Visa-free entry for students

Students who are taking part in an Union or multilateral mobility programme (e.g. Erasmus+, OeAD scholarship) or for whom an agreement between two or more higher education institutions is in place and who are in possession of a valid residence title "Student" of another EU member country (except the Ireland and Denmark) are allowed to enter Austria without requiring a visa and to stay in Austria for up to 360 days.

see above

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

Further information regarding the topic "health insurance" can be found here.

see Requirements

If the above-mentioned requirements are fulfilled, you may carry out gainful employment within the same scope as with a "Residence Permit – Student" (a visa for gainful employment is not required).

This means that an occupation which is subject to the Act Governing Employment of Foreign Nationals may only be carried out with a work permit. The employer has to apply for this work permit at the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice/AMS) before the employee takes up the job. A work permit for an employed occupation that does not exceed 20 hours per week will be issued without a labour market check.

Further information about the topic "work in Austria" can be found here.

Should it turn out that your studies will last longer than 360 days, you may if you have been admitted to study at an Austrian higher education institution apply for a "Residence Permit – Student" at the locally competent residence authority in Austria. If all the necessary documents have been submitted, your application will be processed within 90 days; we nevertheless recommend that you apply as soon as possible after being aware of the extension of your study period as it is generally not possible to exceed the visa-free period of stay.

During their visa-free stay family members* of students have no derived right of residence from the student. They cannot apply for a derived visa or residence title either. They may, however, fulfil the requirements for a visa or residence title of their own.

For further information please see e.g. www.migration.gv.at.

* Spouses, partners in a civil union and unmarried minors. Spouses and partners in a civil union must be at least 21 years old at the time of application.

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.

Checklist for visa-free entry and visa-free stay for holders of a residence title "Student" of an EU member country who are taking part in an Union or multilateral mobility programme or for whom an agreement between two or more higher education institutions is in place:

• 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
• Valid residence title "Student" of another EU member country for the duration of the stay in Austria
• Confirmation of participation in an Union or multilateral mobility programme or an agreement between two or more higher education institutions
• Proof of appropriate travel health insurance (insurance cover at least EUR 30,000, 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 – unless you are going to take out student insurance ("Studierendenselbstversicherung").