Last year, the federal government decided to significantly tighten gun laws in Austria. The first part of the amendment has been valid since November 2025: The exchange of information between the authorities has been improved and the so-called “cooling off phase” when first purchasing weapons has been extended. With the second part of the amendment, which comes into force on April 28th, the rules will be tightened again. “The clear goal of this amendment is more security,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) in a broadcast on Thursday.
