English

The Austrian Ombudsman Board consists of three members who work together as colleagues. They are elected by Parliament for a term of six years and can be re-elected once. The members are independent according to the constitution.

The Ombudsman Board has been independently monitoring Austria’s entire public admini­stration since 1977 by order of the Federal Constitution. It checks the legality of decisions by authorities and examines possible cases of maladministration.

All citizens can turn to the Ombudsman Board with a complaint about the Austrian admini­stration, regardless of their age, nationality, or residence. A complaint can be made at any time and entails no expense.

The establishment of the Austrian Ombudsman Board and its legal position is based on article 148a to 148j of the Austrian Federal Constitution (B-VG) and the Federal Law on the Austrian Ombudsman Board (Volksanwaltschaftsgesetz 1982 - VolksanwG).

The Ombudsman Board has been standing up for democracy and the rule of law for years on an international level; it actively supports projects in the field of human rights and uses bilateral contacts as a valuable means of exchanging information.

In this section you will find summaries of the weekly TV show "Bürgeranwalt", informational material as well as news of the Austrian Ombudsman Board.

You want to complain about an authority or need information? You can reach the Ombudsman Board by telephone, in writing, and personally.