Austrian police launch program to recruit from across the country
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The Austrian Interior Ministry began a new recruiting program called “Wien auf Zeit” (Vienna for a Time) that allows police applicants from other Austrian states to train and work in Vienna for up to five years.
The program addresses a shortfall in applicants for Vienna’s police academy and an excess of qualified candidates in other states.
Participants will be guaranteed a return to their home state after five years, but may also request a two-year extension or a permanent transfer to Vienna. The initiative aims to increase security personnel both in Vienna and throughout Austria, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
The program also creates opportunities for existing Vienna police officers who want to transfer to other states, as the ministry intends to fill at least ten percent of the new positions with officers from waiting lists. Currently, transfers out of Vienna are difficult due to high staffing needs. The first recruits are expected to begin training in December 2026, with the first graduates available for duty in Vienna by December 2028.
