Studying in Austria

What a year costs

Public universities charge non-EU students €726.72 per semester, about €1,453 a year, according to the Federal Ministry of Science. Students from least developed countries can be exempt. On top of that, every student pays the ÖH fee (student union and accident insurance) of €25.20 per semester. Study in Austria quotes the combined figure: €751.92 per semester.

Universities of applied sciences set their own fees, and private universities charge considerably more: ask the institution directly.

Living costs. Study in Austria gives about €1,300 a month, based on the 2025 Student Social Survey: accommodation in a student hall about €450-700, food about €300, and about €500 for studies and personal costs. Vienna is at the top of that range; Graz, Linz, Innsbruck and Salzburg vary.

Health insurance. You need full health cover. The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna gives the cost of student self-insurance with the Austrian public insurer as about €78.84 a month.

The visa

Austria's permit for degree study is the residence permit "Student" (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student). It is a residence permit, not a visa. Most non-EU applicants must apply from abroad, at an Austrian embassy or consulate, before entering. Nationals of visa-exempt countries may instead apply in Austria at the local residence authority after arrival.

The fee is €218, not refunded if you are refused.

The money. You must show that you can support yourself for twelve months in advance. The 2026 amounts:

• Under 24: €722.58 a month, €8,670.96 for the year
• 24 and over: €1,308.39 a month, €15,700.68 for the year

These amounts assume housing costs of up to €386.43 a month. If your rent is higher, you must show more to cover the difference. For most students in Vienna this means the real figure is higher than the headline one, so add the gap between your actual rent and €386.43 for every month.

Processing. The authority has 90 days to decide, extended by another 90 days if documents are missing. OeAD advises applying about six months in advance. Once approved, you have three months to apply for the D visa to travel and six months to collect the permit card in Austria.

Renewal. To renew each year you must show study progress. The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna gives the requirement as 16 ECTS credits, or eight semester hours, in the previous academic year.

Working while you study

You may work up to 20 hours a week. Your employer must obtain an employment permit before you start; OeAD states it is granted without a labour market test. During the summer and winter breaks, more hours are usually possible.

Do not start any job before your employer has the permit. Working without one puts your residence permit at risk.

After you graduate

After completing your degree, you can renew your student permit for twelve months to look for work or set up a business.

If you find a job, you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card for graduates of Austrian universities. The conditions:

• You completed at least a bachelor's, a master's, a doctorate, or a diploma programme from its second stage, at an Austrian university or accredited institution
• The job matches your qualification level and comes with a work contract from a named employer
• You are paid at least the locally customary gross salary that comparable Austrian graduates would receive
• You meet the general conditions, including health insurance and sufficient means

Language

Most bachelor's programmes at public universities are taught in German, and you must prove German at the level your university sets before full admission. English-taught programmes are mostly at master's and doctoral level. English requirements are set by each programme.

German matters outside the lecture hall too: residence authorities, landlords and most part-time employers work in German. If you want to stay after graduating, reach a professional level of German before your final year.

When to apply

Dates are set by each university. At the University of Vienna, the admission periods for third-country nationals were 22 June to 3 August 2026 for winter semester 2026/27, and 16 November 2026 to 7 January 2027 for summer semester 2027. Programmes with entrance procedures, such as psychology, medicine and many arts programmes, have much earlier registration dates, often in spring.

Do not work to the university deadline alone. The permit needs about six months, and the authority has up to 90 days. For an October start, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna warns that if you do not submit your permit application in July you may not arrive in time. Apply to your university as early as the window opens, and file the permit application the day you have your admission letter.

What to watch out for

The permit takes longer than the admission cycle allows. A university deadline in August and a 90-day permit decision do not fit together for an October start. Use the earliest admission window you can.

The headline funds figure understates the real one. It assumes rent of €386.43 a month. Vienna student rooms commonly cost more, and every euro above that must be covered in your proof of funds.

Age 24 nearly doubles the requirement. At 24 or over you must show €1,308.39 a month rather than €722.58. If your birthday falls just before your application, plan for the higher figure.

A fee rise is being discussed. In September 2026 NEOS, one of the three coalition parties, proposed raising the non-EU fee from €726.72 to €2,500 a semester, as part of talks on Austria's higher education strategy, due by the end of the first quarter of 2027. It is not government policy and would need a change to the Universities Act. If you are planning a degree that runs past 2027, factor in the risk.

Study progress is checked every year. Fewer than 16 ECTS in a year can cost you your permit renewal.

Housing. Student halls in Vienna fill early and the private market asks for deposits. Do not transfer a deposit for a room you have not verified. Your address is needed to register residence within three days of moving in, which you need for the permit card.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it. The monthly funds amounts are updated every January, and the fee proposal was not law when we checked.