Imagine reaching your academic goals while having the best time of your life at the heart of Europe. That’s what Austria can give you. You can benefit from its world-class education and high quality of life. It also provides international students the opportunity to learn its culture, traditions, and languages.
The country offers the perfect blend of work, play, and relaxation. If you have the right paperwork, you can even explore its neighboring Schengen countries. Check out the documents and steps to apply for a student visa in Austria below.
What documents do you need to apply for a student visa in Austria?
Here is the list of documents you need to apply for a student visa in Austria:
- Visa D Application form, completed and signed
- Passport, valid at least three months after leaving the country, with at least 2 blank pages, and issued within the last 10 years
- Passport-sized photos, correctly formatted
- Confirmation or notification of your admission to an Austrian university
- Proof of sufficient funds to cover your living costs for the entire duration of visa validity
- Proof of accommodation
- Proof of travel health insurance, with at least $35,000 coverage
- Flight reservation
- Proof of family or economic ties in your home country (e.g., proof of being a student)
How much money do you need for an Austria Student Visa?
Application for the Austrian student visa is free of charge. However, you’ll need to provide proof of sufficient funds when you apply for the Austrian student visa. If you’re below 24 years old, you need to show proof that you have at least $600 per month. For those over 24 years old, the financial requirement to apply for visa is $1,100 per month. So, if you’re applying for a Visa D valid for one year, you need to have the funds for the entire year.
To serve as proof that you have these funds, you can submit documentation of your savings or bank account that is accessible in Austria. Also, a Declaration of Guarantee can work if you have a sponsor living in Austria. You can also present proof that you purchased traveler’s cheques for these amounts. Lastly, you can provide a confirmation of grant or scholarship if your studies in Austria are funded by these. On the other hand, you might need to prove additional funding if your monthly accommodation costs exceed $350.
Besides living costs, you also need to prepare for your tuition fees and related costs. If you’re from EU or EEA countries, you need not pay tuition in public universities. Otherwise, the average tuition fees are around $850 per semester. As for private universities, tuition ranges between $3,500 to $27,000 per year.
Check Also: Programs in Europe for International Students
Steps on Applying for a Student Visa in Austria
1. Confirm Admission at University
Before you can start processing your entry to Austria, getting accepted at an accredited university there is a crucial first step. Confirmation of admission at an Austrian higher education institution is among the requirements to apply for the visa.
In some cases, you might need to take an entrance examination before getting accepted at a university. For this, the university will provide you a conditional notification of admission. You can already use this to apply for a resident permit and study visa, so you can fly to Austria and take your examination.
These Austrian student visa and resident permits are only valid until you can take the test and confirm your admission to the university. If you’re successful on the entrance examination, you’ll need to present additional requirements to get the student visa and resident permit appropriate for the duration of your studies.
2. Apply for Residence Permit – Student
Unlike other countries in the European Union, Austria requires international students to apply for a resident permit first. This can be an efficient process since some countries are exempted from the visa requirement. You can check here if your home country is one of the visa-free countries in Austria. If so, you can already enter Austria and apply for a resident permit at the residence authorities there. On the other hand, applicants from non-visa-free countries need to apply for a resident permit at an Austrian embassy or consulate in their home country.
For both cases, here is the list of requirements for a resident permit:
- Accomplished and signed application form
- Passport
- Proof of sufficient financial means (similar with visa D application)
- Declaration of regular expenses
- Proof of accommodation in Austria
- Proof health insurance
If this is your first time applying for a residence permit, you might also need to provide these supporting documents:
- Copy of all your passport pages
- Birth certificate or any equivalent document
- Police clearance from your home country, issued within the last three months of application
- Confirmation or notification of admission at an Austrian educational institution
Application for a residence permit can take up to 90 days.
3. Prepare Documents for Student Visa Application
Most of the documents you will need for your Austrian student visa application are similar to your resident permit application. Considering this, you can already prepare these along with your resident permit requirements. So, as soon as you’re granted the residence permit, you can apply for a student visa D right away.
4. Submit Application to Austrian Representative in Your Country
You can use the official website of the Federal Ministry Republic of Austria to search for their representations in your home country. Simply select your country name from the drop-down list and click on search. It will show you the list of locations, with addresses, phone numbers, emails, and websites. You can even confirm the consular services available at selected representation.
Once you get the contact information of the Austrian representative in your home country, confirm if you need to set an appointment to submit your application. You’ll need to do this in person so make sure to bring your complete documents.
5. Wait For Visa Application Result
Depending on the completeness of your documents, an application can take up to four weeks. Although, it is more ideal to start your Austrian student application at the earliest six months prior to your departure to Austria. In some cases, the embassy or consulate might ask you for additional requirements that can take time to provide.
6. Register at the Registration Office and Collect Your Residence Permit
Once your visa is approved, you can finally go to Austria and enter its borders. Within three days of your arrival, you’ll need to go to the registration office near your accommodation. You will need your registration there to collect your residence permit from a residence authority. The residence permit comes in a card format which you need to bring with you at all times.
I hope this article on how to get a student visa in Austria was informative and insightful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe for International Students!
