Austria student visa guide

Nationals of third countries admitted to a degree programme at an Austrian university or other higher education institution need a Residence Permit - Student. In most cases you apply in person at the competent Austrian embassy in your country of residence, wait for the Austrian residence authority to decide, then collect a visa D to enter and collect the permit card. Funds must be shown for twelve months in advance.

Use the guide below as a planning reference, then check the official source before you pay anything or submit an application.

Tips from experience

• Start legalisation and translation first, because it takes the longest.
• Use the under 24 or 24 and over figure that applies to your age on the application date.
• Submit everything together with the application to avoid the extra 90 days.
• Keep records of where the money came from, because the authority may ask for six months of statements.
• Aim for at least 16 ECTS credits (8 semester hours) per academic year so your renewal is not at risk.

Documents most applicants need are marked required. Others depend on your case or on what the office asks for. Build a printable checklist.

• Valid passport Required

  Copy of all pages for a first application.

• Passport photograph Required

  ICAO standard, 3.5 x 4.5 cm, not older than 6 months.

• Admission letter (Zulassungsbescheid) Required

• Proof of funds Required

  Twelve months, in your own account, or a guarantee or scholarship.

• Proof of accommodation Required

  Lease, residence confirmation or housing right agreement.

• Health insurance covering all risks Required

• Police clearance certificate Required

  Not older than 3 months, legalised and translated.

• Application form Required

• Proof of fee payment Required

• Legalised, translated civil documents If asked

  Birth certificate and similar documents if requested.

Indicative government fees only. School fees, translations, tests, courier and service charges are extra.

Living funds

€1,308 a month for 12 months (€15,701)

Basis

For 2026 the OeAD lists EUR 722.58 per month for students under 24 and EUR 1,308.39 per month for students aged 24 or over, to be proved for twelve months in advance. The calculation uses the higher figure, so students under 24 should use EUR 722.58.

Tuition included

No, add your first year tuition

Funds must sit in a savings book or bank account in your own name that is accessible from Austria, or be covered by a declaration of guarantee from a person resident in the EU, or a scholarship confirmation. If accommodation costs more than EUR 386.43 a month (2026), you must prove additional funds, and you must also prove funds for health insurance. Students under 24 can show EUR 722.58 x 12 = about EUR 8,671 for the year. Check the current figure with the embassy.

Typical decision time

The residence authority decides within 90 days of a complete file, and the period is extended by a further 90 days if more documents must be submitted. After you are told the application is accepted you have three months to apply for visa D.

How early you can apply

OeAD advises submitting the first application six months in advance if possible. You need your admission letter (Zulassungsbescheid), or a conditional admission if an entrance exam is required.

Latest sensible time to apply

Submit at least three months before your planned entry, and note that an embassy appointment may need to be booked online first and can take time.

1. 1

   Get your admission letter

   Apply to an Austrian university, university of applied sciences or other recognised institution and obtain the Zulassungsbescheid. If an entrance exam is required, a conditional admission can be used for the first application.

2. 2

   Arrange funds and housing

   Prove twelve months of funds in an account in your name (or a guarantee or scholarship) and show where you will live with a lease, student residence confirmation or housing right agreement.

3. 3

   Arrange health insurance

   Show health insurance covering all risks in Austria. Student insurance after entry is accepted as proof for the application.

4. 4

   Legalise and translate documents

   Get your police clearance certificate (not older than 3 months) and civil documents legalised, then translated into German by a sworn translator. Start early because legalisation can take weeks.

5. 5

   Book an appointment and apply in person

   Book through the Austrian embassy competent for Nigeria, which is in Abuja, and submit the full file in person with the EUR 218 fee. Confirm the embassy's booking method before you plan.

6. 6

   Wait for the residence authority

   The authority in Austria decides, usually within 90 days. Answer any request for extra documents quickly.

7. 7

   Apply for visa D

   Within three months of being told the application is accepted, apply at the embassy for a visa D, valid for four months, to enter Austria.

8. 8

   Collect your permit in Austria

   Collect the permit card within six months of the notification, and within the visa validity, then keep your studies on track to renew.

Work and post study rules change often. Confirm them on the official source before you plan around them.

• Funds were below the required monthly amount or were not available for twelve months.
• The account was not in the applicant's name or not accessible from Austria.
• No proof of accommodation, or accommodation costs above the allowance without extra funds.
• Police certificate or documents not legalised and translated correctly.
• The file was incomplete when submitted.
• Studies were not a degree programme or were only individual courses.

Refused before? Read what to do after a visa refusal.