How late can my child stay out in Austria?
It depends on age and province. Youth protection is a provincial matter, but the provinces largely harmonised the curfew times in 2019; the rules of the province where the young person currently is apply. Under 14: unaccompanied usually until 11pm (Upper Austria 10pm). 14 to 16: usually until 1am (Upper Austria midnight). From 16: no statutory time limit. These are maximums, not an entitlement — parents may be stricter, and with a suitable supervising adult (over 18) the times don't apply. In short: graduated by age, with Upper Austria as the exception.
📋 The rules
- Youth protection is provincial, largely harmonised
- Under 14: usually until 11pm
- 14–16: usually until 1am
- From 16: no time limit
- Upper Austria differs: 10pm / midnight
🔓 Exceptions
- With a supervising adult over 18 the times don't apply
- Journeys to/from work, training or an event
- Parents may always set stricter times
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Penalties are administrative and set per province; usually the young person and/or the supervising adult or host can be fined (in some provinces, e.g. Styria, by an on-the-spot penalty). Amounts follow each province's youth-protection law. Beware a myth: "there's one national curfew time for all of Austria" is not quite right — the rules are deliberately harmonised but still province-by-province, and Upper Austria differs by an hour. Tip: when travelling, check the times of the province you're in.
📎 Official sources
- oesterreich.gv.at · youth protection →
- Federal Chancellery · youth protection →
- Youth Protection Upper Austria · going out →
❓ Frequently asked
How late can my child stay out?
It depends on age and province. Under 14, unaccompanied going out is allowed in most provinces until 11pm, from 14 to 16 until 1am, and from 16 there's no statutory time limit. In Upper Austria it's 10pm instead of 11pm and midnight instead of 1am.
Is there one uniform time across Austria?
Not quite. Youth protection is a provincial matter, but the provinces largely harmonised the curfew times in 2019. What matters is the rules of the province where the young person currently is. Upper Austria differs from the others by an hour.
Are there exceptions to the times?
Yes. With a suitable supervising person over 18 to whom supervision has been entrusted, the time limits effectively don't apply. Justified reasons such as the way to or from work, training, or returning from a supervised event can also extend the times.
Can parents set stricter times?
Yes. The statutory curfew times are maximums, not an entitlement of the child. Those with custody may always set stricter times. Youth protection sets an upper limit but doesn't require that a child be allowed to use those times in full.
What happens for a breach?
Penalties are set per province in the youth-protection law and are administrative. Depending on the province, the young person and a supervising adult or host can be fined. In some provinces, such as Styria, this is done by an on-the-spot penalty.
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