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ApertureAuthority
Country

Austria

Austria has unusually broad freedom of panorama, extending even to many interiors of public buildings; you cannot re-create the work itself.

Verified Jun 28, 2026 2 official sources
Permit: conditionalPanorama: Full

Guidance, not legal advice

Rules change and enforcement varies. Confirm with the issuing authority before you shoot. Drone law depth lives at Drone Authority.

Permit

Conditional

Issuer: Site or land manager for commercial shoots; no permit for personal street photography

Cost: No permit for personal photography; commercial crews and managed or private sites need permission

Street photography in public needs no permit. Commercial shoots and managed sites need authorization.

Drone / airspace

Governed by EASA rules via Austro Control; an EU operator registration is valid

For category detail, see Drone Authority.

Street / public space

Yes to photograph, but publishing a recognizable person can be challenged if it harms their legitimate interests (Copyright Act Sec. 78)

GDPR applies on publication; embarrassing, defamatory, or commercial-exploitation contexts are the risk.

Freedom of panorama

Full

Section 54(1)(5) of the Copyright Act permits commercial use of architecture and public artworks made to remain permanently in public, and courts have extended it to interiors of publicly accessible buildings. You cannot re-erect the building or remake the sculpture.

Practical notes

  • Selling photos of Vienna building exteriors and permanent public sculptures is allowed, and many interior shots of public buildings are tolerated.
  • The limit is re-creating the work in its own medium, like a model kit of a protected building, not photographing it.

Sources

Keep shooting

Knowing the rules is half the job. The craft side:

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