Applying for a Schengen Visa to Austria

You will have to apply for a visa when travelling to Austria if you are:

• A citizen of a non-EU country that has not reached a visa liberalisation agreement with the EU.
• A citizen of a non-EU country that has reached a visa liberalisation agreement with the EU, but you were rejected from entering Austria or any other Schengen country visa-free.

You are exempt from applying for a visa to enter Austria if you fall into any of the following categories:

• You are a citizen of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.
• You hold a passport from the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, or any other country with a visa liberalisation agreement with the EU.
• You possess a valid residence permit from any country within the Schengen area.

For those exempt from a visa, check out the required documents for entry into Austria. It’s always good to be prepared!

• Airport Transit Visa: For transiting through Austrian airports to reach a destination outside the Schengen Area.
• Tourist Visa: Designed for those wanting a vacation or sightseeing experience in Austria.
• Visitor Visa: Intended for individuals with family or friends in Austria who are aiming to visit them.
• Business Visa: Tailored for business professionals participating in activities related to business in Austria.
• Visa for Official Visit: Applicable to delegations travelling to Austria on official visits.
• Visa for Medical Reasons: For patients requiring medical care in Austrian hospitals or clinics.
• Visa for Study Purposes: For those seeking to study at an educational institution in Austria for up to three months.
• Visa for Cultural, Sports, and Film Crews: Suited for individuals attending cultural, sports, or film events in Austria.

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:

• Austria Work Visa: For those planning to work in Austria long-term.
• Austria Student Visa: For students intending to study in Austria.
• Austria Family Visa: For family members joining relatives in Austria.
• Austria Retirement Visa: For retirees wishing to live in Austria long-term.
• Austria Job Seeker Visa: for those planning to search for employment in Austria.
• Austria Working Holiday Visa: For those who pursue any employment to help finance their stay or take part in an educational measure.

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.

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.

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.

Travel Medical Insurance is compulsory for Schengen visas under Regulation (EU) 2009/810 of the European Parliament.

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.

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:

• Cash.
• Credit/debit card.
• Checks.
• Payment slips.

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.

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:

• Appeal the decision. You can submit a written appeal to the Austrian embassy/consulate in your country of residence.
• Reapply for the visa. Alternatively, you can choose to submit a new visa application. It’s crucial to address the reasons for the initial refusal in your new application.

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.

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.