Settling in a new city might not be an easy task. Bureaucratic hurdles are one of the main challenges. In this short introduction we hope to point you in the right direction when it comes to settling in Vienna and dealing with its bureaucracy.
Vienna, like many cities, relies heavily on its bureaucracy. So as an expat there are some aspects you need to follow. First most of bureaucratic issues are handled at the so-called Magistrat or Bezirksämter – those are the Municipal Departments of the city.
Municipal Departments: Important Service Points
Whenever it comes to bureaucracy in Vienna pretty much everything evolves around the so-called Magistrat, the Municipal Departments. Every Municipal Department has a number and is abbreviated as e.g. MA 6. In total there are 70 of these Municpal Departments that are responsible for administrative and infrastructural purposes like waste management (MA 48), culture (MA 7) or health (MA 15).
In addition to that there are 16 Municipal Departments responsible for the 23 districts and they are called Magistratische Bezirksämter (MBA). They are important when it comes to the Certificate of Registration when you settle at a new address or when registering a new business.
The MA 35 (Municipal Department for Immigration and Citizenship) on the other hand is responsible for all immigration and citizenship matters. Depending on where you come from determines the residence permit. Other factors include the length of stay and whether you are related to an Austrian citizen. The right office to contact for your immigration issues also depends on the district you live in.
