Interior Minister announced that 600 additional recruits will begin two-year basic police training on December 1, 2026. This expansion supports a 2027-2028 budget shift toward internal security and away from asylum-related spending.
The 'Wien auf Zeit' program has attracted 50 applicants from Styria, Carinthia, and Burgenland, offering a five-year placement with a guaranteed home-state return. Vienna Police President Gerhard Pürstl noted 650 recruits were hired from 4,000 applicants.
Austria aims for over 2,000 new recruits in 2027 following 1,500 hires in 2026. To streamline entry, athletic tests were replaced by sports medicine exams in 2023. Currently, 2,200 students are enrolled in training to bolster the nation's law enforcement ranks.