Tips for Travel Preparation
Find tips and information for your perfect trip.
- Travel Documents
- Entry/Exit System (EES)
- Tax Refund
- Travelling with Pets
- Arrival & Parking
01 Travel Documents
Make sure that you have all your valid travel documents such as your passport, visa, identification card, flight ticket and means of payment, a few days before your journey starts.
Your airline, tour operator or travel agency will inform you about visa requirements of your destination. Visa applications have to be submitted to the embassy of the country to which you will be travelling. Each passenger is personally responsible for complying with that country's entry entry and exit regulations. Please pay attention to special requirements concerning children.
02 Entry/Exit System (EES)
When will EES be introduced?
The Entry/Exit System (EES) – an automated IT system for digital registration of non-EU citizens - marks a turning point in border management of the Schengen area and will fundamentally change the way millions of travelers annually cross the Schengen external borders. From October 12, 2025, the EES system will be gradually introduced in 29 European countries. The new system replaces traditional manual passport stamping with biometric data collection and electronic monitoring, thereby both increasing border security and automating the control of residence times.
EES in Salzburg
In Salzburg, the EES entry and exit system starts on November 12, 2025. In addition to the NON-Schengen entry access in the arrival terminal, a separate EES satellite has been established for stronger travel demand from third countries, which will then be used when many guests from third countries are expected. Technical adaptations for EES entry and exit have also been made in the General Aviation area for private aviation.
How does EES work?
In Salzburg, EES control is carried out at various locations. The technical infrastructure of EES is based on the collection and storage of comprehensive data about every border crossing by non-EU citizens. The system stores information including name, date of birth, fingerprints and biometric data for a facial recognition system as well as places and times of border crossings in a database. This digital registration enables authorities to precisely track who is where and when in the Schengen area.
Who is affected by EES entry and exit?
EES affects all non-EU nationals who travel to the Schengen area for a short stay, i.e., all passengers who do not possess the nationality of a European Union country or the nationality of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. The system registers both visa-required and visa-free third-country nationals who enter the 29 European countries that use EES. This includes, among others, British nationals who are considered third-country nationals since Brexit, as well as nationals of the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries. For these travelers, EES will be applied at every border crossing, regardless of whether they need a short-stay visa or not.
Are there exceptions?
Yes - exceptions from EES exist for citizens of the European Union, the EFTA states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland), as well as the microstates Andorra, San Marino, Monaco and the Holy See. Dual citizens need a valid European passport or identity card to benefit from the exception. Foreign nationals who possess a residence permit or residence card of an EU or Schengen country are also exempt from EES, including British beneficiaries of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Further exceptions apply to holders of long-term visas for the Schengen area.
03 Tax Refund
When leaving a country or the European Union, show your purchases, receipts and passport to customs officials and have your Global Refund Cheques validated. For goods which you are carrying in your hand luggage, you will find the tax refund desk “U-34 Zoll/Customs” in the Heinemann Duty Free Shop (Terminal 1) at Salzburg Airport. For goods in your checked luggage, contact the customs office in the arrival hall (Terminal 1). The confirmation will be provided only if Salzburg is your final airport before departing the EU.
This procedure must be followed to obtain the customs confirmation for the VAT refund at Salzburg Airport - you have to do this BEFORE Check-in:
- Step 1: Complete the Tax Free form (name, passport number, address, credit card number)
- Step 2: Please have the invoices of the goods AND the goods purchased ready – all has to be presented to the customs officer.
- Step 3: Contact the customs office in the arrival hall in Terminal 1. Please ring the bell to contact customs. Please note the limited office hours of the customs!
- Step 4: The purchased goods will be checked by the customs officer and the form U34 will stamped.
- Step 5: Put the stamped Tax Free form in the envelope and send it to the company, there are no postage charges. The yellow post box is located in Terminal 1, next to the bakery.
The minimum purchase in EUR must be at least 75.01 € per invoice. There is no cash refund of the VAT at Salzburg Airport!
04 Travelling with Pets
Pets weighing no more than 5 kilos (in a well-ventilated, waterproof holder) may travel in the cabin. Pets over 5 kg must travel in the hold, with the passenger required to provide an appropriate container for transportation. In general, there are additional fees for transportation of animals.Travelling with a cat or dog is now much easier with the new EU Pet Passport, available from any vet. You can transport cats and small dogs in the cabin in a pet holder made for that purpose. Bigger dogs must be handed over at the bulky luggage desk in a sufficiently large pet crate.
All cats and dogs must have a passport containing details of a valid rabies vaccination.
When booking a flight, inform your travel agency that you intend to take along an animal. Please contact the office of your veterinarian to ensure before starting your journey that your pet meets the latest travel requirements.
The pet has to be booked as well. Not every airline accepts animals. For example, some airlines will not allow small rodents (rabbits, chinchillas etc.). All pets must have the European Pet Passport. Certain countries require additional documents for the animal (health certificate, anti-rabies inoculation).
Further information on Entry and re-entry of pets from third countries to Austria