Using Vienna public transport is one of the easiest ways to get around the city. But there’s one thing visitors often miss: ticket validation. If you get caught on the metro, bus, tram or subway without a valid ticket, you may have to pay a hefty fine. And yes – this happens often.

What makes it even trickier: not all tickets need to be validated. Let’s break it down.

Which Tickets Don’t Need Validation?

1. Online Tickets

Tickets bought in the Wiener Linien Online Shop (German only) or via the Wien Mobil App don’t need to be validated. These are ready to use.

Single fares are valid from the moment of purchase.
24-hour and multi-day tickets let you choose when they should start.

2. Pre-Validated Paper Tickets

When buying a paper ticket from a machine, you can select “valid from now.” These are already validated and ready to go. If you’re not sure, check the print on the ticket – the validity info is shown there.

Which Tickets Do Need to Be Validated?

Only paper tickets that say “Please validate” must be validated before using Vienna’s public transport.

These include:

Single fares bought at a machine without immediate validation
Travelcards valid for 24, 48, or 72 hours
7-day and 31-day tickets

You can buy these tickets ahead of time and validate them just before use. The clock starts ticking as soon as the ticket is validated.

Single Fare Ticket Vienna — **Single Fare Ticket**

This ticket needs to be validated

How to Validate Your Ticket on Vienna Public Transport

Find a validation machine, insert your paper ticket, and wait for the beep. The machine will print the time, weekday, and calendar week – and your ticket is now valid.

If you’re using a 7-day or 31-day ticket and want to check how long it’s valid, try the Wiener Linien Validity Calculator.

**Validating Machine on a Tram in Vienna**

You can find validating machines in subway stations, as well as on the tram and on the bus.

Where to Find Ticket Validation Machines in Vienna

On the Subway / Metro

Validation machines are located in subway stations before you reach the platform. Important: there are no validators on the trains, so make sure your ticket is valid before boarding.