I would like to move to Austria. Where do I start looking for housing?
The Web site Help.gv.at offers good support for people looking for housing in Austria. A general overview is provided, in view of the diverse supply and the many individual factors to be considered. As in the US, there is the option of using the assistance of brokers for renting or buying apartments.

The Web site Flohmarkt (flea market) provides an overview of private rentals and sales of apartments and houses (in German). The resource that is probably used most frequently in this context is ImmoBazar (in German only), a weekly publication that also offers its services online. Different categories allow a targeted search. The Austrian National Union of Students hosts a Web site containing extensive apartment and room listings (in German only).

Austrian daily newspapers are also a good research base; the Austrian Embassy in Washington, DC, provides a good overview of Austrian media (in German only) that can also be consulted.

I am looking for student housing in Austria. Where should I start my search?
The Housing Office of the Austrian Exchange Service is in charge of the administration of places in student residences and apartments in the city of Vienna and in the federal provinces of Austria, as well as the creation of accommodations for recipients of grants. The Housing Office of the Austrian Exchange Service provides apartments and rooms in residence halls for students receiving OEAD grants, Erasmus students, visiting professors and guests.

The Austrian National Union of students offers a Web site that contains information about the approximately 25,000 places in student residences available in Austria and allows a search of the contact data for all residences in the Austrian provinces (currently in German only).

Which aspects do I have to consider when moving to Austria?
People intending to move to Austria can consult an overview by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs that provides information and links on steps that need to be implemented upon a move to Austria (only available in German). Among other things, the covered topics include registration in Austria, insurance policies, social services, driver’s license, job-related issues, pets, signup for education, etc.

Where can I get information on housing in Washington, DC?
Looking for housing in DC can be tough, and often requires considerable time as well as steady nerves. Compared to the European level, prices are very high. A common form of accommodation is therefore shared apartments or houses, for which there is a large market accessible via ads. Many landlords/landladies ask for references.

Web sites that are often used by persons looking for housing in the DC area include craigslist Washington, DC , City Paper Classifieds, Washington Post Classified, NIH housing , and Roommates.com.

How can my foreign driver’s license be acknowledged in Austria?
In general, only foreign driver’s licenses that are valid under these criteria (only available in German) can be acknowledged. If the driver’s license originates from a country outside the European Union it has to be acknowledged by the appropiate authority (Vienna Police Headquarters - Department of Motor Vehicles, Bezirkshauptmannschaft) within 6 months of registering a principal residence (Hauptwohnsitz) in Austria. Holders of a driver’s license must be at least 18 years old. Further information can be obtained from Austria’s two automobile clubs ÖAMTC and ARBÖ (only available in German).

One important note is that a U.S. driver’s license alone is not sufficient to be allowed to drive a motorized vehicle in Europe. Additionally an international driver’s license, which can be obtained from AAA, or an official translation of the U.S. driver’s license, available at ÖAMTC and ARBÖ, is required. This rule is only valid for the first 6 months, after which period an Austrian driver’s license is required. The Web site of the U.S. Embassy in Austria also offers an extensive overview of regulations and information regarding the Austrian drivers license.

I would like to obtain a driver’s license in the United States. Where can I find information about prerequisites and procedures?
In the United States, each state has its own set of rules when it comes to obtaining a driver’s license. General information can be found on the AAA Web site, more detailed information about state specific regulations is displayed upon entering a zipcode. Further information on obtaining a driver’s license in Washington, DC, can be found here.

Relevant Links:

Help.gv.at - information about housing: ImmoBazar
http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/138/Seite.1380000.html

Austrian National Union of Students apartment listings (in German):
http://www.jobwohnen.at/index.php?id=172

Washington Post Classifieds:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/rentals/index.html
NIH housing: http://www.recgov.org/housing/housing.html
Roommates: http://www.roommates.com/
Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs: http://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/foreign-ministry.html

Necessary steps when moving to Austria: http://www.bmeia.gv.at/botschaft/auslandsoesterreicher/ratgeber/uebersiedlung-nach-oesterreich.html

Driver's license criteria: http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/4/Seite.040500.html#AllgemeineInformationen

U.S. Embassy information on driver's license: http://www.usembassy.at/en/embassy/cons/residence.htm#Motoring