Dogs are possibly the exception to the Viennese "Grantigkeit”. With nearly 59,000 registered dogs across the city, you’ll notice them everywhere — on trams, in cafés, even at the cinema. Vienna is a city that embraces its four-legged residents, but daily life here comes with a mix of rules, rituals and plenty of perks.
If you’re relocating, there are a few administrative steps you’ll need to tick off before you and your pup can settle in:
| Before Arrival | After Arrival |
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🐾 Microchip |
🏛️ Registration |
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💉 Rabies vaccination |
💶 Dog tax (Hundesteuer) |
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📘 Travel documents |
🛡️ Liability insurance |
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✈️ Entry to Austria
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📑 Hundeführschein (Dog handling licence) Mandatory for listed breeds (within 3 months, repeat after 21–24 months) Voluntary for non-listed dogs; in Vienna, passing it exempts you from dog tax for the following year |
Failing to follow the rules can get expensive: fines of up to €50 for not cleaning up after your dog; and for listed breeds, owners even face an alcohol limit. Handle your dog while over the legal alcohol limit of 0.5 g/L blood alcohol, and you risk a €1,000 fine. It’s an unusual detail, but it underlines how seriously Vienna takes responsible ownership.
Vienna’s rules are more than etiquette; they are law. But they exist for a reason: to keep dogs and people living happily side-by-side.
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🐕🦺 Leash and muzzle
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Dogs must be on a leash in public. On public transport, they also need a muzzle.
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| 💩 Clean up |
It’s the law. And the right thing to do. Use the city’s dispensers (3,900+ of them). Otherwise risk a €50 fine.
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| 🚎 Transport |
Small dogs in closed carriers travel free of charge. All other dogs require a half-price ticket, leash and muzzle.
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☕ Shops, cafés, malls
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Most welcome dogs, provided they are leashed. Some may ask for a muzzle, especially larger breeds or when near food. Always check first.
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🚫 No go areas
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Dogs are prohibited, among other places, from children’s playgrounds, sandpits, museums, theatres, supermarkets, bakeries and certain ornamental gardens and nature reserves (for example, parts of Schönbrunn or Volksgarten).
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It may feel strict, but the effect is clear: dogs are so well-integrated into everyday Viennese life because the framework makes it possible.
Now the paperwork and rules are out of the way, the fun begins. As mentioned, dogs are very welcome in the city, and are a familiar part of daily life in Vienna.
However, for pure unadulterated dog-friendly delight, Vienna has it covered – with more than 200 dog zones and dog walking areas with a total area of over 1,000,000 m2:
Hundezonen and Auslaufplätze – fenced or designated off-leash areas in every district.
Hundebadeplätze – official dog swimming areas along the Danube and other waters.
Donauinsel and Prater – iconic outdoor spaces, with some paths reserved just for pedestrians and dogs (no bikes).
Hiking trails – the city’s official hiking routes offer weekend adventure for all.
Approximately 300,000 m2 of doggy paradise – a beautiful green space of both meadow and forested sections for dogs to explore, leash-free. It's a popular unfenced area, so be prepared to encounter not only other dogs, but cyclists and joggers.
Tip: Stop off at the numerous drinking and eating establishments within the Prater.
📍 Google Maps link – Prater Hundezone
Approximately 85,000 m2 of green space for dogs, on the edge of the Vienna Woods. Also known as Tiefauswiese, this dog haven sits adjacent to the many hiking trails that run through Schwarzenbergpark – where it is mandatory for dogs to be on leash.
📍 Google Maps link — Schwarzenbergpark Hundezone
A popular area for off-leash fun and a lovely bathing area for dogs and their humans, with shaded areas when the sun is out. It can get busy so it's recommended to get there earlier in the day, if you like it quieter.
Be aware! Although this is supposed to be a no-cycle zone, this isn't alway adhered to, so please be cautious of errant cyclists.
📍 Google Maps link — Hundezone Donauinsel
Hedwig enjoys having Heldenplatz Hundezone all to herself
A small but perfectly-formed fenced-off area for your dog to run around, in the heart of Vienna, with dog poo bag dispenser and water fountain. Go on a Sunday morning and you may find you have the place all to yourself.
📍 Google Maps link - Heldenplatz Hundezone
Any time of year is a good time of year to hike in the vineyards (see Kia above in the snow), however, October, is the perfect time – after your walk, treat yourself to a G'spritzer and a bite to eat! Where there are vineyards, there are beautiful places to wander.
Heuriger Hengl-Haselbrunner, Iglaseegasse 10, 1190 – great garden with old trees.
Häuserl am Stoa Hofbauer, Zierleitengasse 42A, 1190 – beautiful city views and lovely garden.
Heuriger Zimmermann, Mitterwurzergasse 20, 1190 – charming Heuriger with stunning views, next to the vineyards.
Full disclaimer, this has not yet been tried and tested by the Recom "Dog" Team, but we are curious! Since 2008, Admiral Kino has been running Hundekino. Every first Thursday of the month, you can go on a dog date with your best friend – and they go free – with blanket, popcorn (or 'pup-corn'?) and water available for your canine companion (muzzle and leash required).
Animal Blessing (Tiersegnung, Stephansplatz, 3rd October 2025) – in memory of St. Francis of Assisi and in time with World Animal Day, pets receive blessings at Stephansplatz, 1010 Vienna. Not suitable for anxious or noise-sensitive animals.
Du & Das Tier (Messe Tulln, 10th–12th October 2025) – Austria’s biggest fair for animal lovers, just outside Vienna, run by Austria's Kennel Club
Dog Sparkle Christmas Market (25hours Hotel in Neubau, 8th December 2025) – a festive one-day pop-up for dog and cat lovers.
Hundeadvent Vienna (Dog Winter Market, Neugebäude Palace, 1110 Vienna,12th–14th December 2025) – a three-day Christmas market dedicated to dogs.
Haustiermesse Wien (Pet Fair, Marx Halle, 28th Feb – 1st March 2026) – Austria’s largest pet fair. One of the two halls is dedicated to dogs: with dog gymnastics, hay bale races, a dog ball pool and dog parkour!
Vienna might come across as rule-heavy, but those rules are the very reason life here with a dog is so easy. From the Donauinsel to Hundekino, from blessings at Stephansplatz to winter markets for dogs, this city doesn’t just accommodate its canine residents, it celebrates them.