Figuring things out: e-cards, apartment and work

Ben was invited to the office on Friday to discuss next steps of working with Crocodile sports. He was offered a position until the end of Summer (October), and given details of how he could become a fully qualified guide instructor and the course he would need to complete, however they only hold this course in April 2026 but he could still work with them to assist until their end of Summer. They explained unfortunately as he did not have his e-card they could not put him on straight away as they need the card before they could arrange all the paperwork. So now it’s a waiting game. This elusive e-card.

He has been trying to get this card of gold since we got here. He has visited AMS several times and was initially told he needed a job to get an e-card so they couldn’t help him. He was also told to go the main AMS office in Itzling (which he did) who instructed him to go to an Austrian Registry office (which he did) who instructed him further whimsical details to go round in circles. Picture Ben on several buses visiting all these offices, then also walking from office to office talking to officials and showing his passport, registration documents and not getting anywhere. So this meeting was actually very helpful.

Ben was instructed to go back to AMS - https://www.ams.at/organisation/public-employment-service-austria. - (which is the Austrian Public Employment Service - a government agency responsible for job placement, unemployment benefits, and supporting people in the labor market) and advise them he needed to go on unemployment benefits.

When they sign him up they then would assign him an e-card. This card would prove that he is registered with the Austrian social insurance system and is essentially his health insurance card.

Everyone who works in Austria has an e-card. When an employer hires an employee they are legally required to cover them with health insurance. How good is that! So this ensures that every employee can see doctors, get prescriptions, and access medical services and as long as the doctor has a contract with the public insurance system there is no cost, this also includes specialist services ie basic dental is covered and a host of other services.

It’s a little different than medicare in Australia as the medicare card is focused purely on healthcare access and there is no direct link to the pension or unemployement. In Austria the e-card is part of a broader social insurance system that includes not just healthcare, but also the pension and unemployment insurance (which still covers Austrian citizens for healthcare when they are out of work or retired).

Ben went back to AMS and once the correct information and request was relayed they understood and submitted what we hope to be the correct paperwork for Ben and he was told that this would take 2 weeks.

Ben has talked about the Crocodile guys and how they are such a fun crew and he has really enjoyed the activities. In their chat they noted that he has his truck licence in Australia so he would be able to drive their larger vehicles and trailers so now we need to look into transferring his licence over to Austria to be able to drive.

They took the best photos of him when he was in action!

Ben is still deliberating whether he should take this job, as it is only short term or whether he should just be looking for carpentry or excavating work but I think he should just do this for short term and even though the pay would be far better as a carpenter or trade, being a guide would be far more exhilarating. So as long as the e-card arrives before their summer is out, that is the direction he is going to take.

On the subject of waiting……we also at this point still haven’t received Bens bank card and even though we have offered to collect the card from the bank they have told us that it has to be posted. The good news is we have received the letter with the PIN code so hopefully the card comes in the mail this week.

We are also waiting for the kids bank cards to be delivered in the post too and they are very excited to receive these cards as the commonwealth cards they had back home were just debit cards so they couldn’t buy things like Robux online but now their Austrian bank cards are full visa debit cards so I am already having negotiating discussions with Mr Daniel about how he wants to spend his pocket money on digital accessories which I will highly be encouraging him away from.

Onto the apartment - we have signed the 6 month lease with the top floor apartment that I loved. They initially sent through the contract with the total figure higher than we expected at €14,240 (we were expecting €2250 euros x 6 months = €13,500), and that was because they work it out on 29 days, however over a 6 month period it ended up being an extra 10 days than we first calculated. So it is not per month it is per 29 days. All good now we know and our move date is on the 28th August.