The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria

Austria is a pretty great place to live. Until you receive an official-looking letter in the post and suddenly feel like you've committed a crime you didn't know existed.
In this episode, Jake sits down with Patrick, an Austrian lawyer specialising in immigration and employment law at Law and Beyond, who's made it his mission to explain complicated legal stuff in a way that doesn't require a law degree (or three coffees and a nervous breakdown).
They get into the confusing, frustrating and sometimes downright absurd reality of navigating Austrian bureaucracy, particularly when you weren't born here.
Here's what they get into:
Divorce and residency: If you moved to Austria for love and the relationship ends, does that mean you have to pack your bags?
Your rights at work: Can your employer force you to use up your holidays? Can they fire you without giving a reason? And what happens when your contract contradicts the law?
Austrian citizenship: Why is it so difficult to become Austrian, what are the current requirements, and what changes might be coming?
The dual citizenship dilemma: Why some internationals don't want to give up their original passport, even after building their entire lives in Austria.
The Brexit situation: Why British residents have their own special immigration category in Austria, and what Article 50 actually means.
The citizenship traps nobody talks about: How seemingly minor administrative fines can complicate an application.
Three essential tips for internationals: What you can do now to protect your residency status and avoid nasty surprises later.
Beyond the practical advice, Jake and Patrick also get into a bigger question: What does it mean to build a life in a country where you pay taxes, work, contribute to society, but don't necessarily get a say in how it's run?
Whether you're planning to move to Austria, have been here for ten years, or simply want to know what your boss can and can't legally get away with, this episode is packed with information worth knowing.
Because living in Austria shouldn't require a law degree. Although sometimes it bloody feels like it.
Note: Legal requirements depend on your individual circumstances and can change. This conversation is for general information, not personalised legal advice.
You can get in touch with Patrick via Law & Beyond or follow him on Instagram.
The Wurst Guide – immer montags – immer deppat.
UNTERSTÜTZE UNS:
👉Almose https://steadyhq.com/en/the-wurst-guide-to-living-in-austria/about
👉Buch https://www.thalia.at/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1070237440
🎤 Live Shows
Es gibt wieder Live-Podcast-Shows!
Vienna: October 22: Superbude, 1020, Vienna
Tickets:
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/o/111846959311?_gl=1*rmn209*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTAxNTgyNDUyNy4xNzcyNzM0MTQ4*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*czE3NzI3MzQxNDckbzEkZzAkdDE3NzI3MzQxNDckajYwJGwwJGgw
The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria ist eine Produktion der Werbeagentur The Wurst Agency
und wird gesponsert vom Online-Magazin Vienna Würstelstand — dein Magazin rund um Wien.
Kontakt:
📩 hello@thewurst.agency
📩 twg@viennawurstelstand.com
Feedback, Kooperationen oder Werbepartner-Anfragen welcome.
and finally: big thanks to Ottakringer, Vienna’s independent beer brand, for sponsoring this episode and supporting our independent podcast. Cheers! 🍻
This episode is also sponsored by Democrats Abroad. If you're an American citizen living in Austria, be sure to go vote. You can get started here!

We're back, TWG Gang! New studio, same two idiots, and enough questionable observations about life in Austria to fill another episode of absolute nonsense.
Here's what we're getting into this week:
What we'd miss most if we had to leave Austria forever.
Why Jacob still doesn't understand what the hell "Lattela" is.
How Jacob got hit on by another dad at a playground.
Why children's birthday parties are really just drinking events for parents.
The little things that give us absolute mind orgasms.
We missed you, you beautiful weirdos.
Kisses,
Jacob & Gabriel
The Wurst Guide – immer montags – immer deppat.


UNTERSTÜTZE UNS:
👉Almose https://steadyhq.com/en/the-wurst-guide-to-living-in-austria/about
👉Buch https://www.thalia.at/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1070237440

🎤 Live Shows
Es gibt wieder Live-Podcast-Shows!
Vienna: October 22: Superbude, 1020, Vienna

Tickets:
👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/o/111846959311?_gl=1*rmn209*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTAxNTgyNDUyNy4xNzcyNzM0MTQ4*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*czE3NzI3MzQxNDckbzEkZzAkdDE3NzI3MzQxNDckajYwJGwwJGgw

The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria ist eine Produktion der Werbeagentur The Wurst Agency
und wird gesponsert vom Online-Magazin Vienna Würstelstand — dein Magazin rund um Wien.
Kontakt:
📩 hello@thewurst.agency
📩 twg@viennawurstelstand.com
Feedback, Kooperationen oder Werbepartner-Anfragen welcome.
This episode is also sponsored by Democrats Abroad. If you're an American citizen living in Austria, be sure to go vote. You can get started here!
and finally: big thanks to Ottakringer, Vienna’s independent beer brand, for sponsoring this episode and supporting our independent podcast. Cheers! 🍻

english below
PART 2 AUS GRAZ! 💚
Nach unserem Steiermark-Crashkurs in Part 1 widmen wir uns diesmal den wirklich wichtigen Fragen.
Zum Beispiel: Kann ein Brot 60 Dollar wert sein?
Martin Auer hat in New York mit seinem Brotprojekt RYE eröffnet und plötzlich scheint wirklich jeder eine Meinung dazu zu haben. Also haben wir genau das gemacht, was man in so einer Situation tun muss: Wir haben Menschen aus Graz dazu gefragt.
Wie kommt ein 60-Dollar-Brot in der Steiermark an? Ist das genial, komplett absurd oder vielleicht sogar beides?
Und weil wir schon dabei waren, haben wir uns gefragt: Welche steirischen Dinge könnten wir eigentlich ebenfalls für 60 Dollar verkaufen?
Die Antworten waren erwartbar seriös.
Highlights der Folge:
🍞 Das 60-Dollar-Brot aus Graz
Wir sprechen über Martin Auer, RYE in New York und die wichtigste Frage überhaupt: Wie viel darf ein Brot kosten, bevor Österreich kollektiv nervös wird?
🎤 Graz hat Meinungen
Wir fragen unser Publikum, was es vom viralen Brot hält und bekommen ziemlich eindeutige Antworten.
💸 Was aus der Steiermark könnten wir noch für 60 Dollar verkaufen?
Wir haben eine Liste gemacht. Mehr wollen wir an dieser Stelle aus rechtlichen und geschmacklichen Gründen nicht verraten.
💩 Die Top 5 der grindigsten Tierkaka-Gerüche
Ja. Das ist tatsächlich ein Segment. Nein. Wir wissen auch nicht mehr genau, wie wir dort gelandet sind.
Viel Blödsinn, viel Publikum, viel Gelächter.
Gut. Echt. Steirisch.
Oder so ähnlich.
Das war Part 2 unseres Live-Podcasts aus Graz. ❤️
Ein riesiges Danke nochmal an Alex und Kristina Stegisch von DAS POD, die uns eingeladen und diesen Abend möglich gemacht haben.
Und weiter geht’s:
Big thanks to Ottakringer, Vienna’s independent beer brand, for sponsoring this episode and supporting our independent podcast. Cheers! 🍻
This episode includes a message from Democrats Abroad reminding U.S. citizens living in Austria that you can still vote from overseas in the midterms - head to VoteFromAbroad.org to request your ballot and make sure living abroad doesn’t mean sitting this one out.
🎤 22. Oktober – LIVE in Wien
Unsere letzte Live-Podcast-Aufzeichnung des Jahres!
Wir bringen unsere HOW TO AUSTRIA Tour in die Superbude Wien.
Wenn ihr The Wurst Guide einmal live erleben wollt: Das ist eure letzte Chance für 2026. Kommt vorbei! ❤️
The Wurst Guide – immer montags – immer deppat.
Kontakt:
📩 hello@thewurst.agency
📩 twg@viennawurstelstand.com
Feedback, Kooperationen oder Werbepartner-Anfragen welcome.
The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria ist eine Produktion der Werbeagentur The Wurst Agency und wird gesponsert vom Online-Magazin Vienna Würstelstand – dein Magazin rund um Wien.

PART 2 FROM GRAZ! 💚
After our highly necessary Styria crash course in Part 1, this time we’re tackling the really important questions.
For example: Can a loaf of bread be worth 60 dollars?
Martin Auer opened RYE in New York and suddenly it seems like the entire internet has an opinion about it. So naturally, we asked the people of Graz.
How does a 60-dollar loaf of bread go down in Styria? Is it genius, completely ridiculous, or somehow both?
And while we were at it, we asked ourselves: What other famous Styrian things could we sell for 60 dollars?
The answers were, as always, extremely serious.
Highlights of the episode:
🍞 The 60-dollar bread from Graz
We talk Martin Auer, RYE in New York and the big question: how much can bread cost before Austria collectively starts to panic?
🎤 Graz has opinions
We ask our live audience what they think about the viral bread — and they do not hold back.
💸 What else from Styria could we sell for 60 dollars?
We made a list. For legal and culinary reasons, we’ll leave it at that.
💩 The Top 5 worst-smelling animal poops
Yes. This is a real segment. No. We’re not entirely sure how we got there either.
Lots of nonsense, lots of audience participation and a lot of laughing.
Good. Real. Styrian.
Or something like that.
That’s Part 2 of our live podcast from Graz. ❤️
Another huge thank you to Alex and Kristina Stegisch from DAS POD for inviting us and making the night happen.
And next up:
🎤 October 22 — LIVE in Vienna
Our final live podcast recording of the year!
We’re bringing our HOW TO AUSTRIA Tour to Superbude Vienna.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience The Wurst Guide live, this is your last chance in 2026. Come hang out with us! ❤️
The Wurst Guide — every Monday, always deppat.
Contact:
📩 hello@thewurst.agency
📩 twg@viennawurstelstand.com
Feedback, collaborations or advertising enquiries welcome.
The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria is a production of the creative agency The Wurst Agency and is sponsored by the online magazine Vienna Würstelstand — your magazine for all things Vienna.

Big thanks to Ottakringer, Vienna’s independent beer brand, for sponsoring this episode and supporting our independent podcast. Cheers! 🍻
english below
WE’RE BACK! ❤️
Nach einem Monat Sommerpause sind wir wieder da und wir starten direkt mit Part 1 unseres Live-Podcasts aus Graz!
Und Graz, ihr wart großartig. 🥹
Ausverkauftes Haus, ein ziemlich unschlagbarer Blick auf den Grazer Uhrturm und ein Publikum, das bei wirklich jedem Blödsinn mitgemacht hat. not!
Ein riesiges Danke an Alex und Kristina Stegisch von DAS POD, die uns nach Graz eingeladen und diesen Abend möglich gemacht haben. ❤️
Für diese Show wollten wir herausfinden: Was macht Graz und die Steiermark eigentlich so besonders?
Die Antwort darauf wurde natürlich nicht wissenschaftlich erarbeitet, sondern in einer Comedy Feldstudie mit dem Publikum!
Stattdessen gab es viel Blödsinn und einen dringend notwendigen Steiermark-Crashkurs für Jacob.
Highlights der Folge:
🌲 Steiermark 101 für Jacob
Was muss ein Australier wissen, um sich halbwegs glaubwürdig durch die grüne Mark zu bewegen?
🎤 Graz, ihr seid Teil der Folge
Wir haben unser Live-Publikum ausgefragt und teilweise deutlich mehr Informationen bekommen, als wir erwartet hatten.
💚 Was ist eigentlich so speziell an der Steiermark?
Wir reden über Grazer Eigenheiten, steirische Kultur und die Dinge, die man außerhalb der Steiermark vielleicht nicht ganz versteht.
😳 Eine ziemlich große Überraschung für Jacob
Mehr verraten wir an dieser Stelle nicht. Wirklich nicht.
Das hier ist erst Part 1 – Part 2 gibt’s nächste Woche.
Und danach geht’s direkt weiter:
🎤 22. Oktober – LIVE in Wien
Unsere letzte Live-Podcast-Aufzeichnung des Jahres!
Tickets
Wir bringen unsere HOW TO AUSTRIA Tour in die Superbude Wien.
Wenn ihr The Wurst Guide einmal live erleben wollt: Das ist eure letzte Chance für 2026. Kommt vorbei! ❤️
The Wurst Guide – immer montags – immer deppat.
Kontakt:
📩 hello@thewurst.agency
📩 twg@viennawurstelstand.com
Feedback, Kooperationen oder Werbepartner-Anfragen welcome.
The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria ist eine Produktion der Werbeagentur The Wurst Agency und wird gesponsert vom Online-Magazin Vienna Würstelstand – dein Magazin rund um Wien.

After a one-month summer break, WE’RE BACK — and we’re kicking things off with Part 1 of our live podcast from Graz!
And Graz, you were amazing. 🥹
A sold-out show, a pretty unbeatable view of the Graz Clock Tower and an audience that happily went along with pretty much every bit of nonsense we threw at them. Not!
A huge thank you to Alex and Kristina Stegisch from DAS POD for inviting us to Graz and making this whole night happen. ❤️
For this show, we wanted to find out: What actually makes Graz and Styria so special?
Naturally, we did not approach this scientifically. Instead, we conducted a highly professional comedy field study with our live audience.
There was plenty of nonsense, some very revealing audience participation and a much-needed Styria crash course for Jacob.
Highlights of the episode:
🌲 Styria 101 for Jacob
What does an Australian need to know to even remotely pass as someone who understands the Green Heart of Austria?
🎤 Graz, you’re part of the episode
We questioned our live audience and got significantly more information than we were expecting.
💚 So what actually makes Styria so special?
We talk Graz quirks, Styrian culture and all those things that people outside Styria may never fully understand.
😳 A pretty big surprise for Jacob
That’s all we’re saying. Seriously.
This is only Part 1 — Part 2 is coming next week.
And after that, we keep going:
🎤 October 22 — LIVE in Vienna
Our final live podcast recording of the year!
Tickets
We’re bringing our HOW TO AUSTRIA Tour to Superbude Vienna.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience The Wurst Guide live, this is your last chance in 2026. Come hang out with us! ❤️
The Wurst Guide — every Monday, always deppat.
Contact:
📩 hello@thewurst.agency
📩 twg@viennawurstelstand.com
Feedback, collaborations or advertising enquiries welcome.
The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria is a production of the creative agency The Wurst Agency and is sponsored by the online magazine Vienna Würstelstand — your magazine for all things Vienna.

Big thanks to Ottakringer, Vienna’s independent beer brand, for sponsoring this episode and supporting our independent podcast. Cheers! 🍻

We’re taking one whole month off and will be back on September 28.

Okay, TWG Gang. We did it. We survived another year of this completely random, slightly unhinged thing we call The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria.

And what a year it’s been. Record podcast listeners, thousands of new people joining the gang, live shows, guests, sponsors, arguments, questionable opinions and an unreasonable amount of work. So before we disappear for our very fashionably late summer break, we’re getting a little sentimental.

We look back at our favourite podcast moments of the past year, talk about our packed Kultursommer show (and why we were convinced five people would turn up), and discuss why Jacob is fundamentally incapable of dealing with emotions & especially success.

But don’t worry, it doesn’t stay wholesome for long.

We also get into why Austrians refuse to believe in themselves, why Jacob has officially declared war on Lüften, the very Austrian art of wrapping yourself in a towel at the swimming pool, why old ads were somehow much more unhinged, and some truly beautiful Austrian phrases involving asses and sugar. And we look ahead at what’s next for The Wurst Guide: and where we want to take this weird little podcast in the future.

Goodbye. For now.

Thank you for listening, watching, coming to our shows and somehow continuing to be part of this weird little gang.

We’re proud of you. We’re proud of us.

Kisses,

Jacob & Gabriel

The Wurst Guide – immer montags – immer deppat. 

 

UNTERSTÜTZE UNS:

👉Almose https://steadyhq.com/en/the-wurst-guide-to-living-in-austria/about

👉Buch https://www.thalia.at/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1070237440

 

🎤 Live Shows

Es gibt wieder Live-Podcast-Shows!

Vienna September 24: Level 4, 8020, 

Graz October 22: Superbude, 1020, Vienna 

Tickets:

👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/o/111846959311?_gl=1*rmn209*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTAxNTgyNDUyNy4xNzcyNzM0MTQ4*_ga_TQVES5V6SH*czE3NzI3MzQxNDckbzEkZzAkdDE3NzI3MzQxNDckajYwJGwwJGgw

 

The Wurst Guide to Living in Austria ist eine Produktion der Werbeagentur The Wurst Agency

und wird gesponsert vom Online-Magazin Vienna Würstelstand — dein Magazin rund um Wien.

Kontakt:

📩 hello@thewurst.agency

📩 twg@viennawurstelstand.com

Feedback, Kooperationen oder Werbepartner-Anfragen welcome.