Austria will freeze most federal administrative fees in 2027, offering households a measure of relief from the continuing pressure of rising living costs. The government announced on Sunday that charges for passports, identity cards, driving licences, vehicle registration documents, character certificates and patent applications will not increase next year. The decision suspends the usual inflation linked adjustment of federal fees and is expected to save the public around 25 million euros compared with a full increase.
Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer and Infrastructure Minister Peter Hanke, both of the governing Social Democratic Party, described the move as a “fee brake” affecting charges regulated under Austria’s Federal Charges Act. They said the freeze was intended to limit the growing burden of everyday official costs. Federal fees had already risen sharply in the summer of 2025, making the latest announcement a visible attempt to slow the pace of price increases.
The relief, however, does not extend fully to transport. The annual motorway vignette for passenger cars and the national KlimaTicket public-transport pass will both rise by two per cent in 2027. That is below the previously planned inflation-based increase of 3.6 per cent, but it still means higher costs for commuters and drivers. The annual vignette will increase from 106.80 euros to 108.90 euros, while the KlimaTicket will cost about 1,428 euros for tickets valid from next year.
The announcement quickly drew political criticism. FPÖ economics spokeswoman Barbara Kolm dismissed the measure as a “pure alibi exercise” and accused the government of misleading the public. She argued that the freeze was too limited to provide lasting relief after years of rising prices.
The Greens also objected, though for different reasons. Transport spokeswoman Elisabeth Götze called the smaller KlimaTicket increase a “hal -hearted price brake.” She said the national transport pass would still become more expensive in 2027, reaching roughly 1,430 euros, and warned that public transport should not become continually dearer if Austria genuinely wants to encourage climate-friendly mobility.
