Student Visa for Austria
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Palaces, coffee shops, and concert halls. Gardens, mountains, and rivers. Your bucket list for studying abroad in Austria could go on for pages. While you're planning your Austrian adventure, let's make sure you get the proper documentation to enter and stay in Austria.
Never applied for a student visa before? No need to worry. We've outlined the basics below and our visa specialists are here to support you along the way. Let's get started!
Austrian visa processes and requirements are determined by the Austrian consulates, not by IES Abroad. While our team of visa specialists regularly updates this page, the most up-to-date and official information can be found on Austrian government and consulate websites. This page was last updated August 5, 2021.
What is an Austrian student visa?
A student visa for Austria is called the “Austrian National Visa D,” or simply “Visa D.” This is a legal document adhered to an inside page of your passport that you must have before entering the country. This visa serves as an approval from the Austrian government to remain in the country for the duration of your program.
Do You Need a Visa for Austria?
Depending on your IES Abroad program and citizenship, you may need a student visa to study abroad in Austria. We’ve outlined citizenship options below to help you learn more about your visa requirements.
If you will be going on a Customized & Faculty-Led Program, you may need a student visa depending on the length and nature of your program. Learn more in your myIESabroad account.
If you are a U.S. citizen...
If you are going on one of our semester or academic year study abroad programs, you will need to apply for a student visa for Austria.
You will not need a visa for our summer study abroad or internship programs in Austria.
If you are an EU citizen or U.S. military passport holder...
Lucky you! You may not need to apply for a student visa. Talk with your IES Abroad Advisor to confirm details about your legal entry and stay in Austria.
If you are a non-U.S. and non-EU citizen...
Refer to the Consulate General of Austria that services your country of citizenship to determine whether a student visa is required for you to enter Austria.
Applying for a Student Visa for Austria
Once you are accepted to your IES Abroad program, you will find detailed step-by-step instructions to apply for an Austrian student visa in your myIESabroad account. For now, read below to get an idea of what the visa application process will look like as a U.S. citizen.
If you are a non-U.S. and non-EU citizen, refer to the Consulate General of Austria that services your country of citizenship to determine your visa application process. Contact your IES Abroad Advisor with further questions.
HOW
You will apply for your Visa D at an in-person appointment with a designated VFS Global location that serves your jurisdiction.
At your appointment, you will bring your valid passport and supplemental documents. You will also be required to provide biometrics, or fingerprints at your in-person appointment.
More specific information about this process is available in your myIESabroad account once you are accepted to a program.
WHEN
You can only apply for your visa within 180 days before your program starts. Additionally, it takes up to 6 weeks for the consulate to process your visa. You cannot apply until you have received your IES Abroad visa letters, however, which will be issued after your acceptance into the program.
In short, the earliest you can apply for your Visa D is 180 days before your program starts, and the latest you can apply is 6 weeks before your program starts.
WHERE
In the United States, you will apply through one of VFS Global's locations in Chicago, Houston, Miami, New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. Each location serves a specific geographic region called a "jurisdiction". The application center that serves your jurisdiction is where you will apply for your Austrian student visa. Some students may have multiple options, while others will have only one.
To determine which application center(s) you can apply though, use our Austrian Jurisdiction and Contact Information sheet.
COST
The fee for an Austrian Visa D has been known to change frequently. Visit this website for the latest Visa D fee.
Our team of visa specialists are here to help. Step-by-step instructions to ensure you have the proper visa and/or entry documents to study abroad are available in your myIESabroad account once you are accepted to a program.
