Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act (Austria)
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This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
The written request for information under Austria's Freedom of Information Act (IFG), which since 1 September 2025 has replaced official secrecy and the old duty-to-inform acts: to an authority of the federation, a Land or a municipality, or to a company audited by the Court of Audit. With the exact information you want, the form you want it in, and a reminder of the four-week deadline (§ 8 IFG). The request is free. If an authority refuses the information, the next step is the request for a formal decision — a separate document; against a company, an application goes straight to the administrative court. In German.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Applicant
- Applicant's address
- Body you are asking (authority, municipality or company)
- Address of the body you are asking
- City
- Date
- Information requested
- How the information should be given
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- What changed with Austria's Freedom of Information Act from 1 September 2025?
- Official secrecy was abolished, and a single act for every level replaced the old duty-to-inform acts: the federation, the Länder, municipalities and municipal associations must give information on request, as must companies under the Court of Audit's control; listed companies are exempt. Municipalities under 5,000 inhabitants need not publish of their own accord, but answer requests like everyone else.
- How quickly must a request under Austria's IFG be answered, and what does it cost?
- Without undue delay, and within four weeks of receipt at the latest. The deadline can be extended by a further four weeks if you are told so, with reasons, within the first four (§ 8 IFG). The request is free and needs no particular form — in writing, by e-mail, orally or by phone; if it is unclear, the body may ask for it in writing. You need not give reasons; only where third parties' data or interests are involved may reasons be needed. A written request gives you proof of when the deadline started.
- What can I do in Austria if my request for information is refused?
- With an authority, you ask in writing for a formal decision (Bescheid) on the refusal (§ 11(1) IFG), which must be issued within two months. That request is a precondition of any appeal, except one for failure to decide. You can then appeal against the decision to the administrative court, which decides within two months. If a company refused, you apply directly to the administrative court within four weeks after the deadline for the information has passed (§ 14 IFG). The request for a decision is available here as a separate document.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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