- Emergency contraception
- Over the counter
- Emergency number
- 112
Updated July 2026 · Sources cited: thingstodoinvienna.com, hersafevoyage.com
Good to know
Good to Know
- Emergency contraception is sold over the counter at any Vienna pharmacy with no prescription needed and no age restriction for adults — just ask the pharmacist, as it's kept behind the counter, not on open shelves.
- EC cost is never reimbursed in Austria, even for locals, so budget roughly 17-40 EUR out of pocket depending on which type the pharmacist gives you (the 72-hour vs. 120-hour pill).
- Regular birth control pills and IUDs require a prescription/procedure from a gynecologist (Frauenärztin/Frauenarzt) — you can't just buy the ongoing pill at a pharmacy without first seeing a doctor.
- The City of Vienna's 24-hour Women's Emergency Helpline (+43 1 71 71 9) is free, anonymous, and can accompany you to police, hospital, or court — save this number if you're staying in the city.
- In a life-threatening emergency, dial 112 (EU-wide) or 133 (Austrian police); English-speaking operators are generally available.
- Abortion in Vienna is straightforward to access on request through roughly the first trimester, with no waiting period and no mandatory counseling — but it is a self-pay procedure (roughly €300–1,000) since it isn't covered by public health insurance.
- If you're past the first-trimester window, options narrow sharply and are limited to specific medical/legal grounds, so timing matters.
- Routine gynecological check-ups (not abortion) ARE covered by Austrian public health insurance if you're enrolled, but public-system wait times run about a month in Vienna — private 'Wahlarzt' gynecologists offer much faster access for an out-of-pocket or partial-reimbursement fee.
- Bring or ask about English-language service explicitly when booking — many Vienna gynecologists speak English, but it's not universal, so confirming ahead saves a wasted trip.
Street, Night and Taxi Safety
Street Harassment
Sources describe harassment risk in Vienna as low by European standards, with responsive police when incidents occur. One safety guide notes that Austrian law takes harassment reports seriously and intervenes promptly if reported to police or venue staff.
Walking Alone at Night
Central districts such as Innere Stadt, Neubau, Mariahilf, Wieden, Josefstadt and Alsergrund are generally considered fine for walking after dark, with well-lit streets and regular police presence cited as contributing factors. Areas flagged by local safety guides as worth avoiding late at night include Praterstern train station, Karlsplatz U-Bahn station, some sections of the Gürtel after dark, and remote parts of Prater park. In Leopoldstadt, main streets are described as safe enough, but residential side streets get quiet once it's late, so sticking to main routes is advised.
Taxis and Ride-hailing
Official metered taxis are described as safe, though pricier than ride-hailing options; Uber and Bolt (and Free Now, per Austria-wide guidance) both operate in Vienna and are considered a reliable alternative, especially for late-night trips. A documented scam involves unofficial drivers near the airport or main stations quoting inflated flat fares or taking longer routes instead of using the meter, so travelers are advised to use licensed taxis with lit 'Taxi' signs, insist on the meter, or book through a reputable app.
Public Transport at Night
The U-Bahn runs 24 hours on Friday and Saturday nights, and there are night buses as a late-travel option as well. Stations and trains are generally described as well-lit and monitored, though travelers are still advised to stay alert and keep belongings close, as pickpocketing (rather than assault) is the more commonly reported issue on crowded transport.
Practical Precautions
Common advice from safety guides includes sticking to well-lit, populated main streets rather than poorly lit side streets or secluded parks, keeping an eye on your drink in bars and clubs, and keeping belongings secure since pickpocketing in crowded tourist spots and on public transport is the most frequently reported issue rather than violent crime.
Cost And Insurance
- Insurance Coverage
- Elective abortion is not covered by Austrian public health insurance or social security, unlike most other Western European countries; patients generally pay out of pocket.
- Low Income Support
- In Vienna specifically, low-income women can apply in advance for financial assistance to cover the full cost, unlike in most other Austrian regions.
Typical Price Range
- Amount USD Low
- 342
- Currency Local
- EUR
- Amount USD High
- 1140
- Amount Local Low
- 300
- Amount Local High
- 1000
Named Clinics And Providers
Gynmed Clinic (Ambulatorium Für Schwangerschaftsabbruch Und Familienplanung)
- Type
- Dedicated abortion and family-planning clinic
- Notes
- A long-established specialist clinic in Vienna offering both medical and surgical abortion with individualized counseling; publishes detailed English-language information on Austrian abortion law for international patients.
VenusMed
- Type
- Private clinic offering abortion services
- Notes
- Offers both medical and surgical abortion up to the end of the 12th week, with appointments typically available within 2–3 days; provides English-language information and phone/email booking.
med4women
- Type
- General women's health / gynecology and obstetrics practice
- Notes
- A Vienna women's health center covering general gynecology, obstetrics, prenatal diagnostics, and pediatric/adolescent gynecology; not a dedicated abortion provider.
Contraception Access
- Regulatory Status
- Fully legal and regulated
- Family Planning And Counselling
- Pro:Woman and the Austrian Family Planning Association (Österreichische Gesellschaft für Familienplanung, ÖGF) offer free or low-cost contraceptive counselling and can direct travelers to gynecologists.
IUD
- Availability
- Requires an appointment and insertion procedure with a gynecologist; both copper (hormone-free) and hormonal IUDs are available.
- Indicative Price
- €500
- Cost Note
- Public health insurance does not cover IUD placement and removal, so the full cost is typically paid out of pocket by anyone, insured or not.
Implant
- Availability
- The contraceptive implant is available in Austria but requires a prescription and insertion by a gynecologist; it is one of the less commonly used methods in Austria.
- Cost Note
- No reliable current price figure was found in available sources for Vienna specifically; expect a private-pay procedure fee similar in scale to other long-acting methods.
Birth Control Pill
- Availability
- Requires a prescription from a gynecologist (Frauenärztin/Frauenarzt); once prescribed, refills are available at pharmacies.
- Indicative Price
- €20
- Cost Note
- The pill is partially subsidized for holders of Austrian public health insurance; a pack purchased out-of-pocket (as a visitor without Austrian insurance would likely pay) has been reported around 20 EUR.
Emergency Contraception
- Availability
- Available over the counter at any pharmacy (Apotheke) without a prescription, for anyone; pills are typically kept behind the counter so you must ask the pharmacist directly.
- Copper IUD As EC
- A copper IUD fitted within 5 days of unprotected sex is also used as a highly effective emergency contraception option and can then be kept in place as ongoing contraception, but this requires a same-day gynecologist appointment rather than a pharmacy visit.
- Cost Note
- The cost of emergency contraception is not reimbursed or covered by Austrian social security for anyone, so travelers should expect to pay full out-of-pocket price regardless of insurance status.
Types
Levonorgestrel Pill (E.g. Vikela) — '72-hour Pill'
- Price
- €17
- Effective Window
- Up to 72 hours after unprotected sex
Ulipristal Acetate Pill (E.g. ellaOne) — '120-hour Pill'
- Price
- €39
- Effective Window
- Up to 120 hours after unprotected sex
Assault Support Hotlines
24-Hour Women's Emergency Helpline (City of Vienna) / Frauennotruf
- Phone
- +43 1 71 71 9
- Cost
- Free, anonymous
- Availability
- 24/7, 365 days a year
- Description
- Operated by the City of Vienna, the hotline offers immediate crisis intervention and can accompany victims to police, medical care, or court, and is available anonymously and free of charge for women and girls from age 14 who are affected by sexual, physical or mental violence.
Women's Helpline Against Male Violence (National)
- Phone
- 0800 222 555
- Cost
- Free of charge within Austria
- Availability
- 24/7 for crisis counselling; multilingual support (Arabic, Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, English, Farsi/Dari, Persian, Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish) limited to specific hours per week
- Description
- Outside Vienna's own helpline hours, and for callers from other regions, this national line offers first advice and crisis counselling regardless of residence, and refers callers to the appropriate local facility.
Weisser Ring (Victim Support NGO)
- Phone
- 0800 112 112 or 116 006
- Description
- General victim-of-crime support organization offering psychosocial counselling and legal assistance, including for sexual violence cases.
Autonomous Women's Counselling Centre for Sexual Violence (Vienna)
- Description
- One of five autonomous rape-counselling centres in Austria, offering specialised short- and long-term psycho-social counselling and support for women and adolescent girls aged 14+ following rape, harassment, sexual assault or abuse, including legal advice and support during proceedings.
Abortion Time Limits
- On Request
- Elective abortion without a medical reason is permitted through the first three months of pregnancy, calculated from implantation (roughly week 12–14 of pregnancy by last-menstrual-period dating). Most Vienna clinics perform the procedure only up to the 12th–14th week even though the legal cutoff on paper is closer to week 15–16.
- After First Trimester
- After the first-trimester window, abortion is only permitted if there is a serious threat to the pregnant person's physical or mental health, a serious risk of severe fetal impairment, or if the pregnant person was under 14 at conception (in which case no abortion time limit applies).
Legal Status Summary
Abortion is legal and accessible in Austria, including Vienna, without needing to state a reason.
Access For Foreigners
Country of residence or origin has no bearing on eligibility — non-Austrian and non-resident women have the same legal access to abortion in Vienna as Austrian citizens, and personal data is not shared with insurers or other institutions since there is no mandatory reporting requirement.
Legal Framework Notes
Abortion is regulated by Austria's 'Fristenlösung' (time-limit solution) under Section 97 of the Penal Code (StGB), in place since 1975. Technically abortion remains listed as a criminal offense in the code, but it is not punishable or prosecuted when carried out within the legal conditions, and there is no waiting period and no mandatory counseling requirement. Physicians may refuse to perform an abortion on conscientious grounds, except where a woman's life is in immediate danger.
Medication Vs Surgical
Both medical (pill-based) and surgical (vacuum aspiration) abortion are available. Medical abortion is generally offered up to roughly the 9th–10th week; surgical abortion is used later in the first-trimester window. Mifepristone (Mifegyne) is dispensed only through hospitals and gynecologists' practices, not retail pharmacies.
Finding An English Speaking Gynecologist
Beyond dedicated abortion clinics, nomads can find English-speaking gynecologists in Vienna via Doctena.at (bookable OB-GYN directory filterable by language), Praxisplan (searchable by foreign-language-speaking doctors), or the U.S. Embassy Vienna's list of English-speaking doctors. Routine gynecological care is covered by Austrian public health insurance, but average public-system wait times for a gynecology appointment in Vienna run around a month, so many expats opt for a private 'Wahlarzt' for faster access.
Emergency Numbers
- Police And General Emergency
- 112 (EU-wide) or 133 (Austrian police), English-speaking operators available
- Note
- Use 112/133 immediately for any acute danger or medical emergency.
Reporting Process Notes
After a police report, the case goes to a public prosecutor who decides whether to indict or discontinue proceedings; a discontinuation is not the same as an acquittal and does not mean authorities disbelieve the victim.
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this women's health & safety research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Vienna
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.