FAQ Living in Austria

Information for researchers can be found at EURAXESS Austria and in the

› Guide to Residence and Employment of International Researchers in Austria (pdf); this Guide is currently being revised.

› Guide to Entry and Employment for International Students (pdf); this Guide is currently being revised.

› Researcher's Guide to Austria (pdf); this Guide is currently being revised.

General information is available at the governmental help site. More detailed information is available in the German version.

If you are going to stay in Austria for more than 3 months you have to register with the competent municipal authority (Magistrat, Bezirkshauptmannschaft) within 4 months of your stay and you will receive a confirmation of registration.

The fee is 15 euros; additional fees may occur.

Visas for researchers are free of charge.

You will need one of these visas:

• a travel visa C ("Schengen visa") for gainful employment: for stays in Austria for a maximum of 90 days within 180 days or

• a residence visa D for gainful employment: for stays in Austria of at least 91 days up to a maximum of 6 months

You have to apply for this visa in person at the competent Austrian representative authority (embassy, consulate-general) in your country of residence before travelling to Austria.

A visa for gainful employment is also required for researchers who are generally entitled to visa-free entry.

What do I need for a research stay in Austria when I am a third country citizen and want to stay more than 6 months?

If you have concluded a hosting agreement (Aufnahmevereinbarung) with your Austrian research institution, you can apply for a “Residence Permit - Researcher” within Austria.

Researchers without a hosting agreement can apply for a “Residence Permit – Special Cases of Gainful Employment” within Austria.

A travel visa C allows you to travel throughout the whole Schengen area within its validity. A residence visa D allows you to travel to other Schengen member states up to 90 days within 180 days during its validity.

No, visas are not prolongable! The only exception possible would be in case of severe health problems.

Schengen member states are those states which are participants of the Schengen Agreement, a multilateral treaty. The Agreement states removal of border controls of persons between the participating countries.

Schengen countries are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Generally the fees for a residence permit are € 120, individual additional fees may occur.

“Residence permit – Researcher”:

Researchers may submit their application for a “Residence Permit – Researcher” in person at the locally competent residence authority in Austria after entering Austria with a visa, entry without the need for a visa or entry with a residence title of another Schengen country. Alternatively they can apply for it at the competent Austrian representative authority in their country of residence (in this case longer processing times have to be expected).

“Residence permit – Specials cases of gainful employment”:

Researchers may submit the application for a “Residence Permit – Special Cases of Gainful Employment” in person at the locally competent residence authority in Austria after entering Austria with a visa, entry without the need for a visa or entry with a residence title of another Schengen country. Alternatively they can submit their application at the competent Austrian representative authority in their country of residence (in this case longer processing times have to be expected).

As a rule, we recommend you to turn in your application about 3-6 months prior to your planned stay in Austria.

Generally residence permits are valid for 12 months; a “Residence Permit - Researcher" can also be issued for two years.

Residence permits can be extended in Austria.

You have to apply for an extention before the original permit expires. You may stay in Austria until a decision about the renewal has been taken (even after expiry of your original permit).

A residence permit allows you to travel to other Schengen member states up to 90 days within 180 days during its validity.

For researchers, inclusive doctoral candidates, visiting scientists or lecturers at universities, academies, research organisations or universities of applied sciences the OeAD-Housing Office (OeAD WohnraumverwaltungsGmbH) provides accommodation (small apartments or places in student dorms).

Furthermore you can either rent a place on your own initiative or rent an apartment/a house from the university (if available), or buy a place. Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages. In general, prices for housing will rise from east to west – with the exception of Vienna which is in the East but more expensive than its surroundings. However, prices in Vienna are lower than the prices of other western European capital cities. Advertisements in newspapers are a good way to find an accommodation; but without contacting an agent the apartment hunt can be quite time consuming. If you contact an agent, s/he can only charge you a commission for having arranged a place for you. The commission fee is usually the equivalent of the rental fee of 2 or 3 months of the respective place. For further information please refer to www.help.gv.at under the topic "housing".