Study in Austria

General Requirements to Study In Austria

1- Passport

2- A-levels, high school diploma or equivalent certification

3- Transcript with grades from the last school year

– for bachelor and diploma degree studies: secondary school leaving certificate or equivalent

– for master studies: bachelor or equivalent degree

– for doctoral studies: diploma, master or equivalent degree

4- Student document of identification with photograph attached

5- Bank receipt indicating payment of the per semester tuition fee if the applicant is not otherwise exempt

– For many programs proof of proficiency in German is necessary and should also be included in the application documents, if available (e.g. German examination with the school leaving examination, language course diplomas).

Student Visa

Depending on the purpose of your travel to Austria, there are different types of Visas that will apply to the occasion. Whether you are planning to go on a visit, study or work and reside in Austria permanently, you will have to apply for a different Austria Schengen Visa, accordingly.

As an international student intending to study in Austria, you will need a visa and/or a residence permit. The Austria student visa type D is issued to non-immigrant visas for individuals who intend to study in an Austrian institute, college or university for a short period of 6 months.

For a period of more than six months, you will require a student residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierende) alongside your student visa which is issued by authorities in Austria.

General Requirements To Apply For Austria Student Visa

1- Visa Type D application form. 

2- Two recent, full-face capture passport photographs in dimensions of 35 – 40 mm.

3- International Passport. This must be valid for at least three months after your intended stay, with two empty leaflets at the back. It also must have been issued within the last 10 years.

4- Letter of admission issued by your Austrian university of choice confirming your admission.

5- Proof of accommodation arrangements.

6- Proof of health insurance – Your type of insurance should cover all the days of your stay in Austria, with medical costs of up to €30,000.

7- Proof of sufficient funds in the form of bank statement, confirmation issued by a future employer, a bank account that can be assessed when in Austria, travelers’ cheque or scholarship grants issued by a sponsor. The required amount deemed sufficient as the cost of living is €487.53 per month for students aged 24 and below, and €882.78 per month for students aged 24 and above.

8- Proof of tuition fees payment or grant/scholarship submission to cover tuition fees.

9- Notarized letter signed by one or both of your parents declaring financial responsibility (not required if you are able to financially support yourself).
10- Copy of your itinerary or round-trip ticket.

11- Birth certificate.

12- Police clearance certificate indicating that you have no prior convictions and are a model citizen.

13- As a rule, before filing your application for a residence permit, you will need to have your documents legalized

Accommodation

Austria does not have a tradition of on-campus accommodation. Students in Austria either live in a hall of residence or in private accommodation. In contrast to many other countries, Austrian universities or UAS (Fachhochschulen) do not automatically allocate a room when you register for your course. Rather, you have to search for accommodation yourself.

1-Finding a flat

There are many options for arranging accommodation that suits you best, but make sure you start looking for a room as soon as possible. It is also important to check at your university as to whether they can arrange a room.

2-OeAD Housing Office

The OeAD-Housing Office offers accommodation for about 12,000 students annually in OeAD-Guesthouses and other student accommodations in Vienna, Graz, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Linz, Klagenfurt and Leoben. 2/3 of the students are based in Vienna with more than 2.500 staying in passive houses. It is their objective for them to feel comfortable while experiencing an adequate price-performance ratio. As an indispensable partner for the universities, universities of applied sciences and university colleges of teacher education in the field of international students’ mobility, the OeAD-Housing Office provides fully furnished accommodation during the academic year as well as during the summer months (July – September).

3-Living in a shared flat (so called “WG”)

Private shared flats (called Wohngemeinschaften in German, or just WG) are probably the most popular form of accommodation. Several students share a flat together and each has their own room, while sharing a kitchen and bathroom. The occupants also share the rent. Depending on where you study, you should assume spending about 250 to 450 euros per month for rent.

4-Living in a hall of residence (or dormitory)

In general, dormitories offer different types of apartments (single apartments and living communities for two, three or four students). Accommodation of this type is situated in a living community, but has a private bathroom and toilet. The kitchen is a communal room for tenants of one flat. On the website of the Austrian Student Union you can find an overview of student accommodations all over Austria.

Transportation

Austria has one of the most highly developed transport networks in the European Union with a dense bus and rail network criss-crossing the country. Especially the federal capital Vienna has an excellent public transport infrastructure

Buses & Trams

Bus services operate in most cities and are complemented by a few night-bus lines. Tram and bus services in most places run from about 5am to 11pm or midnight. You usually need to press the stop-request button, even in trams.

Metro In Vienna, the metro runs all night on Friday and Saturday nights. From Sunday night to Thursday night it stops around midnight or 12.30am. No other towns have metro systems.

Taxis Austrians mostly call ahead or use taxi ranks. Flagging down a taxi usually works, though. Drivers always expect a 10% tip.

Working During Studying

As an international student in Australia, it can sometimes be difficult to maintain basic living costs unless you also have a part-time job. Living in Australia can be expensive when you take into account costs such as accommodation, meals, tuition, and other expenses. Changes implemented in April 2008 to the regulations governing student visas have made it much easier for international students to gain work in Australia. Since then, any student granted a visa has also automatically received permission to work.

Remember that as a student there are restrictions on the number of hours that you can work per week. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) specifies that international students are only allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during the semester. This is so you can focus mainly on your studies.

While it would obviously be preferable to find work within a field which is applicable to your studies, this is not always possible — especially if you are studying in a field such as medicine! It is primarily for this reason that many international students tend to work in industries such as retail or hospitality, which have a high demand for part-time workers. Many jobs in these areas may require you to work irregular or night shifts. These kinds of jobs can be very beneficial as you get the opportunity to practise your English language skills in an environment outside of your educational institution. You can also learn to understand Australian culture by interacting with your employers, colleagues, and, in many cases, the general public.

Life After graduation In Austria

You can work in Australia after completing your studies by applying for permanent residency. There is a specific permanent residency visa for international students who have graduated from Australian study. Remember though that permanent residency regulations and eligibility criteria often change, so you shouldn’t rely on your study as being a direct path to permanent residency.

Graduates of bachelor and masters by coursework degrees can apply for a two-year work visa at the completion of their degree; masters by research graduates are eligible for a three-year visa; and PhD graduates can apply for a four-year work visa