Visa C or Visa D

Students who are going to stay in Austria for less than six months can apply for a Visa C (for stays of up to 90 days) or for a Visa D (for stays of from 91 days up to a maximum of 6 months) at the competent Austrian representative authority in their country of residence. These visas are free of charge.

If you are going to stay for less than 90 days/three months, you do not need a visa if you are entitled to enter Austria without a visa.

A Visa C permits you to enter all Schengen countries and to stay in those countries for a total period of 90 days within 180 days provided that you fulfil the general entry conditions.

A Visa D entitles you to enter and stay in Austria. It can be granted for a duration of 91 days up to 6 months. Holders of a Visa D also enjoy freedom of movement to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days provided that they fulfil the general entry conditions.

You have to apply for the visa in person at the competent Austrian representative authority (embassy, consulate with power to issue visa) in your country of residence before travelling to Austria. The visa will then be issued by that authority.

In the checklist you will find a list of all documents that are required for an application.

If you are already staying in the Schengen area with a residence title of another Schengen country, you may only apply for an Austrian visa at the Austrian representative authorities in Bratislava, Ljubljana or Munich.

You may apply for the visa at the competent representative authority at the earliest six months before your planned travel date. You should not apply later than 15 calendar days before your planned stay.

Processing times may vary regionally or seasonally (e.g. due to keen demand). As an orientation we recommend that you apply for the visa at least four weeks before intending to enter Austria.

Important information for US and Canadian exchange students / Fulbright scholarship holders

In principle a travel health insurance must be taken out to enter Austria with a visa (and for the whole duration of your stay).
Please note that this insurance must be valid in Austria and provide sufficient cover for various health issues (insurance cover well over 30,000 Euro including guarantee to cover possible recovery and repatriation costs and costs for treatment of the COVID-19 disease).

see "Conditions for the granting of a visa"

You are not permitted to engage in gainful employment or self-employment during a visa-free stay or a stay within the scope of a Visa C or D described above.
A special visa is always required for taking up gainful employment (Visa C or D with the addendum "Erwerb"). This also applies to unpaid employment (e.g. voluntary work or internships).

A work permit or a confirmation of notification may be required for taking up gainful employment, which must be applied for by the employer at the AMS ("Arbeitsmarktservice").

In principle it is not possible to apply for a visa in Austria nor to have it renewed/extended. Once the visa expires you have to – unless you have been granted a residence title – leave the Schengen area.

Under certain circumstances you may be entitled to apply for a residence title (e.g. for a "Residence Permit – Student") at the competent residence authority in Austria.

Please note, however, that the application for a residence title does not permit you to overstay the period of residence defined in your visa.

Family members* can also apply for a Visa C or a Visa D at the competent Austrian representative authority (embassy, consulate with power to issue visa) in their country of residence.

If family members - based on their nationality - are entitled to enter Austria without requiring a visa, they are allowed to stay in Austria without a visa for up to 90 days/three months within a time period of 180 days (Japanese nationals up to six months in Austria only).

Working in Austria is not permitted without a visa for gainful employment.

You have to register within three working days of arrival in Austria with the registration office at your place of residence.
A registration with the registration office is not needed if you reside in a tourist accommodation (e.g., hotel, guest house, campsite, private room, AirBnB) for a maximum of 2 months.

You have to enclose photocopies of the following documents with the personally signed application form and additionally show the originals:

• Visa C
• Visa D
• Valid travel document, which must be valid until at least three months after leaving the Schengen territory; the travel document must contain at least two empty pages and it must have been issued within the past ten years
• Passport-sized photograph according to the ICAO criteria (colour photograph, size 3.5 x 4.5 cm)
• Notification/confirmation of admission of the Austrian higher education institution
• Proof of sufficient financial means to cover the living costs for the planned duration of the visa. The funds have to be in a savings book or bank account that must bear the applicant’s name and be accessible from Austria.
  An alternative possibility would be a declaration of guarantee (or an Electronic Declaration of Guarantee) of a legal entity or a person living in Austria, the purchase of traveller’s cheques or a confirmation of the award of a scholarship.
• Upon request you should be able to prove the origin of the funds (possibly also by means of appropriate evidence).

• Proof of accommodation in Austria (e.g., booking of a room in a student hall of residence or confirmation of having accommodation, accommodation agreement ["Wohnrechtsvereinbarung"])
• Proof of appropriate travel health insurance (insurance cover at least 30,000 Euro, including guarantee to cover possible recovery and repatriation costs and costs for treatment of the COVID-19 disease; the insurance must be valid in the whole Schengen area) for the planned duration of your stay in Austria.
• Flight, bus or train reservation
• Proof of family ties and/or economic ties with the home country (e.g., proof of employment, proof of being a student there, spouse, children, etc.)