Ankle Tag Help (Austria): Fill in your EM application

How it works

Your completed application in three simple steps – in your own language.

1. Fill it in in your language

You answer simple questions – the assistant automatically transfers your details into the official forms for electronically monitored house arrest (the “ankle tag”).
2. Finished PDF + checklist

You receive the fully completed application as a PDF – with all your details and a checklist of the documents you need to bring.
3. Submit it yourself

You submit the finished application at the competent prison (Justizanstalt) – the institution where you are to begin your sentence or to which you have been summoned, or the prison closest to your home where you wish to serve the ankle tag. You can bring the application yourself or have a lawyer submit it.A lawyer is not required.

What you can do here

A simple assistant that walks you through the required forms,
without bureaucratic jargon and in your own language.

Fill in the forms correctly

The official Ministry of Justice forms for applying for electronically monitored house arrest.
Explained field by field.

Your data stays with you

All entries are processed locally in your browser only. Nothing is sent to or stored on a server.

In several languages

Guidance in German, English, Croatian/Serbian, Turkish and Hungarian – so nothing gets lost in translation.

Download as PDF

At the end you receive a completed PDF to print and sign – ready to submit.

These official forms are covered by the assistant

All the usual forms of the Austrian Ministry of Justice for the EM application – in one place.

Application for approval of electronically monitored house arrest
Declaration of assets
Consent declaration of the person living in the household
Consent declaration of the person concerned
Direct debit authorisation for the cost contribution
Data protection information

⏱ Important time frames for your application — as of May 2026

So that you know what deadlines to expect:

Deadline for application:
within 1 month after the order to start serving the sentence
Processing time (BMJ average):
approx. 110 days
Putting on the ankle bracelet:
1–2 months after approval
Appeal deadline if rejected:
under sec. 120 StVG within 14 days of service, to the enforcement court – the instructions on appeal in the decision are decisive
Recidivism rate in EMHA:
lower than in normal prison sentences

Note: These figures are statistical averages and do not constitute a guarantee. The actual processing time may vary from case to case.

Sources: Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) · ORF Vienna · profil.at — as of May 2026. Official information at justiz.gv.at and BMJ on Facebook (JUSTfacts).

Guide: everything about the ankle monitor (in German)

Applying, requirements, forms, costs, daily life, rejection – explained in plain language. These guides are available in German.

Applying for an ankle monitorProcedure, deadline, responsible prison, duration Requirements24 months, home, work, insurance – with self-check The 6 formsWhat they are for, who signs, what to enclose Costs22 euros per day, reduction and exemption New: up to 24 monthsWhat has changed since 1 September 2025 For relativesHow to help someone in custody with the application Living with an ankle monitorRadius, schedule, rules, revocation Application rejectedAppeal, deadline, second attempt Ankle monitor or day release?EM, house arrest, ankle tag, day release – what is what

All guide topics

NEW

Apply for leave – also with an ankle monitor

Request to the prison management for leave under § 99a, in relaxed custody or in pre-release custody. Enter the date, your whereabouts and your reasons and get a finished PDF to print.

Fill in leave request More in the guide (German)

Frequently asked questions about the ankle monitor (EM)

Briefly explained – without warranty and without legal advice.

What is electronically monitored house arrest (EM)?

With electronically monitored house arrest, convicted persons serve their prison sentence at home instead of in prison, under certain conditions. Compliance is monitored with an electronic ankle tag. In Austria, EM is supported by the NEUSTART association.

🆕 Important legal change — as of 1 September 2025:

With the amendment BGBl. I Nr. 25/2025, the maximum sentence duration for electronically monitored house arrest was raised from 12 to 24 months. Note: The original BMJ PDF „Informationen Seite 5" still shows the old limit (12 months) — that information is outdated.

Binding wording in the German original version (§ 156c Abs. 1 Z 1 StVG): „Der Vollzug einer zeitlichen Freiheitsstrafe in Form des elektronisch überwachten Hausarrests ist auf Antrag des Strafgefangenen oder auf Grund eines schon vor Strafantritt zulässigen Antrags des Verurteilten zu bewilligen, wenn die zu verbüßende oder noch zu verbüßende Strafzeit 24 Monate, bei Verurteilungen nach den §§ 75, 76, 87, 107b Abs. 3a Z 3, 143 Abs. 2, 201, 202, 205, 205a, 206, 207, 207a, 207b, 278b, 278c, 278d, 278e, 278f oder 278g StGB zwölf Monate, nicht übersteigt oder nach sinngemäßer Anwendung des § 145 Abs. 2 voraussichtlich nicht übersteigen wird …

Source: § 156c StVG — Austrian Federal Legal Information System (RIS) · BGBl. I Nr. 25/2025

👥 Who may fill out the application?

The application does not have to be filled out by the applicant personally — a trusted person, relative, acquaintance or lawyer may also do this. However, the applicant must sign the application personally. If the applicant is already in custody, the signature can be obtained at the next visit to the prison. Only the PDF personally signed by the applicant may be submitted to the responsible authority.

What appears on my bank statement?

Payment is processed by our payment provider Mollie. Your card or account statement shows the designation “EüH-Antragsassistent” – the name of this website does not appear there, and there is no reference to a prison. The exact wording is assigned by the payment provider and your bank; it may change. If it matters to you exactly what appears there, please write to us beforehand.

Up to what sentence length is the ankle monitor possible?

EM is generally available for a sentence to be served of no more than 24 months (what counts is the sentence still to be served — including the time left after a likely conditional release at half or at two thirds of the term). For certain serious violent and sexual offences as well as terrorism, a limit of 12 months applies. The competent authority decides on each application individually.

What does electronically monitored house arrest cost?

A cost contribution of no more than 22 euros per day is foreseen. The contribution can be reduced in case of financial hardship. No costs apply during pre-trial detention.

Is my data stored?

No. The application assistant processes all entries locally in your browser only. No data is sent to or stored on a server. As soon as you close the page, your entries are deleted.

Is this an official service of the Ministry of Justice?

No. Fussfessel-hilfe.at is an independent, private filling-in aid and not an official service of the Ministry of Justice. No legal advice is provided; the official ministry forms are used unchanged.

Ankle tag, ankle monitor, house arrest or day release – what is meant?

In everyday language, electronically monitored house arrest (EM) is often simply called „tag“, „ankle tag“, „ankle monitor“, „house arrest“ or – not quite correctly – „day release“. Usually the same thing is meant: serving your sentence at home with an electronic ankle tag. The official term is „electronically monitored house arrest“ (EM). True day release is legally a different form of relaxed detention, but in everyday speech the terms are often used interchangeably.

Important note: Fussfessel-hilfe.at is an independent technical filling-in aid and does not replace legal or official advice. There is no entitlement to approval of the application.
All information without warranty.

Questions about your application?

Write to us if anything is unclear.

Email info@fussfessel-hilfe.at