Austria

Information for all students

Students should ensure that their passports are signed and stamped when entering and exiting Border Control. These stamps will prove the duration of your visit and, more importantly, prove to the visa official that you have not overstayed your 90-day visit.

It is important to understand the Schengen 90/180 rule. You are allocated 90 visa-free days to use within the Schengen Zone, however you must remember these are rolling days and are added onto a cumulative total of days in the Schengen region. Leaving and entering does not reset your calculator – only leaving for a period of 90 days in a non-Schengen country will reset your visa-free 90-day allowance.

Read more about the Schengen rules.

If you're a British student, you may need to renew your passport. On the day you travel to Austria, you’ll need your passport to:

• have at least 3 months validity remaining from the date that you intend to leave the EU
• be less than 10 years old (even if it has 6 months or more left)

It is strongly recommended that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after your entry date to Austria. In many cases, this will save you from having to prove your intended leave date.

Please see the table below for an overview of the entry and residence options for studying in Austria.

Studying for less than 3 months

Depending upon nationality, students studying in Austria for 90 days or less can do so without a visa. To determine if you can travel to Austria without a visa please see the list of non-visa required countries on the Austrian Consulate.

A visa C entitles non-EU/non-EEA students to stay in Austria (and in all other Schengen countries) for a maximum of 90 days.

Since the UK is visa exempt,UK students are allowed to enter Austria without a visa.

EU Students do not need a visa to enter, reside, work or study in Austria. However, you should bring the following with you:

• proof of financial means
• valid health insurance

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your visa C, you must gather the following documents:

• fully completed visa application form
• valid passport, with at least two blank pages
• copy of thepassport's bio data page
• copy of UK Residence Permit (if applicable)
• copies of any previous Schengen visas (over the last 3 years)
• 1 passport-size photograph
• insurance certificate for all-risk medical travel insurance
• proof of confirmed transportation
• proof of accommodation in Austria (e.g.: hotel booking)
• recent UK bank statement
• proof of financial support (if supported by spouse, parent(s), etc.)
• recent, official, signed letter from UK school, college or university

Your medical travel insurance must:

• cover up to EUR 30,000
• cover the entirety of your stay in Austria
• be valid for all Schengen countries
• cover repatriation
• cover winter sport (if travelling between November and April)
• include COVID-19 cover

Your proof of financial support from another party may take one of the below forms:

• recent, official, signed letter from current employer (if employed)
• recent letter from accountant, banker or solicitor (if self-employed)

Your recent, official, signed letter from your UK school, college or university must state

• the date of issue (must be no older than 10 days)
• your name
• the type of studies
• the number of lessons (hours) per week
• your attendance record

Discover detailed information about the Schengen visa application requirements.

Please note, some documents must be translated and legalised.

Find further information on the Federal Ministry Republic of Austria website.

How to apply

You may only apply for a visa at your nearest Austrian representative authority (Embassy, Consulate general) before travelling to Austria.

The Austrian Embassy in the UK has outsourced its visa services to the external service provider VFS Global. Please be informed that all applications continue to be assessed by the Austrian Embassy London.

After you have successfully booked your appointment, the application must be lodged at the respective visa centres or directly at the Austrian Embassy London. Please be aware that the Embassy opens up very few appointments and these are taken up very fast. Please write an email and book an appointment at the Embassy as soon as possible.

Discover further instructions on how to apply and book your appointment.

Studying for 3–6 months

UK Students studying in Austria for a duration of at least 91 days up to a maximum of 6 months should apply for a visa D.

A visa D is a specific long-term stay (up to 6 months) that covers the following activities:

• research (with hosting agreement acc. § 67 NAG)
• seasonal labour
• intern students (1 semester)
• working holiday (for nationals of New Zealand)

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your visa D, you must gather the following documents:

• valid passport
• copy of your valid passport
• Residence Permit
• any previous Schengen visas (within the last 3 years)
• 1 recent photograph, in accordance with the international standards as set out in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (no older than 6 months)
• acceptance letter or contract or confirmation from the Labour Market Service
• proof of financial means (e.g.: bank statement covering the last 3 months)
• proof of accommodation for the entirety of your stay in Austria (e.g.: a rental agreement)
• travel insurance covering the entirety of your stay in Austria
• flight reservations
• student letter/employment letter

Discover detailed information about the Schengen Visa Application requirements.

Please note, some documents must be translated and legalised.

Find further information on the Federal Ministry Republic of Austria website.

How to apply

All visa D applications must be submitted at the Austrian Embassy in London. Please send an email to secure an appointment at the Embassy. Visa D applications can only be submitted three months prior to your departure date.

Please be aware that fingerprints will be taken from every applicant 12 years and over.

Studying for 6–12 months

UK students studying for at least 181 days up to a maximum of 12 months should apply for a Visa D (with Residence Permit). Upon entry students can apply for a residence permit for study purposes ("Aufenthaltsbewilligung – Student"), however, it is advisable to obtain the residence permit before entering Austria to ensure legal compliance, which entitles you to stays for more than 6 months.

UK students and 'visa-free' students can apply for a Residence Permit directly in Austria, having entered during their 90 visa-free days (within 180 days).

Discover further information regarding a visa D for Austria.

Gather your documents

In order to apply for a Residence Permit, you will need to gather the following documents:

• signed application form
• valid travel document
• passport-sized photograph (no older than 6 months)
• proof of sufficient financial means (for 12 months in advance)

Your proof of sufficient financial means must be in a (foreign) savings book or (foreign) bank account bearing your name. Your chosen account must be accessible from Austria.

Please note, If the costs for accommodation exceed EUR 309.93 per month, you must prove you have additional funds. You must also have proof of sufficient funds for the necessary health insurance.

Other accepted proofs of sufficient financial means include:

• declaration of guarantee ('Haftungserklärung' of person residing in the EU)
• purchase of traveller’s cheques
• confirmation of the award of a scholarship
• source of income (e.g.: savings, sale of an apartment/house, inheritance, etc.)
• bank statement showing the last 6 months (including payments into the account, payment orders, etc.)
• proof of employment (employment contract, plus the last 6 pay slips and proof of payment of the salary OR trade licence, plus last tax assessment)
• confirmation of sales contract, loan agreement, etc.
• bank statement showing the last 6 months of your sponsor's account (parent(s), spouse, etc.)
• declaration of regular expenses (e.g.: loans, maintenance payments or other financial burdens)
• proof of accommodation in Austria for a minimum of 3 months (e.g.: rental agreement, accommodation contract with a student hall of residence, accommodation agreement ('Wohnrechtsvereinbarung'), etc.)
• proof of the required funds to cover living costs (this calculation is based on the presented costs for your chosen accommodation)
• proof of health insurance
• copy of valid passport (all pages)
• birth certificate or equivalent document (legalised and translated)
• police clearance certificate from your country of residence and/or origin (no older than 3 months; legalised and translated)
• notification/confirmation of admission from the relevant Austrian higher education institution
• proof of travel health insurance

If your proof of financial means comes from a sponsor, you must also provide the following:

• sponsor declaration that the provided funds are at your disposal, as well as confirmation on where the money comes from (e.g.: savings, loan, etc.)
• proof of sponsor employment (if employed, provide the employment contract, last 6 payslips and proof of payment of the salary; if self-employed, provide the trade licence plus last tax assessment)

Your travel insurance must:

• cover costs of at least EUR 30,000
• cover the entirety of your stay in Austria
• be valid for all Schengen countries
• cover possible recovery and repatriation costs
• include COVID-19 cover

Discover the full checklist of required documents.

It is recommended to submit all foreign documents in the German language.

Foreign documents and proofs (e.g. birth certificate, police clearance certificate, etc.) must be legalised, according to all applicable regulations. They must also be translated into the German language by a sworn and court-certified interpreter.

Documents issued by authorities of a member state of the EU only need to be translated if the authority has not attached a multilingual form (this will be issued by the authority of the EU member state).

How to apply

All visa D applications must be submitted at the Austrian Embassy in London. You must apply for your Residence Permit at the Embassy in person. The documents will then be sent by official courier (every fortnight) to the processing domestic authority.

While you can apply in Austria, the successful outcome of your application must be given to you within your 90 visa free days. If you are nearing your 90 day limit and you have not received a decision on your final day, you will need to leave Austria and the Schengen area.

Discover further information regarding residency and visa D applications, as well as the Schengen visa application requirements.

Please note, some documents must be translated and legalised.

Find further information on the Federal Ministry Republic of Austria website.

Upon arrival

Students should apply for a Residence Permit directly in Austria during their visa-free stay of 90 days (within 180 days). You must apply at the relevant authority responsible for the area where you intend to live ('Magistrat' or 'Bezirkshauptmannschaft').

Regardless of your nationality, if you are staying in Austria for more than 3 months you have to register (Anmeldebescheinigung) with the competent municipal authority (Magistrat, Bezirkshauptmannschaft) within 3 working days of arrival.

Overview of work visas

The table shows some of the most popular internship/work options for UK/non-EU/non-EEA students.

Unpaid internship	no renumeration  up to 3 months no work permit required confirmation authorising employment ("Anzeigebestatigung") for the internship when third- country nationals serving as interns needed
Paid internship	up to 3 months  Visa C with gainful employment needed
Paid internship	over 90 days and up to 6 months  Visa D with gainful employment needed
Paid internship	Over 6 months and up to 1 year = Residence Permit for Special cases of Gainful Employment Aufenthaltsbewilligung - Sonderfälle unselbständiger Erwerbstätigkeit

Working for up to 3 months

If you hold a passport from one of the following countries, you do not require a visa to work, study or live in Austria:

• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway
• Switzerland
• other EEA countries
• other EU member states

UK students can complete the following activities during their 90 days visa-free allowance:

• tourism
• visiting family and friends
• business travel
• short-term education/study

For paid work placements, British/non-EU/non-EEA students must apply for a visa C for gainful employment. This allows entry to all Schengen countries and enables you to stay in those countries for a total period of up to 90 days (within 180 days). You must also fulfil the general entry conditions.

Prior to gaining employment and applying for your visa in Austria, your employer must apply for a work permit. Your employer has to submit your work permit at the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice/AMS) before you begin working.

If you have a student Residence Permit, you will be able to get a permit for working for up to 20 hours per week. This permit will be granted without a labour market check.

Gather your documents

In order to apply for your work permit, you must gather the following documents:

• signed application form (visa C or visa D)
• valid travel document
• passport-sized photograph, taken according to the ICAO criteria (colour photograph, size 3.5 x 4.5 cm)
• declaration of liability of a research institution, owned to an extent of at least 50% by a public body or certified research institution
• proof of appropriate travel health insurance

Your valid travel document must:

• exceed the validity period of your visa by at least 3 months
• contain at least 2 empty pages
• have been issued within the last 10 years

Your travel health insurance must:

• cover costs of at least EUR 30,000
• cover the entirety of your stay in Austria OR the period before your statutory insurance kicks in
• be valid for all Schengen countries
• cover possible recovery and repatriation costs
• include COVID-19 cover

If you already have statutory insurance (insurance connected with your employment), you will need to prove this when applying for your visa/work permit.

How to apply

Students should gather their relevant documents and apply for the visa at the competent representative authority six months before your planned travel date.

Visas can only be applied for at your nearest Austrian representative authority (Embassy, Consulate-General) before travelling to Austria.

The Austrian Embassy in the United Kingdom has outsourced its visa services to the external service provider VFS Global. Please be informed that all applications continue to be assessed by the Austrian Embassy London.

After you have successfully booked your appointment, you must lodge your application at the respective visa centres or directly at the Austrian Embassy London. Please be aware that the Embassy opens up very few appointments and these are taken up very fast. Please write an email and book an appointment at the Embassy.

Austria maintains three representations in the United Kingdom, as well as the Embassy in London. Individuals interested in obtaining an Austrian visa, whether short-term or long-term, will need to apply in-person at the Austrian Embassy in London via email: london-ob@bmeia.gv.at

Working for 6–12 months

UK/non-EU/non-EEA students working in Austria for 6–12 months must apply for a visa D for gainful employment. This is called 'Aufenthaltsbewilligung Sonderfälle unselbstständiger Erwerbstätigkeit'.

In addition to the visa, you will also need confirmation issued by the Austrian Public Employment Service.

Gather your documents

In order to apply for a visa D and declaration of gainful employment, you must gather the following documents:

• visa D application form
• 1 photograph taken according to ICAO guidelines (no older than 6 months)
• valid passport
• copy of the passport's bio data page
• UK bank statement and credit card statements for the last 3 months (balance must be no older than 7 days)
• AMS work permit
• proof of accommodation in Austria
• proof of transportation to Austria and back to the UK
• travel health insurance
• prepaid (special delivery) envelope (if you cannot pick your passport up in person and need it returned via post)

Your valid travel document must:

• exceed the validity period of your visa by at least 3 months
• contain at least 2 blank pages
• have been issued within the last 10 years

Your travel health insurance must:

• be valid for all Schengen countries
• have a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000
• cover illnesses arising from COVID-19

If you are employed in the UK, you must provide your payslips from the last 3 months and a recent, official signed letter from your employer, which includes:

• your name
• name and position of signatory
• date of issue
• address
• recent telephone number
• email address
• website address
• registration number in the UK

If you are a UK student, you must provide a recent, official, signed letter from your UK school, college or university, stating:

• date of issue (no older than 10 days)
• your name
• type of studies
• number of lessons (hours) per week
• your attendance record

It is recommended all foreign documents are submitted in the German language except when submitting English language documents.

Foreign documents and proofs (e.g.: birth certificate, police clearance certificate) must be legalised, according to the applicable regulations. They must also be translated into the German language by a sworn and court-certified interpreter.

Upon arrival

You must register your arrival in Austria within three working days. Please do so at the registration office of your place of residence.

Registration is not required if you reside in tourist accommodation (e.g.: hotel, guest house, campsite, private room, AirBnB, etc.) up to a maximum of 2 months.

In order to collect your Residence Permit from the competent residence authority in Austria, you must show the residence registration ('Meldezettel') and the final admission at the Austrian university. You may also be required to show further documents at the request of the residence authority.

Please inform the competent residence authority in Austria in the case of loss or theft of the Residence Permit as soon as possible, together with a notice of loss (lost property office) or the theft report (police).

Discover further information about Residence Permits in Austria.

Unpaid internship ('Volontariat')

Trainees are defined as 'persons who are employed for up to three months per calendar year for the sole purpose of acquiring practical knowledge and skills, without commitment to work and without any right to remuneration'.

An intern is a person who studies towards a university degree in a third country or who has earned a university degree no more than two years before and is employed in an appropriately qualified job. This employment must exist within the framework of a study-related internship agreement to acquire knowledge and experience in a professional environment.

In the case of an unpaid internship or trainee programme, no work permit is required. However, the employer must notify the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice/AMS) and the tax authorities at least three weeks before the beginning of the employment.

In the case of a favourable decision the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice/AMS) will issue a confirmation of notification.

If you are a UK/non-EU/non-EEA student working as an intern for a period of 91–180 days in Austria, you will require a visa D for interns with gainful employment approval.

A confirmation issued by the AMS may not be required if the internship is promoted by Erasmus+.

If your internship requires a visa, the Embassy or Consulate official may demand to see this confirmation. For this reason, Newcastle University recommends you apply for your confirmation regardless of whether your internship is funded by Erasmus+ or another provider.

If you already have an Austrian visa D or Residence Permit, you may also apply for the visa D for interns in Austria at the police headquarters of the relevant federal province.

Please note, Newcastle University cannot guarantee that the information on the country-specific pages is up to date. The information is taken from various sources which is copied here as an informational convenience only. The university does not endorse or approve the information and is in no way responsible for the accuracy, legality or content.

Global Opportunities strongly encourages students and staff to continuously check the UK Government's foreign travel advice for the latest updates on entry restrictions and requirements. You should also check the information provided to the UK by the Austrian Embassy.

British Council – Language Assistantships

Assistants travelling to Austria who do not have an EU passport or pre-existing Austrian residency must apply for a Residence Permit ('Aufenthaltstitel').

UK students should enter Austria as a tourist, using the 90 visa-free days allowance. No entry visa is required, however, you must ensure you have enough visa-free days remaining to enter Austria and apply for the Residence Permit.

Your passport must be valid 6 months beyond the end of your assistantship. It must also have been issued within the last ten years (even if it has six months or more left).

Applications for Residence Permits must be made at the Austrian Embassy in London in July.

Please note, you cannot work in any other capacity other than aa a Language Asssistant with your Residence Permit.