Are there public shelters in Austria? What the state says

Short answer. Austria publishes no official public shelter system, register or locator. Shelter rules belong to the nine federal states' building codes, the Interior Ministry says it cannot give shelter numbers, and no state law still requires shelters to be built ¹². When the "Alarm" siren sounds, authorities tell people to go to protective areas or rooms and follow instructions on radio or TV ³.

Does Austria have a public shelter programme?

No. There is no national public shelter programme or register ¹². Under Article 15(1) of the Federal Constitution, the regulation of shelters is a matter for the federal states (Länder) within their building codes ². In its answers to parliamentary questions in 2025 and February 2026, the Interior Ministry states that it cannot give figures on existing shelters ¹².

The former duty to build shelters has also disappeared. In the ministry's words: "Mittlerweile gibt es in landesgesetzlichen Vorschriften keine Verpflichtung mehr, Schutzräume zu errichten" (state laws no longer contain any obligation to build shelters) ¹².

How do I find a shelter near me in Austria?

There is no official tool to find a public shelter ⁴¹. Austria publishes no shelter map, no address list and no app for this purpose.

What the authorities do publish is what to do when warned. On the "Alarm" signal (a one-minute rising and falling wail), go to protective areas or rooms and follow the instructions given on radio or TV ³. In practice, that means identifying in advance the best place you can reach quickly: your own building, your workplace, your children's school.

Where should I go when the Alarm siren sounds?

The official instruction is to seek protective areas or rooms and listen to ORF radio or TV for further instructions ³. Austria does not publish a national list of which buildings count as protective areas. General principles that can help you choose a room are explained in our guides What is a shelter's protection factor? and Shelter in place or evacuate after a nuclear emergency?. For a chemical release, see How do you shelter in place during a chemical release?.

The three siren signals and the AT-Alert phone warnings are explained on our Austria alerts page.

Can I build my own shelter instead?

The federal government has no competence over shelter construction, and there is no federal shelter permit, standard or funding: shelters fall under your state's building code ¹². See our Austria build-a-shelter page for what is and is not published.

What should I prepare if there is no public shelter?

Since you cannot count on a designated public shelter, the official advice that does exist becomes more important:

• keep a 14-day household stock so you can stay indoors;
• know the siren signals and AT-Alert;
• understand the iodine tablet rules for your age group;
• keep the emergency numbers at hand.

A written family plan helps too: see How do I make a family emergency plan?.

Frequently asked questions

How many people can Austria's shelters hold?

No official figure is published. The Interior Ministry states that it cannot give shelter numbers ¹².

Are new buildings in Austria required to include a shelter?

No. No state law still requires shelters to be built ¹².

Who is responsible for shelters in Austria?

The nine federal states, through their building codes, under Article 15(1) of the Federal Constitution ².

Is there an app showing shelters in Austria?

No official shelter locator exists ⁴¹. The official phone system, AT-Alert, sends warnings by cell broadcast to all phones in the affected area ⁵.

Sources

1. Bundesministerium für Inneres / Parlament Österreich — Anfragebeantwortung 3621/AB XXVIII. GP – Aktueller Stand der Schutzrauminfrastruktur in Österreich (4 Feb 2026) — https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVIII/AB/3621/imfname_1737779.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Bundesministerium für Inneres / Parlament Österreich — Anfragebeantwortung 285/AB XXVIII. GP – Zivilschutz/Schutzraumkonzept (12 Feb 2025) — https://www.parlament.gv.at/dokument/XXVIII/AB/285/imfname_1668491.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI) — Warn- und Alarmsignale im Katastrophenfall — https://www.bmi.gv.at/204/skkm/files/020_warn_und_alarmsignale.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI) — Warnung und Alarmierung — https://www.bmi.gv.at/204/skkm/warnung.aspx (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI) — AT-Alert — https://www.bmi.gv.at/204/at-alert/start.aspx (accessed 2026-10-20)