Anchor
Austria's headscarf ban for under-14s takes effect as schools reopen
Rule ChangesSecond attempt to ban the hijab in Austrian schools, after the first was struck down in 2020
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Overview
Updated 58 minutes agoThe first school day in Vienna now includes checks for headscarves. Austria's ban on hijabs for girls under 14 took effect as classes resumed in the east of the country, with fines up to €800 for repeat violations.
This is Austria's second attempt at such a ban. Its highest court struck down a 2019 primary-school version in 2020 for breaching religious neutrality, and a fresh legal challenge reached the same court on day one. The outcome will shape whether similar laws survive across Europe.
Why it matters
Austria's highest court struck down one hijab ban in 2020. This second law may decide whether school hijab bans survive anywhere in Europe.
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Key Indicators
€150–€800
Fines per parent for violations
Guardians face fines if a girl keeps wearing a headscarf after repeated warnings.
Under 14
Age limit for the ban
The law applies to girls below this age in all public and private schools.
2020
Year the previous ban was struck down
The Constitutional Court ruled the 2019 primary-school ban breached religious neutrality.
8
Girls who filed challenges so far
Five girls filed in March; two more and their mother filed on the first day of school.
Related Media
Austrian headscarf ban for under-14s faces first test as schools reopen | Reuters
Austria's Islamic headscarf ban in force as under-14s go back to school
School headscarf ban in Austria challenged in Constitutional Court | Daily Sabah
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People Involved
Organizations Involved
IC
Islamic Community in Austria (IGGÖ)
Religious representative body
Opposes the ban; funds legal challenges
The official body representing Muslims in Austria and the main organized opponent of the ban.
AC
Austrian Constitutional Court (VfGH)
Highest constitutional court
Holds the new individual application
Austria's highest court, which struck down the 2019 primary-school headscarf ban in 2020.
Austrian federal government
Government coalition
Enforcees the ban
Three-party coalition of the ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS that passed the headscarf ban in December 2025.
Timeline
December 2025 September 2026
5 events
Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date
-
Schools reopen; enforcement begins; new challenge filed
Today EnforcementClasses resume in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland. Two girls and their mother file a new constitutional application on day one.
-
Ban enters into force
LegalThe headscarf ban legally takes effect across all Austrian schools.
-
Constitutional Court rejects early challenges
Court rulingThe VfGH dismisses the March applications as inadmissible because the law is not yet in force.
-
First court challenges filed
LegalFive girls aged 9–12 and their parents submit individual applications to the Constitutional Court.
-
Parliament passes headscarf ban for under-14s
LegislationAustrian lawmakers approve the ban with fines from €150 to €800 for repeat violations.
Historical Context
3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
March 2004 – present
France's 2004 school headscarf ban
France banned conspicuous religious symbols, including hijabs, in public schools under its secularism doctrine (laïcité). The law has survived legal challenges for more than two decades.
Then
Thousands of students faced expulsion or left public schooling; most observed the ban.
Now
France became the reference model for school headscarf bans in Europe, with broad public acceptance and court survival.
Why this matters now
It is the closest existing example of a national school hijab ban that withstood legal review — the standard Austria's court must now weigh against its own stricter neutrality doctrine.
October 2010 – August 2018
European face-covering bans (France 2010, Denmark 2018)
France banned face coverings in public spaces, and Denmark followed in 2018. Both laws applied to all face veils (niqab, burqa) rather than targeting a single religion's practice explicitly.
Then
Fines and enforcement focused overwhelmingly on Muslim women; the laws drew international condemnation.
Now
European courts upheld blanket face-covering bans while signaling that laws singling out religious practice face tougher scrutiny.
Why this matters now
Austria's ban restricts one specific religious garment worn by under-14s — narrower than these laws, which is exactly the vulnerability opponents argue makes it unconstitutional.
May 2019 – December 2020
Austria's first headscarf ban, struck down (2019–2020)
Austria's parliament banned headscarves in primary schools, citing integration and child protection. The Constitutional Court struck the law down in December 2020, ruling it breached religious neutrality and treated one religious practice differently from others.
Then
The ban never effectively applied; Muslim families in affected states resumed schooling unchanged.
Now
The ruling established that Austria's constitution bars singling out Muslim head coverings in schools without an accepted justification.
Why this matters now
The new law is a direct second attempt, and opponents are citing the same 2020 ruling as precedent for why it must fail.
Sources
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