Tax Refunds for Goods Purchased in Austria

Non-EU residents may request a refund for the sales tax paid on goods they purchased in Austria.

All of the following requirements must be met:
a) The invoiced amount must exceed €75.00.
b) Your passport must indicate a domicile/residence outside the European Union (EU).
c) You must export the item(s) with your personal luggage within three months of purchase.
d) You must show the item(s) to customs officials and obtain a stamp before leaving the European Union.

As to d):When going from Austria to Switzerland or Liechtenstein, you must obtain your customs stamp from Austrian customs officials either at the airport or the border crossing.

When leaving Austria in the direction of any other of the neighboring states (which are all EU members), you must obtain the customs stamp from the custom authorities of the last EU country you visit before leaving the EU.

Example: If you fly into Munich, and go to Austria for a skiing trip by car/train, and then fly back to the US from Munich, you will receive your stamp from German customs officials. If you fly to Budapest, visit Vienna by boat (cruise on the Danube River), and then return to Budapest to fly back to your home country outside the EU, you will be issued your customs stamp by the Hungarian Customs authorities.

Please note: An endorsement can be issued at a later date only in exceptional cases (e.g. traffic accident on the way to the airport; no time to get customs stamp). Please be aware that the burden of proof is yours. If, for any reason, you do not get the customs stamp, it is recommended to have the items inspected at U.S. customs and get a stamp from U.S. customs officials. Still, good reasons must be presented for why you were not able to obtain an EU customs stamp.

Final remark: The Austrian Embassy or Consulates are NOT authorized to stamp your receipts and invoices.