Planning a vacation in Austria? Or perhaps you’re going there for Erasmus or for a business trip? Then you’re no doubt wondering whether you need a visa to be able to enter the country. We at Flatio understand that the visa process can seem complicated and even scary, so we thought we would make it a bit easier on you by putting together this article with some basic info about Austrian visa types and requirements. When you get to grips with how these things work, they tend to seem a lot less daunting!
Do I need a visa to visit Austria?
That depends on where you’re from. If you’re a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you do not need a visa to visit Austria – as you might already know. For everyone else, the situation is a bit more complex; nationals of certain countries (please visit this page for a full list) are visa-free if they stay in Austria for less than 90 days in any 180-day period and do not plan on finding a job there, but otherwise, you will need to obtain a visa.
How do I get an employment visa for Austria?
Want to move to Austria for a job, or planning on starting your own business there? If you’re an EU, EEA or Switzerland national, you’re clear, but if not, you’ll most likely have to get the Red-White-Red card, through which residence is granted based on the skills of potential incoming workers and the shortages in the Austrian labor market. It helps a lot to have an employment contract already, but besides that, you’ll also need:
- a valid passport/travel document
- your birth certificate
- proof of adequate financial support
- valid health insurance
- passport photo
- proof of planned accommodation
The whole process is quite complex, so we, unfortunately, cannot describe it fully here, but it is quite nicely laid down here.
How do I get a student visa for Austria?
Interested in studying in Austria? If you‘re not an EU, EEA or Switzerland national, you’ll most likely need a student visa. The exact type will differ based on how long you wish to stay there. If it’s no more than 90 days, a type C visa will do. If you’ll be staying there for a period somewhere between 91 days to 6 months, you’ll need a Type D visa. For anything longer than that, a residence permit for study purposes will be required.
A visa can only be obtained through the competent Austrian representative authority before traveling to Austria. A residence permit can be obtained that way too, but you can also apply for it at the competent residence authority within Austria after lawful entry and during lawful residence. For more details about the process, please visit the OeAD website.
How do I get a tourist visa for Austria?
Unsurprisingly, a tourist visa is usually much easier to obtain than a student or work visa. Nevertheless, there are a few documents you’ll need in order to apply:
- a valid passport/travel document
- Austrian visa application form
- copies of your previous Schengen visas (if applicable)
- two (identical) photos
- Schengen travel insurance
- proof of accommodation
- proof of civil status
- proof of sufficient financial support
- round-trip flight itinerary
- a cover letter detailing the purpose of your visit and containing your trip itinerary
Further details can be found here.
Did you find this article helpful? We hope so! But please do keep in mind that this isn’t our area of expertise, and so we can only provide a very basic summary – this site, as well as the websites linked above, provide much more detailed information, so do check them out!
