How long can a phone or internet contract last in Austria, and how do I end it?
A minimum term may not exceed 24 months, and providers must also let you take each service with a minimum term of at most 12 months. You can cancel with one month's notice, but an agreed minimum term still applies (§ 135 TKG 2021).
Phone and internet contracts often start with a minimum term and then run on. How long that first term may be, and how much notice you give once it is over, depends on the rules in Austria.
📜 The rules in Austria
The details
- Before a minimum term ends or a contract renews automatically, the provider must tell you on a durable medium, in good time before the cancellation deadline. With automatic renewal it must also name your best tariff at least yearly (§ 135(6)–(7) TKG 2021). (ris.bka.gv.at)
- According to RTR, 24 months are only allowed if you get something in return, such as a discounted device or a waived activation or connection fee. (rtr.at)
- If you may end the contract early for a legal reason, the provider may only charge an early-termination payment if you keep a device it supplied; the contract must contain a table of these amounts (§ 135(12)–(13) TKG 2021). (ris.bka.gv.at)
- A separate instalment contract that only pays for building the physical connection, such as fibre, may run longer; it may not cover routers or modems (§ 135(3) TKG 2021). (ris.bka.gv.at)
- Once you have paid the early-termination payment, the provider must lift any restriction on using the device in other networks free of charge (§ 135(13) TKG 2021). (ris.bka.gv.at)
RTR-GmbH – Schlichtungsstelle für Kommunikationsdienste
Free dispute resolution with phone, internet and TV providers once your written complaint to the provider has failed.
🪜 Step by step
- Find your start date and termYour contract summary or online account shows when the minimum term ends and whether the contract now runs on.
- Check the notice periodOnce the minimum term is over, the notice period is often short. The rule for Austria is on this page.
- Give notice in a way you can proveUse the provider’s online cancellation, an email or a letter, and keep the confirmation with the end date.
- Return equipment and check the last billSend back rented equipment if you are asked to, and check that you are not billed after the end date.
📇 Who to contact
Sponsor this page → One labelled block, €100 a month. Founding price €75 until 31 January 2027.
❓ Questions
Can I leave during the minimum term?
Usually only by paying an exit fee or the remaining charges. Some situations, such as a change to your contract terms, can give you the right to leave earlier.
Does my contract renew automatically?
Many contracts run on after the minimum term. Whether the provider must remind you first, and how you can end it then, is in the rules for Austria on this page.
Does a phone bought with the contract change anything?
A phone or other equipment bought with the contract can come with its own payments. Check whether they continue if you end the service.
📎 Sources
🧭 Is this still correct?
We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.
⚠️ Readers report that something here may have changed — we are checking it.
✅ Thank you — this keeps the page up to date for everyone.