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Austria ÖBB card photo requirements

The photo rules set by ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG for the Austria ÖBB card, with the official wording and sources.

Based on 4 official sources · last checked Official sources Page history

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Quick answer

What are the Austria ÖBB card photo requirements?

No photo is needed for an ÖBB Vorteilscard. ÖBB, Austria's federal railway, states that the card no longer shows a photo and that you can order it without one. In exchange, the card counts only when you also carry a valid photo ID proving your age, for example a driving licence, identity card or student ID. The Vorteilscard Comfort, on sale since 1 May 2024, exists only in digital form.

The Vorteilscard is the discount card of ÖBB, Austria's federal railway company, and gives reduced fares on ÖBB tickets. It is a commercial customer card, not an official document. The Classic version has no age limit, and cheaper versions exist for young people up to their 26th birthday, for seniors from 65 and for travellers with children; each is valid for one year from issue.

Earlier Vorteilscards carried the holder's photo, which is why people still search for Vorteilscard photo rules. That is no longer the case. ÖBB's own answers state that there is no photo on the card any more and that none is needed to order it. Because the card no longer shows who owns it, it counts only together with a valid photo ID that includes proof of age, and you need to carry that ID on every journey.

You can buy the card at ÖBB ticket counters, at ÖBB travel agencies in stations, in the online ticket shop or in the ÖBB app, where you need an ÖBB account. The Vorteilscard Comfort comes without a plastic card at all: it is stored in your ÖBB account and checked in the app.

Austria ÖBB card photo size and specifications

The requirements as published by ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG:[1]

Print sizeNo photo: the card carries none and none is needed to order it
Digital sizeNo photo file: ordering online, in the app or at a counter needs no photo
BackgroundNot applicable: the Vorteilscard has no photo

Key requirements

  • No photo on the card

    ÖBB states plainly that there is no longer a photo on the Vorteilscard. The plastic card that arrives by post and the digital version in the ÖBB app both come without one.

  • No photo to order it

    Whether you order online, in the app or at a ticket counter, no photo is needed. ÖBB says so in its answers on buying the card online and adds that the card is therefore valid only with photo ID.

  • Carry photo ID with proof of age

    The Vorteilscard counts only together with a valid photo ID that includes proof of age, such as a driving licence, identity card or student ID. ÖBB confirms that you need that ID with you on every train journey.

  • Give the correct date of birth

    Because your age decides which card you may hold, ÖBB asks for your correct date of birth when you order. A wrong one can lead to the wrong customer card, demands for extra fares or other consequences.

  • Use the ÖBB app, not a wallet app

    If you want to show the card electronically, use the ÖBB app. ÖBB does not accept customer-card apps from other providers. The Vorteilscard Comfort is checked only in the ÖBB app, as it has no plastic card.

  • Card number when buying tickets

    Since 8 May 2024 the Vorteilscard number is asked for whenever you buy a discounted ticket. Store it in your ÖBB account, or give it to the sales staff at a counter.

Do's and don'ts

Do

  • Carry a valid photo ID that shows your date of birth on every trip.
  • Enter your correct date of birth when you order.
  • Store your card number in your ÖBB account.
  • Use the ÖBB app if you want to show the card on your phone.

Don't

  • Do not pay for a photo to order a Vorteilscard.
  • Do not rely on the card alone at a ticket check.
  • Do not save the card in a third-party wallet app.

Babies and children

Young people can buy the Vorteilscard Jugend up to the day before their 26th birthday. For them a student ID card is one of the photo IDs ÖBB names as valid proof of age alongside the card.

The Vorteilscard Family can be bought by anyone from 15 and applies only when the holder travels with at least one child. Up to four children from their 6th birthday to the day before their 15th travel free with it on ÖBB trains within Austria, and children under 6 travel free on those trains anyway; the children must be named when the ticket is bought.

Nothing about the Vorteilscard involves a photo file. When you order, you receive a provisional card by e-mail, which you can print or use as a digital card in the ÖBB app, and a few days later the plastic card arrives by post, except for the Comfort card, which stays digital.

What you do need to show is a photo ID that proves your age. That ID, such as an Austrian identity card or driving licence, has its own photo rules; the Vorteilscard adds none of its own.

Where to submit the photo

You can buy the card at ÖBB ticket counters, ÖBB travel agencies in stations, the online ticket shop and the ÖBB app; buying online needs an ÖBB account. The Vorteilscard Comfort is sold only online and in the app.

If the card is lost or stolen, report it to the competent authority and take the confirmation to an ÖBB ticket counter. The card is blocked, and you receive a replacement for a service fee.

How to get your Austria ÖBB card photo

  1. Check the official requirements. Read the official specification for the Austria ÖBB card. Check the rules on pose, expression, glasses and headwear below.
  2. Take the photo. Follow the key requirements: no photo on the card; no photo to order it; carry photo ID with proof of age; give the correct date of birth.
  3. Prepare a print or digital file. Nothing about the Vorteilscard involves a photo file.
  4. Submit the photo with your application. You can buy the card at ÖBB ticket counters, ÖBB travel agencies in stations, the online ticket shop and the ÖBB app; buying online needs an ÖBB account. The Vorteilscard Comfort is sold only online and in the app.

Make this photo online

Austria ÖBB card photo FAQ

No. ÖBB says no photo is needed to order the Vorteilscard and none appears on it. You order with your personal details and pay; the card then counts only together with a valid photo ID showing your age.

A valid photo ID that includes proof of age. ÖBB gives a driving licence, an identity card and a student ID as examples. Carry it on every journey, because the card alone is not valid.

Yes, in the ÖBB app. After ordering you receive a provisional card by e-mail that you can print or use in the app, and the Vorteilscard Comfort exists only in the app. ÖBB does not accept wallet apps from other providers.

Yes. ÖBB lists a student ID among the photo IDs with proof of age that make the Vorteilscard valid. The Vorteilscard Jugend can be bought up to the day before the 26th birthday.

Report the loss or theft to the competent authority, then take the confirmation to an ÖBB ticket counter. The card is blocked and you receive a replacement card for a service fee; no photo is involved.

No. It is a discount card sold by ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG under its own terms and conditions. It proves your entitlement to reduced fares only when shown together with a valid photo ID.

Related photo specifications

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Official sources

  1. ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG. Vorteilscard: Allgemeine Fragen oebb.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
  2. ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG. Alle Vorteilscards oebb.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
  3. ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG. Vorteilscard Comfort oebb.at. Checked 2 November 2026.
  4. ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG. Neues zur Vorteilscard oebb.at. Checked 2 November 2026.

Requirements can change, so always confirm with ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG before you apply. WorldPhotoSpecs is independent and not affiliated with any government.

Cite this page

"Austria ÖBB card photo". WorldPhotoSpecs. Last updated 4 November 2026. https://worldphotospecs.org/austria/obb-card-photo

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