If you need a Schengen Visa to travel to Austria, you must meet certain criteria and follow a specific procedure to apply. You can apply for a Schengen visa if you are planning on staying 90 days for tourism, business, visiting family, or medical reasons.
Our visa experts have crafted the following guide to assist you at every stage of the Austrian Schengen visa application process. Filled with valuable insights and in-depth information based on our expertise, this comprehensive guide will aid you in thoroughly preparing for your upcoming Austrian adventure.
To apply for an Austria Schengen visa, you need to follow these steps:
Whether you need a visa to enter Austria depends on your nationality. Check below to determine whether you must apply for a visa or not:
You will have to apply for a visa when travelling to Austria if you are:
You are exempt from applying for a visa to enter Austria if you fall into any of the following categories:
For those exempt from a visa, check out the required documents for entry into Austria. It’s always good to be prepared!
The Schengen visa for Austria is a uniform visa, which may be issued for the following purposes:
You select the reason why you need a Schengen visa while you are completing your visa application form.
If you want to live in Austria, temporarily or permanently, you need a long-stay visa. This visa, also referred to as an Austrian national visa or a type D visa allows foreign nationals to work, study, or join a family member in Austria. Long-stay visas include:
Everyone who is not an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen needs a visa to stay in Austria for longer than 90 days. There are no exemptions for long stay visas, like there are for Schengen visas.
The submission location for your visa application depends on your country of residence. Refer to the details below to determine whether you should apply at a visa application centre, embassy, or consulate:
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Albania, Cyprus, Georgia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine | The Austrian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Andorra | The Spanish Embassy |
| Montenegro | The Slovenian Embassy |
| Moldova | The Hungarian Embassy |
Residents in all other European countries not mentioned above have to submit their Austrian Schengen visa applications to the Austrian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal | The Austrian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe | The German Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Haiti, Mali, Mauritius, Monaco, Niger, Togo | The French Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Burundi | The Belgian Embassy |
| Cabo Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe | The Portuguese Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Libya | The Hungarian Embassy |
Residents in all other African countries not mentioned above have to submit their Austrian Schengen visa applications to the Austrian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Taiwan | The Austrian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Afghanistan, Armenia, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Nepal | The German Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Bangladesh, Djibouti | The French Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Timor-Leste | The Portuguese Embassy |
| Iraq | The Czech Embassy |
Residents in all other Asian countries not mentioned above have to submit their Austrian Schengen visa applications to the Austrian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru | The Austrian Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Paraguay, Uruguay | The Spanish Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Ecuador | The German Embassy |
Residents in all other South American countries not mentioned above have to submit their Austrian Schengen visa applications to the Austrian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama | The Spanish Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Barbados | The Colombian Embassy |
| Dominican Republic | The Swiss Embassy |
Residents in all other North America and the Caribbean countries not mentioned above have to submit their Austrian Schengen visa applications to the Austrian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Vanuatu | The French Embassy |
| New Zealand | The German Embassy |
Residents in all other Oceanian countries not mentioned above have to submit their Austrian Schengen visa applications to the Austrian embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Once you know where you should lodge your application, you must complete the visa application form. You have to print the application form, sign it, and submit it with the other required documents. You must provide the following information in the corresponding sections:
You can download the application form from the official website of the Austrian embassy in your country of residence. You can also find all of Austria’s representations abroad listed in this PDF file. Download it and follow the instructions on how to fill out a Schengen application form. Once you complete the application form with all relevant information, you have to sign it and attach it to the rest of your documents.
After completing the application form, you have to schedule a visa appointment to submit your documents, pay the fee, and submit your fingerprint scans. You set up the appointment via one of the following options based on your place of residence:
To schedule an appointment with VFS Global select Austria as your destination country, and then choose your current location. You will be redirected to the VFS Global office responsible for accepting applications for Austria, through which you can book an appointment.
You can schedule an appointment from the VFS Global website if you are living in any of these countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Botswana, Canada, People’s Republic of China, Cyprus, Egypt, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkiye, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, or Zimbabwe.
If you live in Tajikistan you can book an Austria visa appointment with VisaMetric. You can book an appointment by going to the VisaMetric website.
To schedule an appointment with the Austrian embassy/consulate, you’ll need to send an email. Find the official website of the Austrian representation in your country.
Scheduling an appointment for a Austrian visa application is free of charge. However, there are other fees associated with the application process, which we have outlined below in this article.
We highly advise against scheduling appointments through non-accredited third-party intermediaries, as they may add extra fees.
You should schedule your appointment at least one to three months prior to your intended departure date to account for waiting times. The earliest possible application date is six months before your planned departure.
To change or cancel your appointment, the procedure varies depending on your initial booking method. If you arranged your appointment via email with the Austrian embassy, you’ll need to send another email to request changes. Alternatively, if you scheduled your appointment through your VFS account, log in and go to the appointment management section. From there, access Appointment Details to explore options for cancellation or rescheduling.
Before you attend your appointment, you have to collect the documents required for a Schengen visa. This includes your passport, the printed and signed visa application form, travel insurance, accommodation, and proof you can financially support yourself, among others. Make sure you have all the documents—if any are missing it can lead to delays or even the rejection of your application.
Travel Medical Insurance is compulsory for Schengen visas under Regulation (EU) 2009/810 of the European Parliament.
Austrian visa applicants can obtain visa insurance from either Europ Assistance or vti.travel, a European insurance comparison website, comparing insurance policies of AXA, Allianz, Europ Assistance and Mutuaide.
These insurance providers are acknowledged and accepted by Austrian Embassies and Consulates worldwide. Moreover, you can cancel the insurance at no cost by submitting proof of Austrian visa rejection.
Austria does not specify the minimum amount of necessary means of subsistence required to cover your stay. Still as a general rule, we suggest accounting for at least €100 per day, as this is the average amount of money a tourist spends in Austria.
After scheduling your appointment, show up on time at the designated visa centre or embassy. Remember to bring all necessary documents in their original format, along with any photocopies or supporting materials, as outlined, as well as enough money to pay the visa fees (debit/credit card or cash, as applicable).
At your appointment, you’ll be asked to provide your biometric data, including fingerprints and photographs. Yet, if you’ve applied for a Schengen visa in the last five years, you may not need to submit fingerprint scans again.
This is an important step where you’ll meet with a consular officer to discuss your application. Be ready to talk about your travel plans, finances, and ties to your home country. The officer will ask questions to verify the information and ensure your visit aligns with your application.
Adult applicants must pay €90 to submit the visa application—for minors and nationals of certain countries the fee is reduced to €45 . See all Schengen visa fees. If you apply at a visa application centre, you may be required to pay an extra service charge ranging from €30 to €40. In general, you are required to pay the fee in the currency of the country where you submit the application. Depending on the embassy/visa application centre, you can pay the fee with:
It is possible for someone else to apply for a Schengen visa on your behalf if you’ve granted them authorization and you’re not required to submit your biometric data.
The standard processing time for an Austrian visa application is 15 days. In certain cases, the processing time can take up to 30 days or even longer (for example, if you need to submit additional documents, there are a large number of applications, etc), so make sure you take that into account when deciding when you should submit your application.
If you applied through VFS, you can track your application online through the VFS Global website. Click on the Track Your Application button on the website header. Enter the reference number from your invoice/receipt provided by the visa application centre, along with your date of birth.
If your visa application is approved, your passport will be returned to you with the visa stamped inside, permitting entry into Austria during the designated validity period. The visa sticker which is affixed to your passport shows during which dates you can travel to Austria and how many days in total you can stay. Visas may be issued for single, double, or multiple entries.
If your visa application is rejected, you will receive a notification outlining the reasons for refusal, including a written statement detailing concerns about your application. You will have 7 days to respond and address these concerns; failure to do so adequately within this timeframe will result in automatic refusal. All correspondence must be in Austrian, and the visa refusal notice will also be issued in Austrian. If your visa is refused, you have the following options:
No, your visa fee is non-refundable as it accounts for the costs and time it takes to process your application. Please note that even if your application is denied, you won’t receive a refund.
Once a decision has been made on your visa application, you can collect your passport either from the Visa Application Centre or via courier for an extra fee. If you choose to collect them in person, bring your receipt and government ID. You can also authorise someone to collect them for you with a signed letter of authorization, their ID, and your receipt.
Once you obtain your visa to Austria, you can enter the country. The visa will be affixed to your passport as a sticker. At the port of entry, except for the visa, immigration officials can ask for the documents listed below:
A Schengen Austria visa is typically valid for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. Nevertheless, the consular office may decide to issue it for a shorter period of time. You can use the Schengen calculator to correctly count your days.
Applying for a visa extension is possible, but approval is selective and not guaranteed. To request an extension, you must contact the Immigration and Residence Authority in the region where you are registered.
If you exceed your visa’s allowed stay in Austria, you could face serious repercussions such as fines, deportation, entry bans, or even arrest. It’s important to follow your visa’s rules to avoid these consequences.
Yes, you can visit other countries within the Schengen Area with an Austrian visa (unless you have a Limited Territorial Validity Visa). Austria must be your main destination; any days you spend outside of Schengen will be deducted from your allowed 90 days.
An Austria Schengen visa may allow you to travel to other non-Schengen countries if you meet certain criteria.
No, a Schengen visa does not let you work in Austria. You can use the visa only for short trips for fun, business, and other non-work-related activities.
Data Protection
Your personal data during the visa application process is protected and stored in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation). If you have any concerns about the security of your data, you can contact the Federal Foreign Office Data Protection Commissioner as follows:
