Dogs in Vienna: Dog levy, off-leash areas and rules

Dog levy in Vienna

First dog

€72 per year

Second dog

€105 per yearApplies to the second and every further dog.

Further levels

If a person keeps only one dog, the levy is 72 euros per calendar year; if they keep several dogs, 105 euros each for the second and every further dog.

Listed breed

No separate rate – the general rate appliesThe current ordinance has no separate rate for listed dogs. From 1 January 2027 (version F060/020/2027): 120 euros per dog; 240 euros per listed dog (dogs subject to the dog licence requirement under § 5a Wiener Tierhaltegesetz and crossbreeds) if the ownership is newly established or changes from 1 January 2027.

Reductions and exemptions

Guide dogs for the blind are exempt from the levy; for one guard dog each on an agricultural or forestry business the levy is reduced by 36 euros; exempt are, among others, dogs needed to protect helpless persons, to compensate for a disability or for therapeutic use (§ 5 Abs. 1). Also exempt, for the first three calendar years, are dogs acquired from animal shelters in Vienna from 1 January 2023 onwards (§ 5, versions 2024 and 2027); after passing the dog licence test (Hundeführscheinprüfung), the dog is exempt for the following year (§ 5 Abs. 6). Grounds for exemption must be claimed at registration.

Registration

Within 14 days after the dog has turned three months old or has been brought to Vienna, with the municipal authority (Magistrat).

Note: From 1 January 2027: 120 euros per dog, listed dogs 240 euros (dogs subject to the dog licence requirement under § 5a Wiener Tierhaltegesetz and crossbreeds, if the ownership is newly established or changes from 1 January 2027); a guard dog on an agricultural or forestry business then reduced by 50 % (version F060/020/2027).

checked on 29 October 2026

Off-leash areas in Vienna

More than 200 – dog zones and dog exercise areas (total area over 1 million square metres)

Vienna has more than 200 dog zones and dog exercise areas, marked with signs. In publicly accessible parks, dogs must be led on a leash and kept away from green and planted areas; lawns in dog zones and dog exercise areas are exempt.

Official overview

checked on 28 October 2026

Leash in Vienna

Vienna is both a federal state and a municipality; the rules of the Wiener Tierhaltegesetz also apply.

Leash rules in Vienna

No guarantee

As of: 29 October 2026. The official text alone is authoritative. Source and date checked per row.

Not legal advice. We summarise the rules in plain language. This is a guide and does not replace information from the competent authority.