The border between Germany and Austria stretches over 817 km from the Czech Republic to Lake Constance. The majority of the border lies along the federal state of Bavaria. There are over 50 border crossings along the German-Austrian border. For travelers, the most relevant highway crossings are Kiefersfelden, Walserberg, and Suben. Please note that there is a vignette requirement on Austrian highways. You can purchase the digital vignette online from us in advance and pass through the toll station without waiting times when entering Austria.
Within the EU's Schengen Area, there are virtually no border controls. However, border controls can still take place for reasons of public order and internal security. This is the case, for example, during international sporting events like the Football World Cup or major political events. With a valid passport or ID card, EU citizens can easily pass through border controls. Any goods for personal use may also be brought along, though there are some exceptions for tobacco and alcohol. Due to illegal immigration, enhanced controls are being conducted at the German-Austrian border as of 2023. Not every vehicle is checked, but random checks are currently common, especially when crossing from Austria into Germany.
There can be increased waiting times at the border crossing due to potential border checks and toll stations on the highways. In Austria, a vignette is required. During the holiday season, the highways at the border crossing are congested because many cars are waiting to pay the toll fees at the counter. With a digital vignette, you can save a lot of time, as you can drive straight through the border crossing into Austria. You can purchase the vignette online from us in advance and register it to your license plate.
For travelers, the most important border crossings are the three highway crossings that offer the fastest passage: Kiefersfelden (A93 Germany - A12 Austria), Walserberg (A8 Germany - A1 Austria), and Suben (A3 Germany - A8 Austria). To avoid waiting times, the highway crossings can be bypassed via secondary roads. However, this usually takes longer than waiting approximately 30 minutes at the border crossing. As a trade-off, you'll be rewarded with beautiful scenic views.
Kiefersfelden is a Bavarian town located directly on the Austrian border. The German A93 highway merges here with the Austrian A12. From Kiefersfelden, you are just about 110 kilometers from the Austrian-Italian border and the Brenner Pass. Traveling from Kiefersfelden via the A12 and then onto the A13 Brenner Motorway at Innsbruck is a classic route for vacations from Germany to Italy. The A12 can be driven toll-free from the Kiefersfelden border crossing to Kufstein-Süd. For further travel on the highway, however, a digital vignette is necessary. Purchasing the correct e-vignette in advance can save you time and stress in this situation. There can be random border checks when traveling from Austria to Germany at the Kiefersfelden border crossing. During peak travel periods and additional rush hour traffic, waiting times at this border can reach 30-60 minutes or more. Entry into Austria is significantly faster with a digital vignette. You can check current waiting times at the border crossings on the official website of ASFINAG, the Austrian infrastructure company. If the waiting time at the Kiefersfelden border crossing is very high, you can exit the highway beforehand and instead use the Salzburg (AT)/Freilassing (DE) border crossing.
Walserberg is an Austrian town near Salzburg, located directly on the German-Austrian border. Here, the German A8 highway becomes the Austrian Westautobahn A1 towards Vienna. The interchange of the A1 and A10 highways is directly at Walserberg, with the latter highway leading almost directly to the Slovenian border. The A1 section from the Walserberg border crossing to Salzburg Nord has been toll-free since 2019. However, a digital vignette is still required for further travel through Austria. There are also waiting times at the Walserberg border crossing due to random border checks and toll stations. During peak travel periods and additional rush hour traffic, waiting times can exceed 30 minutes. With a digital vignette, you can save a significant portion of this time when entering Austria. You can check how long you currently have to wait at the Walserberg border crossing on the ASFINAG website.
In the Austrian town of Suben lies the third highway crossing between Germany and Austria. Here, the German A3 becomes the Austrian A8. The A8 leads to the A9 Pyhrn Autobahn towards Slovenia, as well as the A1 towards Vienna. Due to random border checks and toll stations, waiting times of around 30 minutes can occur at the Suben border during peak travel periods. A significant portion of the waiting time can be saved by purchasing a digital vignette in advance. To know what waiting times to expect at the highway crossing, you can refer to the ASFINAG website.
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