Key engagement

Australia and Austria first established diplomatic relations in 1952 and celebrated 70 years of bilateral relations in 2022. Australia and Austria work closely together on a range of shared interests, including the net zero transition and in multilateral fora to strengthen internationally agreed rules and norms, human rights, gender equality and diversity.

In September 2021, Australia and Austria signed a Strategic Cooperation Arrangement. The Arrangement provides a framework for deepening collaboration across several priority areas, including trade and investment; foreign and security policy; climate and energy; education; and culture and sport.

History

Australia has important historical links with Austria dating back to the beginning of European settlement. In the late 18th and 19th centuries, Austrians visited Australia as members of scientific, diplomatic and religious missions. Austrian Ferdinand Bauer was the botanical draughtsman on Captain Matthew Flinders' HMS Investigator, completing the first circumnavigation of the Australian continent from 1801 to 1803. The field sketches Bauer made during the voyage constitute the most detailed early record of the unique flora and fauna of Australia.

Most Austrian migration to Australia took place between the end of the Second World War and 1960. Today, approximately 48,000 Australian residents identify as having Austrian descent.

Foreign policy

Austria's foreign policy is centered around its membership of the European Union, its support for a strong role of the United Nations, and respect for human rights and international law. Vienna is one of the four headquarters of the United Nations and hosts key agencies, including the IAEA, UNIDO, UNODC, CTBTO and UNOOSA. Vienna also hosts a range of non-UN bodies, notably the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

Austria has been a European Union Member State since January 1995 and was President of the Council of the European Union for the third time in 2018. While maintaining its neutrality, Austria joined the NATO Partnership for Peace framework in 1995 and has deployed personnel in various security and peacekeeping operations and missions. Austria prioritises climate policy and sustainable development in international forums.

Federal Ministry Republic of Austria: European and International Affairs

Foreign and European Policy Report

Economic diplomacy and outlook

Australia continues to seek opportunities to promote Australian business and raise awareness of potential benefits of increased trade between Australia and Europe, including Austria. Business engagement between Austria and Australia is proving particularly robust in the areas of sustainable technology, renewables (including hydrogen), innovation, defence, and digitisation.

Australia and Austria are co-facilitators of, and collaborate on, the Net Zero Industry Mission towards industrial decarbonisation. Through this mission, Australia and Austria established a joint funding call of $20 million for Australian and Austrian firms to collaborate on research and development towards industrial decarbonisation. The joint call announced its first successful project in late 2024.

Regular business events held in both countries provide opportunities to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties.

Trade and investment

Two-way trade has been generally increasing over the past decade, though with a slight drop during the pandemic. In 2023, two-way goods and services trade between Australia and Austria was valued at $2.7 billion, with the balance of trade strongly in Austria's favour. Major Australian exports include mineral resources (coal, non-ferrous metals), travel, telecom equipment, electrical machines, and measuring and analysing instruments. Australia is Austria's fifth largest export destination in the Indo-Pacific (after China, Japan, India, and the ROK). Austria's major goods exported to Australia are vehicles, motorcycles and cycles, work machines, electric power machinery, metal goods, machines, pharmaceuticals, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Australian and Austrian firms have made significant investments in each other's markets over the past few years, with potential for further growth. The infrastructure and renewable energy sectors are among key areas of Austrian investment in Australia.

Trade and economic fact sheet [PDF 194.45 KB]

Business

Many Austrian firms have operations in Australia, including: Andritz (hydropower, processing machinery); Frequentis (communication and information systems); Fronius (solar energy); Kapsch TrafficCom (traffic management); OMV (gas and oil exploration); Plasser & Theurer (railway sector); Rhomberg (railway sector); Strabag (road & tunneling); Vamed (hospital management and operations); and Voestalpine (high performance metals and rail technology). Under an ADF contract, Rheinmetall's Austrian subsidiary supplied a major order of military vehicles to Australia. Austrian businesses in the renewable energy sector, such as AVL and ENcome, are increasing their presence in Australia. Construction company WIEHAG is building the world's largest timber hybrid structure in Sydney, the headquarters for Atlassian.

Some of the larger Australian business operations in Austria include IFM Investors (a major shareholder of Vienna airport); Macquarie Investment Management (parking facility investment); Cochlear (hearing devices); European Lithium (a promising lithium mine exploration project) and ADX Energy (oil and gas exploration and production).

In 2024, the Austrian Australian Business Council (AABC) was founded as part of the Australian Business in Europe (ABIE) network to support bilateral business relations. In Australia, the Europe Australia Business Council leads business advocacy with Europe.

Austrade's Frankfurt office is responsible for Austria.

Fast Facts

Austrian visitors to Australia (2023)

16,150

Australian resident returns from Austria (2023)

19,540

Resident Australian population born in Austria (2021 census)

14,403

Australian residents of Austrian descent (2021 census)

48,797

Austrian working holidaymakers (2023)

242

Austrian student arrivals in Australia (2023)

288

High level engagement

January 2025 - Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong, visited Austria and met with Austrian Interim Chancellor & Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg and Austrian Federal Minister of Labour and Economy, Martin Kocher.

May 2024 - Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Tim Watts MP, visited Austria and met with Austrian Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Nikolaus Marschik.

March 2024 - Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, the Hon Emma McBride MP met with Austrian Federal Minister of Labour and Economy, Martin Kocher.

May 2023 - Austrian Federal Minister of Labour and Economy, Martin Kocher, visited Australia. In Canberra, he attended meetings with Minister for Skills and Training, the Hon Brendan O'Connor MP, Minister for Industry and Science, the Hon Ed Husic MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, the Hon Tony Burke MP and Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell.

February 2023 - Austrian Parliamentarian, Dr Reinhold Lopatka, led an Austrian Parliamentary Friendship Group visit to Sydney and Canberra. The group met with Australian parliamentarians, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Hon Milton Dick MP, and Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator the Hon Don Farrell.

January 2023 - Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, met with Austrian Climate Minister, Leonore Gewessler.

January 2023 - Assistant Foreign Minister, the Hon Tim Watts MP, met with Austrian Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal.

2022 - Minister for Climate Change and Energy, the Hon Chris Bowen MP, and Austrian Climate Minister, Leonore Gewessler, launched the Net-Zero Mission in Pittsburgh.

2021 - Former Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Marise Payne visited Austria and held meetings with Chancellor Nehammer and Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Alexander Schallenberg.

2020 and 2021 - Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison and former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz engaged regularly through the Smart COVID-19 Management Leaders Group.

2019 - Former Governor-General, General Sir Peter Cosgrove AK CVO MC, met with HE Dr Alexander Van der Bellen, Austria's Federal President, in Vienna.

Agreements with Austria

Australia has a number of bilateral agreements with Austria, including on social security, double taxation, mutual legal assistance and aviation. Texts are available at the Australian Treaties Database.

In February 2018, a Work and Holiday Visa arrangement entered into effect.

Public diplomacy and culture

The Australian Embassy in Vienna hosts and supports activities throughout the year, to commemorate international days such as International Women's Day (IWD) and the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT), showcase Australian culture through dance, music, film, visual arts and photography, promote the excellence and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and strengthen people-to-people links between Australia and Austria. Australia has successfully repatriated First Nations ancestral remains from partnering Austrian institutions on three occasions, most recently in 2023.

 Austria is an attractive destination for Australian artists and musicians. In addition to Australians being members of internationally acclaimed music institutions such as the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the State Opera, Australian orchestras perform regularly in Austria. Australian artists and technologists regularly participate in the Ars Electronica Festival which focuses on new media art. Australian academics are members of key Austrian research organisations and universities.