Starting November 2026, many pensioners in Austria will have to pay the annual E-Card service fee of 26.85 euros for the first time, a change affecting more than two million people according to a report citing Finanz.at. The amount is deducted automatically from pensions once in November, so affected people need not submit an application or make a transfer. Recipients of a compensatory allowance, and people exempt from prescription fees for special social protection reasons, generally remain exempt, while reaching the annual prescription fee cap alone does not grant an exemption. The fee has risen from 13.80 euros in 2025 and 25 euros in 2026, and pension increases for 2027 are expected to be 2.95% for pensions up to 6930 euros gross monthly, with a fixed 204.44 euros above that threshold, which falls short of the roughly 3.35% inflation rate for many pensioners. The rule applies nationwide, including Vienna, but the number of affected people there is not available.
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