Applying for a visa
table of content
General information
Third‑country nationals subject to a passport requirement are generally subject to a visa requirement when entering Austria and throughout the duration of their stay. Exceptions may be agreed upon at EU level, for example by means of an Austrian federal law or an agreement between countries. Consult the → list of visa requirements on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior to check which third‑country nationals may enter the country without a visa.
More detailed information about the visa types can also be found at oesterreich.gv.at.
Requirements
General principles and requirements for the issue of visas:
- visa application form
- a travel document valid in Austria, with a validity period exceeding the duration of the visa by at least three months and with at least two empty pages, that was issued within the last ten years
- a passport photo (portrait format, 35 x 45 mm) in accordance with the specified passport photo criteria
- presentation of an fully comprehensive travel health insurance policy for the planned duration of the stay (amount of cover: 30.000 Euro, valid for the entire Schengen area)
- proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of the intended stay and for the return journey to the country of origin or residence
- other evidence requested by the relevant authorities (hotel reservations, invitations, booking confirmations, return flight ticket, proof of gainful employment etc.) – as these are adapted to local standards and coordinated with other Schengen representations, the evidence to be provided may vary depending on location
- absence of other grounds for refusal (residence prohibition, alert issued by a Schengen country)
Depending on the circumstances, additional documents may be requested. Please contact the Austrian representation (→ BMEIA) in advance for more information.
Competent authority
Generally speaking, all visa types are issued by representation offices (→ BMEIA) abroad or, in specific exceptional cases, by certain border control posts or, where extension of the visa is permitted, by the state police headquarters (Landespolizeidirektion).
Schengen visas must be issued by the representation office (→ BMEIA) of the country in which the main travel destination of the visa applicant is located. If the applicant intends to spend an equal amount of time in several countries (for example, when touring), the competent representation office is that of the country in whose territory the main travel destination is located, on the basis of the length and purpose of the stay. If it is not possible to determine a main travel destination, the member country of first entry into the Schengen area is responsible for issuing the visa.
Territorial competence for applications for category A and C visas falls to the representation office in the consular district where the legal place of residence of the applicant is located. A representation office may claim exceptional competence for applications from third‑country nationals legally residing but not registered in their district if the applicant can provide justification as to why they had to submit their application to that particular consulate.
Type D visas, however, must be applied for at the competent Austrian representation. The provisions of Section 8 of the FPG apply to type D visas. In accordance with these provisions, the territorial competence for carrying out official actions in relation to visas is determined on the basis of the foreign national's the place of residence (i.e. their centre of interest, verifiable by means of e.g. registration forms, residence permit, visa).
A list of all representation offices (addresses, telephone numbers, opening hours, special requirements for issuing visas etc.) can be found on the website of the Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs (→ BMEIA).
Costs and fees
The consular fees can be found on the list of fees provided by the relevant Austrian representation (→ BMEIA).
Further information
Further links
More detailed information about the entry requirements for Austria can be found at www.bmi.gv.at/visa. Should you have any further questions, you can contact the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Department V/B/7, by telephone on +43 1 53126 / 3557 between 8 a.m. and 12 a.m.
Caution
A visa can only be extended when the applicant is in Austria in clearly defined exceptional cases.
Legal basis
Link to form
Responsible for the content: Federal Ministry of the Interior