Austria offers police recruits five-year postings in Vienna

Austria’s Interior Ministry is launching a programme to bring more police recruits to Vienna, where demand has risen because of increased crime, including offences by youth gangs with a migration background, ORF Kärnten reports.

The scheme, called “Vienna for a time”, is aimed at applicants who meet police admission requirements but have not secured a training place in their home state. They can serve in Vienna for five years and are guaranteed a return to their home state afterwards.

The first intake is due to begin in December, with further groups starting every three months. Carinthia’s provincial police director, Michaela Kohlweiß, said the programme would give recruits valuable experience in a major city before returning home.

Regular recruitment in the states will continue unchanged. Participants can also opt to extend their Vienna posting by two years or request a permanent transfer there.