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Independence if you need care — private cover for the costs the state care allowance does not pay.
Private long-term care insurance supplements the state care allowance (Pflegegeld) in Austria and protects you financially if you need care because of age, illness or an accident. It pays a monthly care pension or covers the actual costs of care — depending on the chosen tariff. This way you remain independent if you need care and can decide for yourself how and where you want to be cared for.
The costs of care in Austria keep rising, and in most cases the state care allowance is not enough:
Regular payment of the agreed amount from the moment care is needed — to use as you wish.
Covers the costs of professional care services that look after you in your own home.
Covers the costs of a place in a care home — including accommodation, meals and care.
Depending on the tariff, a one-off capital payment on reaching a certain care level for immediate adaptations.
Advice on and organisation of care services, aids and home conversions.
This is how much care allowance (Pflegegeld) the state pays per month in 2026:
| Level | Care allowance |
|---|---|
| 1 | €206.20 |
| 2 | €380.30 |
| 3 | €592.60 |
| 4 | €888.50 |
| 5 | €1,206.90 |
| 6 | €1,685.40 |
| 7 | €2,214.80 |
Whether the allowance is enough for mobile care, 24-hour care (24-Stunden-Betreuung) or a place in a care home depends on your situation — together we will work out how big your gap would be and how private long-term care insurance closes it.
Example calculation: 24-hour care (24-Stunden-Betreuung, level 5, 30 days):
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Carer’s daily rate: €95 × 30 days | €2,850.00 |
| Travel costs (guide value) | €300.00 |
| Monthly agency service fee | €333.00 |
| Total costs | €3,483.00 |
| minus 24-hour care subsidy | − €800.00 |
| minus care allowance, level 5 | − €1,206.90 |
| To be paid yourself | €1,476.10 / month |
Around €1,480 per month — more than €17,700 per year — has to be paid from your pension or savings. The subsidy is available from level 3 and with a net income of up to €2,500 per month; actual costs depend on the agency and the scope of care. Simplified example calculation — not a substitute for an individual offer.
Sources (in German): Pensionistenverband Österreichs, “Wichtige Zahlen 2026” (care allowance); Caritas Wien, Preisblatt Rund-um-Zuhause-Betreuung (as of 12/2025, example for level 5); oesterreich.gv.at, Förderung der 24-Stunden-Betreuung (as of 1 Jan 2026).
Long-term care insurance makes sense for everyone who wants to maintain their standard of living if they need care and to relieve their relatives:
The state care allowance is usually only a contribution towards the actual costs of care. 24-hour care or a place in a care home in particular usually cost much more — this is where private long-term care insurance steps in.
The earlier, the lower the premium and the less likely health restrictions are when taking out the policy. Many people take it out at 40 or 50.
Yes, many tariffs pay regardless of whether care is provided at home by relatives, by a 24-hour carer or in a care home.
Yes, a health questionnaire is usually required. The younger and healthier you are when you take out the policy, the easier the acceptance.
The classification is usually based on a medical assessment, similar to the state care allowance, often in cooperation with the insurer.
Content reviewed by: Agnieszka Valenta, insurance broker · As of October 2026
Together we will calculate which costs the care allowance does not cover in your situation and compare long-term care tariffs from several insurers.
Personal advice in Breitenwaida – for clients from the Hollabrunn district, the whole Weinviertel region, as well as Vienna and Burgenland. We advise in English, German, Polish, Serbian and Bosnian.
