Austria Road Signs 2026: Vignette, Rettungsgasse, Mountain

Austrian sign system

Austria follows the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals (1968), the same framework as Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and most EU countries. About 90% of signs are visually identical to other Vienna Convention countries.

Austria-specific differences:

1. Blue Autobahn signs (motorway, vignette required) vs green Schnellstraße signs
2. Vignette signs at motorway entries
3. IG-L speed reduction signs with explanation
4. Rettungsgasse reminder signs
5. Bilingual signs in Carinthia, Burgenland, near borders
6. Mountain hazard signs: Steinschlag (rockfall), Lawine (avalanche), Glatteis (ice)

Motorway / Expressway signs

Autobahn (A)

• Blue rectangular signs
• Letter “A” followed by route number (A1, A2, A10, A12, etc.)
• Vignette required for vehicles up to 3.5t (see vignette guide)
• 130 km/h general speed limit (lower in IG-L sections)

Schnellstraße (S)

• Green rectangular signs
• Letter “S” followed by route number (S1, S16, etc.)
• Vignette required (same as A)
• 100 km/h general speed limit
• Sometimes with at-grade intersections

Bundesstraße (B)

• Yellow rectangular signs
• Letter “B” followed by route number (B108 Felbertauern, B107 Großglockner, etc.)
• No vignette required
• 100 km/h speed limit outside built-up

Local roads

• White or no color
• L (Landstraße) or L-number with region
• No vignette

Vignette and toll signs

Vignette mandatory sign

• White rectangle with green “Vignette” word
• Cars/motorcycles symbol
• Appears at A/S entries
• Reminds: vignette required

Sondermautstrecke sign

• White rectangle with specific toll info
• Examples: “Brennermaut”, “Tauernmaut”, “Arlbergmaut”
• Appears at entry of separately-tolled sections

GO-Box for trucks

• White sign with “GO” symbol on blue
• At entries of GO-Box-required sections (all motorways for trucks)

IG-L speed reductions

Speed-reduction signs with “IG-L” or “Luftgüte” label below indicate Austria’s Air Quality Protection Law restrictions. Common on:

• A1 around Linz, Salzburg (100 km/h)
• A2 around Wien, Graz (100 km/h)
• A12/A13 Tyrol (100 km/h)
• A14 Vorarlberg (100 km/h)

The reduction applies to all vehicles, regardless of emission class.

Rettungsgasse (emergency corridor)

Standard sign

Blue square with two cars symbol moving apart with an emergency vehicle in the middle. Reminds drivers to form the corridor on multi-lane roads when traffic slows.

How to form

See our driving rules for details.

Mountain warning signs

Steinschlag (rockfall)

• Yellow diamond with falling rocks symbol
• Common on Alpine roads
• Pay attention especially in spring (thaw) and after heavy rain

Lawine (avalanche)

• Yellow diamond with avalanche symbol
• On mountain pass roads in winter
• May indicate closed sections

Glatteis (black ice)

• Yellow diamond with ice/wet road symbol
• Sometimes “Glatteisgefahr” warning text
• Common autumn/winter on bridges and shaded sections

Tunnel signs

• Blue rectangle with tunnel symbol
• Tunnel name and length (e.g., “Tauerntunnel 6.4 km”)
• Speed limit reduced typically 80 km/h
• Dipped lights mandatory
• Distance 50m minimum

Avalanche pass closed

• Red circle with white horizontal bar
• Or yellow “GESPERRT” (closed) sign
• Means pass is closed (winter or weather)

Mountain pass-specific signs

• “Geschlossen / Closed”: pass closed
• “Schneeketten erforderlich” (Snow chains required): must mount chains immediately
• Speed limits on switchbacks: typically 50 km/h
• “Steile Strecke” (Steep stretch): use lower gear

Bilingual signs

Carinthia (south Austria)

Slovene-speaking minority area. Some signs bilingual:

• “Klagenfurt / Celovec”
• “Villach / Beljak”
• “Spittal / Špital”

Burgenland (east)

Hungarian-speaking minority + Croatian-speaking. Some signs bilingual:

• “Eisenstadt / Kismarton” (Hungarian)
• “Wiener Neustadt / Nova Vesa” (Croatian, rare)

Near borders

Border areas may have signs in neighbour-country language as supplementary info.

Common sign categories

Mandatory signs (round, blue)

Standard EU Vienna Convention set. Identical to other countries.

Warning signs (triangular)

Standard set. Plus Austria-specific:

• Steinschlag (rockfall)
• Lawine (avalanche)
• Glatteis (ice)
• Wildwechsel (animal crossing)

Prohibition signs (round, white with red border)

Standard set.

Information signs

Mostly self-explanatory with symbols.

Italian-related signs (near Brenner)

Approaching the Italian border on A13:

• Bilingual Italian/German signs
• “Brenner / Brennero” (border)
• Italian motorway signs become green (in Italy free) on the other side

German-related signs (near border)

Most signs along German border are German-only on Austrian side (since both are German-speaking). Bilingual signs not needed.

Practical tips

• Blue Autobahn signs always require vignette
• Yellow Bundesstraße signs are free alternatives
• IG-L speed limits applied to all vehicles; follow them
• Form Rettungsgasse before traffic fully stops
• In winter: read snow chain signs carefully
• Mountain signs about rockfall and avalanches are real warnings
• Bilingual signs in Carinthia: use either language
• Tunnel speed limits enforced
• Section Control: average-speed cameras on long stretches

Resources

• StVO (Austrian Road Traffic Act): ris.bka.gv.at
• ASFINAG sign standards: asfinag.at
• ÖAMTC sign explanations: oeamtc.at (German)