Austria Visa Application & Requirements

Austria is located in Central Europe and is a German-speaking country. Austria is considered a great destination for tourists because it has its own attractions to offer to people.

As you may know, Vienna is one of the most popular cities not only in Austria but also in the world. It’s such a beautiful city filled with old classical buildings such as opera houses, museums and more. 

However, Austria is not only for those who are interested in classical culture because in Austria you could go skiing, visit the mountains, take a picture in Austria’s tallest waterfall, as well as spend your night in Austria’s beautiful towns.

Traveling to Austria however will require some documentation in order to be able to enter this beautiful country. For some countries, you only need a passport if you are visa-exempt but for some other countries, you will need an Austrian visa. For more information for Austria visas, keep reading further below.

Entrance requirements to Austria

In order to travel to Austria, you will need either a passport or a visa depending on the country you are traveling from which should be shown at the official authorities when you arrive at the border.

Make sure that your passport is valid and is nowhere near its expiry date. 

Keep in mind that even if you have these documents it will be completely up to the border officers whether you should be granted access to enter the country or not. 

You will also be asked questions such as your intentions to travel to Austria, your length of stay, and more. 

Also, don’t forget to double-check if your passport is stamped by the border officers otherwise you will have to go through some troubles.

Do you need a visa to Austria?

Since Austria is part of the Schengen zone, then the same countries that are visa-exempt in the Schengen zone, are also exempt in Austria.

There are also some countries that must apply for a visa to Austria in order to enter the country. To know whether your country requires a visa to Austria or not, then we recommend contacting your embassy or consulate for more information.

Types of Austria visas

Austria’s visas are divided into types depending on your reason to travel to this country.

The types of visas are as follows:

• Airport/Transit visa – This is for those who want to travel to a third country when arriving in Austria and are not allowed to exit the Airport. 
• Austria tourist visa – If you want to travel to Austria for tourism purposes such as visiting popular attractions or paying a visit to a close relative then this is the type of visa you should apply for.
• Austria business visa – This is for foreigners who want to travel to Austria for business purposes such as negotiations or meetings.
• Austria medical visa – If you are sick and are looking to find medical assistance in Austria then you might require a medical visa.
• Austria study visa – This visa is for students who want to study in Austria’s educational institutions such as universities.
• Austria cultural visa – If you are planning to travel to Austria to attend some cultural activities then you will require a cultural visa.

Required documents for an Austrian visa

When applying for an Austria visa you should make sure to submit the following documents:

• The application form of the type of visa you are applying for
• Passport size photos
• A valid passport document
• Copies of other travel documents you have had in the past
• Cover letter stating why you are traveling to Austria
• Itinerary of your flight
• Insurance of traveling
• Evidence of accommodation
• Civil status
• Evidence of financial statements

If you are employed then you will also submit:

• Your contract
• Bank statements
• Certificate of income tax return

If you are studying:

• Registration evidence
• No objection letter

If you are a freelancer or self-employed:

• The license of the kind of business you attend
• Bank statements
• Income tax return

Additional requirements for Austria visa types

Tourist visa

If you are traveling to Austria for tourism purposes then you are required to have the following documents:

• Your bank statements
• Your itinerary stating what you are going to do in Austria, your travel purposes, places you are going to visit, and more.
• Evidence that you have sufficient funds for your stay in Austria

If you are visiting someone in Austria then you will also require to submit an invitation letter from the host. The invitation letter should include personal information of the host such as their name and surname, their birth date, place of birth, address, passport number, and more.

Business visa

The documents required for a business visa to Austria are:

• A letter from your employer inviting you 
• A letter stating your travel purposes
• Bank statements of the business
• License of trading
• Evidence of sufficient funds for your stay in Austria

Medical visa

A medical visa will be granted if you travel to Austria for health assistance. The documents required for this visa are:

• A medical report
• Medical attestation 
• Receipt of the fees
• Verification of the treatment 
• Evidence of sufficient funds during your stay

Cultural visa

This visa is granted if you are traveling in Austria with your crew to watch a sports match, a movie or travel for religious purposes.

The documents you need to submit are:

• Information of the event you are attending 
• Letter of invitation for the event you are going to attend
• Documents of each crew member (if you are traveling in a team)
• Evidence of participation in other events (if had any)

How to apply for Austria visa?

There are a few steps you need to take in order to apply for a visa to Austria. Follow this guideline to find out how to apply for an Austrian visa.

1. First of all you should know the place you should apply at. This can for example be at an embassy or consulate.
2. Make sure that you know the type of visa you want to apply for.
3. Gather every required documentation.
4. Schedule an appointment with the embassy or consulate.
5. After the interview, be patient for an answer and for your visa to be processed if it is accepted.

How long does an Austria visa take?

For an Austria visa, it can generally take around 15 days. However, there are some times where you have to wait longer depending on a few factors such as the season, number of applications, and your particular situation.

Sometimes it can even take up to a month for a visa to be processed that’s why we suggest applying as soon as possible if you plan to travel to Austria.

What are the Austrian visa fees?

An Austria visa fee will depend on the age of the applicant.

• For adults, a visa can cost about 80 EUR.
• For minors from 6 to 12 years old, it can cost 40 EUR.
• As for children who are under the age of 6, the visa application is free of charge.

Austria visa photo requirements

When applying for a visa to Austria you will be asked a passport size photo, also known as a biometric photo which has its own requirements. These requirements must be met in order for your visa application to be accepted. If the photo does not meet the requirements then chances are that your application may get rejected.

An Austria visa should have the following requirements:

• A size of 35mm x 45mm
• Should be in color and not black and white
• The background of the photo should be white in color
• Make sure to look directly into the camera
• Have a neutral facial expression, eyes open, and your mouth closed
• Glasses are only acceptable if they do not create impurities in your face
• Headgear is not allowed except for religious purposes
• The photo should have a DPI of 600
• Do not damage your photo and make sure to print it in high-quality paper
• Beard is allowed if you have one
• Wear something that does not create a contract with the background

How to take a visa photo at home?

Taking a passport-size picture for your Austria visa is not that difficult. In fact, you can easily do it from home. All you have to do is downloading our application in your GooglePlay or AppStore. 

After downloading it, take a picture and upload it to our photo validator.

After a few seconds, your photo will be automatically adjusted to meet the requirements. The photo will be cropped to the required size and the background will automatically be removed.

For more information regarding how to take a perfect passport-sized photo, we invite you to read our blog articles which can help you furthermore.