Applying for a visa to Austria

For a tourist trip to Austria for less than 90 days, you will need a Schengen visa (category C) - except if your country is not listed on the visa-free list. Please note that Schengen is by no means a work permit! As well as for study in the country, you will need a special D type visa for study in Austria.

To apply for a visa (tourist or student visa to Austria) to the Embassy, this state should be either the only destination on the trip, or you plan to spend the most days here. If you plan to spend the same number of days in several countries, you can apply for registration at the embassy of any of these countries. It is recommended to issue a visa of the country that is planned to be the first, since the stamp marked in your passport at the custom will be stamped only in the first country of travel.

Application filing

Pay attention to the following features:

• Documents from groups are not accepted.
• Documents by notarial or corporate attorney are not accepted.
• Submission of documents is carried out either personally or through second persons (relatives are meant; a declaration of kinship is required). Submission by a second person can be carried out only if the applicant (the one for whom the documents are submitted) already has 1 Schengen as minimum (regardless of the country)
• The package of documents is accepted together with the completely filled in questionnaire (clearly and legibly).

Before submitting documents (including a student visa to Austria), you must fill in the consent to process of personal data on your public passport. If you are a sponsor of a trip for another person, the official form of the sponsorship letter is mandatory (a copy of the civil passport must be attached).

In order to cancel a visa (including a study visa to Austria), before submitting documents for a new one it is necessary to fill out and present a special form about cancellation of the old one.

In case you plan to travel by car, it is best to compile a route sheet and attach it to the general list of documents submitted (regardless of the purpose of the trip).

Fees for visa services, fees

Pay attention to the following features:

• No credit cards accepted - cash only;
• The fee can be changed at any time;
• The amount of the fee is irrevocable;
• The fee is charged at the same time as the application is filed;
• The fee is paid in country corrency, it is advisable to prepare the amount without surrender; The amount is calculated in accordance with the official exchange rate for the current day;
• The amount of the fee (both consular and service) already includes VAT;
• Children under 6years old, disabled people (any group) and their attendants are extemped from payment of fees (consular and service).
  

Preparation of documents

In order to submit a completed package of documents (for example, if you need a student visa to Austria), prepare all available originals and make high-quality, well-read copies. Managers in the VC accept copies of documents after the applicant provides the required originals. In the event that the applicant is provided with certain documents, the embassy may deny the visa or significantly delay its processing and issuance.

Translation of documents

All documents must be translated into English or German. In the event that the applicant has not translated the documents, the embassy can either refuse to issue a visa (including a study visa to Austria) or significantly delay its registration. To translate documents it is recommended to contact a professional service center or an translator's office. The translation can be carried out personally by the applicant, but in this case he is responsible for the quality and reliability (this can significantly affect the timing of examination and visa processing).

Each translated document should include:

• Contact of an translator or company that carried out the translation, name of the translator and his personal signature;
• Date of translation;
• Confirmation that the translation was exactly executed and the oroginal document was used for the source document.

To successfully obtain a visa, you must provide the most complete and detailed package of documents: the embassy also has the right to request additional documents if the information received is considered insufficient - all comments are entered in a special check-list and are taken into account at the time of the embassy decision. If the applicant does not have one or the other document, he should explain in detail the reason for its absence. It is strictly recommended not to provide false information or falsification of documents! The embassy has the right to refuse to issue a visa, including visas for study in Austria of D type, in similar situations.

List of documents

• Consent to the process personal data on a civil passport;
• Photo.

Two color photos 35х45 mm, meeting ICAO criteria (one photo is stuck to the questionnaire, the second - to the reverse side of the passport).

• Questionnaire (filled in English or German)

An application for an Austrian visa, signed personally by the applicant in several places:

• Page 3, item 36 - specify the city and the date of signing;
• Page 3, item 37 - for minors - signature of the authorized person;
• Page 4 - the signature that the applicant is informed of the irrevocability of the fee even if the embassy refuses to obtain a visa. "Place and date" - city and date of signing;
• Page 4 - for minors - signature of the authorized person;
• Questionnaire for children (if necessary).

A separate questionnaire for children is always filled in, even if they are written in the parents' passport: for children under 14, 2 signatures (father and mother) are necessary, for children aged 14-18 three signatures (father, mother, child) are necessary.

• Financial documents

For adults working citizens, the list includes:

• Certificate of employment (it is necessary to indicate the position and salary);
• Work record book (preferably);
• Extract from the bank account, made no later than three months.

For citizens who are individual entrepreneurs, the list is as follows:

• Company Registration Certificate;
• Extract from the bank account of the firm, made no later than three months;
• Tax file.

For minors, the following financial documents will be required:

• Sponsorship letter;
• A copy of the sponsor's passport;
• Certificate from school or other educational institution;
• Certificate of employment of the sponsor (indicating the position and salary).

For pensioners:

• Pension certificate (original + copy);
• Extract from the bank account, made no later than three months;
• Confirmation of hotel reservation.

Confirmation of the reservation and payment of the hotel, it is necessary to indicate the full name of all guests of each booked room.

• Tickets

Air, railway or bus tickets (booked or redeemed) are provided, with an obligatory indication of the exact date of the trip in both directions (departure and arrival).

• Health insurance policy

Compulsory insurance is provided for sickness and accident insurance (also all risks, including winter sports risks) - the amount of coverage must be at least 30,000 euros (for the whole stay and for the whole territory of the Schengen area, except for close relatives of EU citizens ). Before drawing up an insurance policy, please note that your insurance company is listed on the official website of the Consulate.

• Valid foreign passport

At least two blank pages on the spread or one sheet, a copy of the first page with personal data. The passport must be valid for at least 90 days at the time of return from the Schengen zone. Also copies of all Schengen visas received by the applicant are provided.

• Consent to the departure of the child

It is not required in the case of simultaneous filing of documents from both the child and the parents. If the child is under 14 years of age, the original documents must be submitted.

In case that the parent, one of whom has a Schengen visa, submits the documents for the child, the consent for departure is mandatory, as well as booking a hotel and tickets in both directions.

• National passport

Provides a high-quality copy of the first page.

• If you travel by car

In the event that your trip includes driving by car, you need to provide a copy of the driver's license, car registration certificate and green card (Green Card). It is also recommended to compile a trip sheet of the trip and attach it to the general package of documents.

The following documents may also be required:

• Birth certificate;
• Certificate of marriage / divorce;
• Certificate of change of surname;
• Death certificate;
• Certificate of deprivation of driver's license;
• Information about disability.

Before the submission of documents, the current birth certificate is provided, in the absence of the father, a dash should be in the appropriate box; Also, if the child has only one parent, you need to document the reason for the absence of the second.

How correctly to pass documents on student's residence permit to Austria?

For those students who plan to study in the country, it is often necessary to obtain a residence permit - and you need to take care of this in advance, long before you leave your home country (once you have received an invitation from the chosen institution). Also it is necessary toensure of that visa for study in Austria of type D was issued in advance.

The collected package of documents required for a study visa to Austria is submitted in the VC. The VC sends it to the city council of the Austrian city in which you plan to study - take into account that it can take from 3 weeks to 6 months (usually takes 2-6 weeks) to check documents and make a decision on issuing a student visa to Austria. You will find out about the decision made by you on e-mail or phone - and if everything is in order with the documents (and this is the most common outcome of the case), you will be invited to obtain a visa for study in Austria of type D. Documents are submitted to the same department - Category D is ready within 1-2 days; and after directly entering the country's territory in the city's city council you will receive an Aufenthaltsbewilligung - a welcome residence permit.

What documents will be required?

When applying for a student visa to Austria, remove all folders, transparent files and staples and just fold the documents into a neat pile - the order can be named by the consulate staff.

• Application form (sample)

It is freely available on the official website of Austria and is available for download. In the old versions of 10-11 pages, the new ones consist of 9 pages: on a larger scale, the differences between them are few and both are accepted in the VC. The questionnaire should be printed on a quality, clear printer (preferably a color version), accurately and legibly filled with block letters (use a ballpoint pen). The language of filling can be English or German, at your discretion. In field 1 (upper left corner) your photo is stuck, and in field 2 (the upper right corner) you will need to sign in the presence of an employee who will accept your documents.

We recommend taking a clean (spare) copy of the questionnaire with you to the consulate if you find any mistakes or inaccuracies and need to rewrite it (as the edits are not allowed).

• Copy of the invitation from the school

It is not necessary to give the original to the consulate - it can be useful in solving other issues. Make a quality color copy.

• Proof of accommodation in Austria

It can be documents for a hostel (contract, bank receipt for payment of accommodation services, bank certificate on the execution of the transfer); to a rented apartment (the lease contract is best long-term with your original signature, a color copy of the first passport page of the owner of the dwelling, an extract from the land book (which confirms the possession of the landlord's apartment), bank confirmation of the transfer and a bank certificate on the transfer of the payment to the apartment owner's account).

• Financial documents

- certificate of the bank account is an essential condition if you need a study visa to Austria. Be sure to check the presence of the phrase "Cash from this account (Name) can dispose overseas, including in Austria";

- a bank card copied from two sides (CVV-2 code can be closed or darkened);

- certificateof employment.

Please note that all documents (except copies of the bank card) must be translated into German and notarized, and the notarial document must also be translated. This document is provided if you have reached the age of majority, have a job and an official salary.

If you have not reached the age of majority and you need a student visa to Austria - for you the financial documents will be the following:

- a certificate of the balance in the bank account;

- bank statement of the executed cash transactions (starting from the moment of opening the account);

- a bank card, copied from both sides (CVV-2 code is closed);

- sponsorship letter - certified by a notary;

- copy of the first page of the sponsor's passport;

- a bank certificate on the status of the sponsor's account and an extract of transactions from the moment the account was opened;

- certifacate of employment for the sponsor.

For the year 2014, the following amounts were relevant:

• Up to 24 years = 5 684.4 euros (for 12 months)
• Older than 24 years = 10 292.76 euros (for 12 months).

This amount implies, including 274.06 euro / month, which you expect to spend on housing. If the housing that you have chosen is higher in value, you need a little more money (to fully cover the expected difference in value) and confirm their availability.

• Copy of birth certificate

The apostille is placed on the original: it can be put in the registry office, but be prepared that sometimes it can be placed only in an institution at the place of birth. The apostilled certificate is copied, the copy is certified by a notary, translated into German (along with the certification) and submitted to the visa center.

• Black and white copies of all pages of the passport: both current and all previous (if any)
• Medical insurance policy

The period of validity is 1 year, insurance coverage is 30,000 euros, for 120 days. Insurance can very often be issued from insurance agents who officially work at the consulate - but if you decide to look for an insurance company yourself, be sure to check that the company is on the official list-list on the consulate website. Without a health insurance, a visa for study in Austria of type D is not issued.

• Certificate confirming the absence of a criminal record

The rrcertificate with an apostille is translated into German, notarised, also translated and provided at the general filing. Please note that the validity of such a certificate is 3 months, not more.

• certificate of residence

It's easy to make out in the usual passport office - it confirms your registration at a certain address. Translated into German, certified by a notary, the certification is also translated and provided with the general filing of documents for a student visa in Austria.

• Marriage certificate

It is necessary for all married students. The original is also apostilled (usually it can be done in the registry office), a copy is made and certified by a notary, translated into German, the translation is also certified and the notarial document is also translated into German. If you are divorced, you will need an official statement of divorce (copied, translated and certified according to the same scheme).

Be sure to pay attention to the data in all documents were written in the same way: addresses, names and surnames, etc. We also recommend you to have the original documents with you when you visit the visa center - sometimes employees are asked to show some of them.

The submission of applications and documents for a study visa in Austria is made by each applicant PERSONALLY.

To submit documents it is necessary to register in advance - this can be done on the embassy's website. Since 2016, recording is not required, the filing is in the queue mode. There is no guarantee that you will have time in the limited time of work of employees. Therefore, we recommend to arrive in advance.

Please note that the consular department does not work on Austrian national holidays (their list is on the official website of the consulate). MUST disconnect your mobile phone before entering the building!

When you receive a passport, you are stamped that you have applied for a residence permit (or, for example, a study visa in Austria), and a personal receipt is issued to pay a consular fee. You should have a civil passport with you: before you pay the receipt, write your name and current date in the special column (often the consulate employees do it). It is better to have a receipt with you when you come for a visa D.

Original source with the list of documents: http://www.migration.gv.at/fileadmin/downloads/ , page 8 - visa D, page 11 - residence permit.