Punishment is from six months to ten years in prison for trafficking in humans for the purpose of forced prostitution. De Facto In Austria it is possible to be legally registered as a prostitute.
Nevertheless, trafficked women from eastern Europe enter Austria as tourists. They work as illegal prostitutes because of the illegality of their situation, which protects traffickers.
It is up to regional officials to establish local prostitution policy, the mayor of a city can and usually does allow it in certain parts of town. Prostitutes have to be registered and need to undergo biweekly health checks and have to pay income taxes. Artists licences are required to work in licenced premises, A migrant working in a non-licenced establishment or otherwise as a prostitute is breaking the law.
Trafficking in human beings is punished by Austrian courts under Austrian law no matter where the offence was committed and irrespective of whether the action constitutes an offence under the law of the country where it was committed if Austrian interests are involved or if the offender cannot be extradited sec.
Under the new Aliens Act, which entered into force on January , protection is granted to victims intending to testify in the matter of trafficking in human beings: they receive ex officio residence permits for the purposes of criminal prosecution, as well as psychological, health and legal support. At the beginning of April , the Vienna police liberated 20 Hungarian women who were being held in forced prostitution by Turkish and Yugoslav criminals.
