Student Visa For Austria: Application Essentials

If you're planning to study in Austria, you'll need to apply for a student visa. The process can be started once you've received your enrolment certificate from a state-accredited Austrian university. You'll also need to provide proof of sufficient knowledge of the German language, and for courses longer than six months, you'll need an approved Austrian student residence permit. The Austrian study visa requirements include having a valid passport, confirmation of your place at an Austrian higher education institution, and travel health insurance.

Enrolment at an Austrian university

If your course is longer than six months, you will need an approved Austrian student residence permit before you can apply for a student visa. You can apply for a student residence permit at your local Austrian embassy or consulate. You will also need to submit your visa application online and schedule a visa appointment.

To apply for a student visa, you will need to gather the necessary documents and get them translated into German and legalised. This includes a passport valid for a minimum of three months after your arrival, with at least two blank pages, issued in the last ten years; two recent passport-sized photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm dimensions; a confirmation letter from an Austrian higher education institution; a rental agreement or booking confirmation of stay; and travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 in the Schengen countries.

If you are a student from a visa-requiring third country who does not yet have a confirmed study place, you must apply for a "study applicant visa". It is recommended that you start the application process at least six months before your departure if you need both a student residence permit and a visa. The processing time for an Austrian student visa is typically around 15 working days, but it may be extended to 30 to 60 working days if additional documentation is required.

Proof of German language proficiency

To apply for a student visa in Austria, you must first be enrolled at an Austrian university. You will also need to provide proof of sufficient knowledge of the German language.

The Goethe Certificate C1 is recognised as proof of language skills for studying at numerous (technical) universities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) is responsible for issuing German certificates. The ÖIF website contains information on course materials, sample examinations, recognised German language institutes and test dates.

To prove your German language proficiency, you can submit a generally recognised language diploma from an institution designated by the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. The language diploma must not be more than one year old at the time of submission.

If you are a minor (under 14 years old) at the time of application, you are exempt from providing proof of German language proficiency. You are also exempt if you cannot be expected to provide proof owing to your physical or mental health. In this case, you must provide an official medical report or an opinion from a medical officer of an Austrian professional representative authority.

Valid passport

To apply for a student visa in Austria, you must first receive an enrolment certificate from a state-accredited Austrian university. You can then start your student visa application. The Austrian study visa requirements include having a passport that is valid for a minimum of three months after your arrival, with at least two blank pages, and issued in the last 10 years. You will also need to provide two recent passport-sized photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm dimensions, a confirmation letter from an Austrian higher education institution, a rental agreement or booking confirmation of your stay, and travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 in the Schengen countries. If your course is longer than six months, you will need an approved Austrian student residence permit before you can apply for a student visa. The Visa C (Schengen visa for short-term study purposes) allows students to stay in Austria for up to 90 days for short-term study programs, such as language courses or summer schools. Citizens of non-EU countries who are exempt from visa requirements due to an agreement are not required to apply for a visa. A list of visa-free countries has been compiled by the Austrian Exchange Service.

Residence permit

To apply for a student visa in Austria, you must first obtain an enrolment certificate from a state-accredited Austrian university. If your course is longer than six months, you will also need to apply for an approved Austrian student residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student) before you can apply for a student visa.

Students from visa-requiring third countries who do not yet have a confirmed study place must apply for a 'study applicant visa'. Those from visa-requiring third countries who are staying for less than three months must apply for a C-visa (Schengen visa). Citizens of non-EU countries who are exempt from visa requirements do not need to apply for a visa.

To apply for a student residence permit, you must gather the necessary documents and have them translated into German and legalised. You can then apply at your local Austrian embassy or consulate. You will also need to submit your visa application online and schedule a visa appointment. The processing time for an Austrian student visa is typically around 15 working days, but this may be extended to 30 to 60 working days if additional documentation is required.

For many study programs in Austria, you must provide proof of sufficient knowledge of the German language.

Visa interview

To apply for a student visa in Austria, you must first receive an enrolment certificate from a state-accredited Austrian university. You should then gather the necessary documents, including:

• A passport valid for a minimum of 3 months after your arrival, with at least 2 blank pages, issued in the last 10 years
• Two recent passport-sized photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm dimensions
• A confirmation letter from an Austrian higher education institution
• A rental agreement or booking confirmation of stay
• Travel health insurance with a minimum coverage of €30,000 in the Schengen countries

You should also get these documents translated into German and legalised. If your course is longer than 6 months, you will need an approved Austrian student residence permit before you can apply for a student visa. If your course is shorter than 6 months, you will need a Visa C (Schengen visa for short-term study purposes), which allows students to stay in Austria for up to 90 days.

Once you have gathered your documents, you can apply for a student residence permit at your local Austrian embassy or consulate, and submit your visa application online. You will then need to attend a visa interview and pay the visa fee. The processing time for an Austrian student visa is typically around 15 working days, but it may be extended to 30-60 working days if additional documentation is required.

If you are a student from a visa-requiring third country who does not yet have a confirmed study place, you must apply for a "study applicant visa".

Frequently asked questions