3 pm.

Refugees.Wien platform

The Vienna Social Fund (Fonds Soziales Wien, FSW) provides up-to-date information for refugees and volunteers in Vienna on the Refugees.Wien platform. Refugees get answers to their frequently asked questions about life in Vienna in German, English, Arabic, and Farsi.