Austria Visa Information
Learn4good provides general information on study, travel, work visa and business visa requirements and the addresses of embassies worldwide. You should contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date information or visa forms.
Holders of an EEA (EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Swiss passport do not require a visa. Nationals from EU-countries as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein may stay for an unlimited time.
Holders of British Passports (European Union) do not need a visa for Austria. There are no restrictions on the remaining validity of your passport, providing you leave Austria before its expiry date.
You will NOT need a visa to visit Austria for a maximum of 90 days, if all of the following three criteria apply:
- A family member of an EU/EEA national
- AND if you hold a British “Residence Card of a Family Member of an EEA National” according to EU Directive 2004/38/EC with a validity of 5 years (download example of “Residence Documentation” here)
- AND if you are travelling together with or to the EU/EEA national.
Citizens of countries listed below do NOT need a visa for Austria (if your stay does not exceed 90 days and is for tourist purposes only):
Albania (biometric passports only), Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia-Herzegovina (biometric passports only), Brazil, Brunei, Chile, Costa Rica, Canada, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR only) Israel, Japan, Macao (RAE only), Malaysia, Mauritius, Macedonia (biometric passports only), Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro (biometric passports only), New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Serbia (biometric passports only and NOT issued by Koordinacija Uprava), Seychelles, Singapore, St. Christophe and Nevis, Taiwan (all passports if they contain the holders identity number Uruguay, United States of America, Venezuela, Vatican.
* Nationals of countries NOT listed above will need to obtain a visa to travel to Austria.
Holders of the following British Passports will have to apply for a visa as well:
- British Subject (without the right of abode in the UK)
- British Dependent Territories
- British Overseas Citizens
- British Protected Persons
- The uniform visa is a short stay visa (e.g. tourism, private visits or short business) for all Schengen countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary).
- Third country nationals who want to travel to the Schengen countries for tourism, private visits or business can apply for short stay visas (one up to ninety days), which is valid for all Schengen countries. In very special cases visas with a longer validity (for stays up to 90 days every six months) can be issued (please refer to your competent embassy or consulate),
- The application itself does not automatically give the right to travel or to get a visa. Visas can only be issued if all necessary preconditions are met.
- Applicants have to present at least the documents mentioned below according to the type of visa applied for.
What documents will be required?
The following documents are required:
- Completed application form, duly signed by the applicant(s). You must answer all the questions, otherwise your application will not be accepted. In some cases more than one application form may have to be submitted. Minors must submit a letter from school, college, university and/or legal guardian. Furthermore both parents must sign the form. If one parent is unable to sign the form, he/she must submit a letter of agreement together with a copy of his/her passport.
- A full national passport or official travel document valid for more than 3 months beyond the validity of the requested visa, with a blank visa page to affix the visa sticker.
- 2 passport-size photos (do not staple or damage the photo, background has to be light and plain)
- Proof of why you want to visit Austria. This should be ONE of the following:
1). Original letter of invitation (= Verpflichtungserklärung) legalised by a notary public, solicitor, or other competent authority and a copy of the Austrian passport (or national passport containing a valid Austrian residence permit) and proof of sufficient income/funds of the host: i.e. last bank statement/last pay slip, together with tenancy agreement or police registration (= Meldezettel).
OR
2). Original letter from your Austrian business partner. The letter must specify that the company will be financially responsible for you during your stay in Austria including copy of the company registration certificate (= Firmenbuchauszug)
OR
3). Confirmed hotel reservation or confirmation of tour. Please note bookings from www.booking.com or www.venere.com or www.hostelworld.com or www.hostelbookers.com are not accepted without confirmation of payment for the whole duration of your reservation.- Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay (e.g. recent bank statement, travellers cheques) with the applicant’s name, amounting to a minimum of GBP 30.00 day/person. Please note that cash and credit card statements are not acceptable proof.
- Proof of health insurance (travel insurance) – minimum of medical coverage GBP 15,000 comprehensive accident and medical insurance, valid for all Schengen countries, validity must exceed validity of the visa, insurance company must be based in Austria or other EU member states, e.g. insurances can be bought from post offices, bank, travel agencies or BUPA-insurances! Please make sure that the document includes the following information: name of applicant, duration of the insurance, cover details (e.g. winter sport cover). Documents not in English or German require certified translation. A policy number only is not sufficient!
- Evidence of occupation/student status: Proof of your current occupation. This could be a recent, original letter of continued employment from your employer stating the position and income; if you are self-employed: a letter from your solicitor, accountant or the Chamber of Commerce including income statement; if you are a student, you will need a letter from the school, college/university confirming your status/attendance. Pay slips and work contracts are not accepted.
- Transport documentation:
airline ticket or email confirmation of airline or rail ticket if you are driving: ferry confirmation, registration document, proof of legal ownership of vehicle, insurance papers (Green Card, which provides additional proof that the minimum legal third party cover is held. For further advice please contact your insurance company), if applicable: export license.
Please note: a proof of reservation is needed, but a ticket should not be bought until a visa is guaranteed or issued!
All supporting documents must be submitted together and in duplicate – in ORIGINAL and PHOTOCOPY! Ensure all documents requested are provided. Incomplete applications will not be dealt with: Applicants will need to book another appointment to provide the lacking documents.
Applications for Short Stay Visas:
- Application form (completely filled out and signed personally or in case of minors by the relevant legal guardian).
- A recent photo (according to ICAO standards)
- Passport (valid at least 3 months after the expiry of the visa with at least 2 empty pages, passport not older than 10 years)
- At selected embassies (please see your embassy website), biometric identifiers (10 fingerprints taken flat and collected digitally) of each applicant shall be collected
- proof of legal stay (if the application is not presented in the country of origin)
- Consular fees: Short stay visa: € 60, Long stay visa: € 100 (in EURO or local currency).
- Travel medical insurance valid for the Schengen states for the intended stay proving that all risks are covered(minimum coverage € 30.000,- in original + one copy)
- Means of transport (reservation of travel voucher or proof of private transport)
- Proof of income / documentation of paid activity (if applicable). For detailed information or exceptions please visit the website of the embassy or consulate concerned, read the information boards in front of the embassy or obtain the information by telephone.
- Proof of financial means or electronic letter of guarantee (Elektronische Verpflichtungserklärung - the person inviting the applicant should make a declaration of guarantee at the local office of the “Fremdenpolizei” ( alien’s police) which informs the competent embassy or consulate accordingly)
- Justification concerning the stay in Austria
Nationals from the following list of countries should allow several weeks for the processing of the application from the date of appointment/receipt of documents:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan (Service passports only), Lebanon, Libya, Liberia, Moldova, Nigeria, North Korea, Palestine, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam (not for service and diplomatic passports), Yemen.
All holders of Travel Documents for stateless persons and refugees.
For all other nationals the processing time is approx. 5 working days.
Please note that the visa cannot be issued on the same day.
How long is the visa valid for?
You may use your visa to travel to the Schengen area until the date it expires under “expiry” on the right side of the visa. Please check your visa carefully before you go to Austria.
Other information:
Holders of Schengen visas are still subject to immigration controls and are not guaranteed entry into any of the Schengen countries.
How long is the processing time?
General processing time is 2 weeks except for applicants of the following countries, which have a processing time of 3 weeks. Please also make sure that your application is submitted on time.
Embassy contact information:
Please contact the nearest Austrian Embassy for information on what documentation you may require to enter Austria. Austria Embassies Worldwide.
Disclaimer: The contents of these pages are provided as an information guide only, in good faith. The use of this website is at the viewer/user's sole risk. While every effort is made in presenting up-to-date and accurate information, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the owners to this website for any errors, omissions, outdated or misleading information on these pages or any site to which these pages connect or are linked.
Source & Copyright: The source of the above visa and immigration information and copyright owner/s is the:
- The Austrian Foreign Ministry - URL: www.bmeia.gv.at
The viewer/user of this web page should use the above information as a guideline only, and should always contact the above sources or the user's own government representatives for the most up-to-date information at that moment in time, before making a final decision to travel to that country or destination.