Travel & Health insurance

The chairmen and organisers strongly advise participants to take out insurance to cover the loss incurred in case of cancellation (registration fees, travel, accommodation, and other costs), medical expenses and damage to or loss of personal effects.

COVID-19

By registering for the ECFG16, you agree to comply with the local (Innsbruck, Austria) COVID-19 measures in place at the time of the event. This includes any stipulations regarding being vaccinated, mask wearing and social distancing. The chairmen and organisers will accommodate all local regulations as part of the setup of the event.

If you need a COVID-19 test (PCR), please refer to the following laboratory:

Medical Laboratory Priv.-Doz. Dr. Igor Theurl, PhD, Franz-Fischer-Str. 7b I 6020 Innsbruck
Opening hours: MO - FR 07:00 - 15:00 without an appointment (ATTENTION: After 03:00 pm the laboratory is closed, no more results will be provided)
The costs are EUR 60,00 per person and can be paid in cash or by credit card.
Turn Around Time: 5 hours

ATTENTION FOR PARTICIPANTS FROM CHINA: For China, a "medical certificate" is required in addition to the result, which is ONLY accepted if it is collected in person directly from the laboratory.

VISA REQUIREMENTS

Austria is part of the Schengen Area. Citizens of EU member states, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland do not need a visa for entering the Republic of Austria. Nationals of other countries might require a visa in order to enter the Schengen Area or the Austrian territory. All important information and application for visa forms can be found on the dedicated webpage of the Austrian Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs.

LANGUAGE

The language spoken in Austria is German, most people also speak at least one other language (English, Italien, French, etc.).
The official language of the ECFG16 is English. No simultaneous interpretation facilities will be provided during the conference.

TIME ZONE in INNSBRUCK

Innsbruck operates in CET (Central European Time) UTC/GMT +1 hour.

WHEATER

March

March is a rather tricky month when it comes to the weather. I can be really warm and sunny but snowfall is also possible. The average minimum temperature in Innsbruck in March is 1.0°C (33.8°F) but the temperature can rise up to 15 - 20 °C (around 60 °F). In any way, bring a warm jacket and shoes because during the night it can cool down significantly. Statistically it is a rather sunny month with an everage of 165 hours of sunshine during the whole month.

Electricity

MONEY and CURRENCY

The currency unit in Austria is the EURO.  Almost everywhere you can pay with Credit card. Visa and MasterCard are the most commonly accepted credit cards, with far fewer accepting American Express or Diners. If in doubt, ask before doing a purchase.

Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 1.086 USD (as of 31 January 2023) For up-to-date information, please refer to the Universal Currency Converter.

EMERGENCY

The emergency numbers can be called free of charge from any phone in Austria. In the event of traffic accidents, fire or other situations, emergency services should be contacted immediately on the European emergency number: 112. The police can be contacted by calling 133 and fire department by 122. For an ambulance service please call 144.