Government regulations in Austria currently require that all travelers to the country present a less than four-day-old medical certificate confirming their negative COVID-19 test results or else begin a strict 14-day quarantine to curb the spread of the coronavirus. However, as of May 4, passengers at the Vienna International Airport can opt to undergo molecular-biological COVID-19 testing (PCR tests) inside the airport, allowing individuals with negative results to avoid two weeks of mandatory self-isolation.
The PCR tests—which verify the existence of a COVID-19 infection using a specimen from a throat or nasal swab—are provided by the Austrian company Confidence DNA Analysen GmbH and cost 190 euros (roughly US$250) each. The results are examined in a laboratory on the airport’s ground floor and become available within about three hours, according to the airport’s website. While individuals with negative test findings will be excused from quarantine, those who test positive will be immediately notified and their PCR test results will be reported to public authorities, in line with existing regulations in Austria.
Passengers departing from the Vienna International Airport can also opt to be tested for COVID-19 and can use their negative status medical certificate to prove they’re not currently infected with the coronavirus. (Still, many countries’ current entry requirements and restrictions vary greatly and are subject to national authorities in the respective destination.)
Travelers to the Vienna International Airport can arrange for a COVID-19 test appointment using the contact information listed on the airport’s website. But don’t forget: Until further notice, the Austrian government has suspended all non-E.U. citizens from entering the country by air from outside the Schengen area, although exceptions apply in certain cases, such as for diplomats, humanitarian and health-care workers, and family members of Austrian citizens living in the same household.
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