Austria Tightens Espionage Laws, With Up to Five Years in Jail for Spying for Foreign Bodies

Austria's government has approved draft legislation to strengthen its espionage laws. After the government approved the draft on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said on Thursday that Austria's lax approach to spies is now firmly a thing of the past and that the country will no longer be a blind spot in Europe's security.

Chancellor Christian Stocker said foreign intelligence services are operating increasingly aggressively in Austria. By tightening the laws, he said, Austria is putting a stop to that, while also helping to protect its European partners and the many international organisations based in the country.

Under Austria's current Criminal Code, operating or supporting a clandestine intelligence service is punishable only if it harms Austrian interests. Espionage targeting other countries or international organisations is not covered in the same way, a loophole the government now wants to close.

The proposed legislation would introduce prison sentences of up to five years for espionage targeting EU institutions or international organisations with headquarters or offices in Austria, such as the United Nations, the OSCE and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The maximum sentence for espionage against Austria itself would increase from five years to 10 years.

The draft law would also criminalise the recruitment of so-called disposable agents by foreign intelligence services and strengthen penalties for certain cybercrimes.

Earlier this year Austria pressured Russia to dismantle satellite installations on its diplomatic properties in Vienna over concerns they could be used for espionage; at least three installations have since been removed. The country has expelled eight Russian diplomats since March 2025 for suspected espionage.

Vienna has long had a reputation as a nest of spies. Austria's neutrality and its status as a non-NATO member contributed to that reputation, as did its proximity to the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, when it was a meeting point for intelligence services from East and West.

According to a foreign ministry spokesperson, the legislation is expected to pass parliament next year and take effect in February 2027. The move is part of a broader push across Europe to strengthen national security, with several European countries revising legislation and increasing the powers of domestic intelligence agencies.