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• Entry for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens

  EU/EEA and Swiss citizens only require a valid passport or ID card to enter Austria.
  Those who stay in Austria for more than three months are obliged to apply for a Confirmation of Registration ("Anmeldebescheinigung") at the Municipal Department 35 (Immigration and Citizenship, "Magistratsabteilung 35, Einwanderung, Staatsbürgerschaft").
  This registration is required in addition to the registration of your residence at the Municipal District Office!

  The registration has to be conducted within four months of your arrival in Austria.

  You must register at
  Magistratsabteilung 35 Fachbereich Einwanderung Referat 5.0 - Außenstelle EWR (if your address in Vienna is in one of the districts 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 23)

  or Magistratsabteilung 35 Fachbereich Einwanderung Referat 5.1 - Außenstelle EWR (if your address in Vienna is in one of the districts 1, 2, 9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, or 22)

   

  For the application you will need the following documents – originals and copies:

  • Form "Anmeldebescheinigung und Bescheinigung des Daueraufenthalts für Personen mit EWR- oder Schweizer Staatsangehörigkeit" (see "Formular")
  • Valid ID card or passport
  • Proof of adequate health insurance cover (e.g. European Health Insurance card)
  • Confirmation of admission by the university ("Certificate of Arrival" – will be given to you at the International Office – and your student ID card)
  • Proof of sufficient financial means (e.g. scholarship, bank account statement, confirmation from parents regarding maintenance payments).
    For students under 24 years of age: ~ € 553 per month,
    For students over 24 years of age: ~ € 1000 per month
    (plus the costs of accommodation if the rent exceeds ~ € 304 per month)
  • Payment of the administrative fee (“Ausstellungsgebühr”), currently ~ € 29

   

  Further information:

  Information by the Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD)
• Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries

  Exchange students who are citizens of non-EU/EEA countries (third countries) might require a visa for Austria, even if they have a residence permit from another European country.

  Please note that incoming students and trainees are responsible for applying for a visa themselves. The International Office is not involved in the application process. As processing a visa application may take several weeks or even months, we strongly advise you to file your application as soon as possible.

  There are different regulations depending on how long you wish to stay in Austria:

  • Entry into Austria, stays up to 6 months:
    If you are going to stay in Austria for less than 6 months, you require either a Schengen Travel Visa C ("Reisevisum C, Schengenvisum") or a National Visa D (for stays in Austria of between 91 days and 6 months).
  • Stays for more than 6 months:
    Third country citizens who do not have a residence permit from another EU member state and who wish to reside in Austria for more than 6 months require a Residence Permit for Students ("Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierender").

  You might need your admission letter to apply for your visa. You will receive your admission letter by 15 July (for stays beginning in the winter term) or 15 December (for stays beginning in the summer term) at the latest. Should you require proof that you have been admitted to the University of Vienna prior to this, you can request a letter of acceptance (including an original copy if required) via e-mail.

  If you need the original copy of your Learning Agreement, please contact your mobility coordinator in good time.

   

  Further information:

  Information by the Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OeAD)
• Registration of your residence

  According to the Registration Law ("Österreichisches Meldegesetz"), everybody is obliged to register their residence in Austria with the authorities within three days of their arrival in Vienna at the Municipal District Office ("Magistratisches Bezirksamt"). There are no exceptions to this rule. The obligation to register applies for everybody, regardless of their citizenship.
  Additionally, any change of residential address has to be reported to the registration office within three working days, any change of other data has to be reported within one month. Please keep your residence registration document ("Meldezettel") as you will require it for all kinds of applications.
  You must also de-register with the authorities before you leave Austria.

   

  Registration Procedure

  You can register your residence at any Municipal District Office ("Magistratisches Bezirksamt") or at the Municipal Department 62 ("Magistratsabteilung 62, Zentrales Meldeservice"). You can arrange an appointment for the registration online, however, this is not mandatory.
  To register you need the following documents:

  • Completed residence registration form ("Meldezettel") signed by your landlord (Help for completing the form (in English))
  • The travel document which you used to enter Austria (e.g. passport)

  The following only applies to Erasmus+ trainees:
  After registering your residence you will receive a residence registration document ("Meldezettel"). You must send a scan of the residence registration document to the Human Resources Department.

  
  Main residence/secondary residence

  During registration you must register your address as your main ("Hauptwohnsitz") or your secondary residence ("Nebenwohnsitz"). The term "main residence" in the residence registration form ("Meldezettel") refers to the accommodation around which somebody has centred their life and personal relations. If this applies to several places of residence, the one to which you have the closest personal relationship will be regarded as your main residence, while the others are secondary residences. To determine somebody’s focal point of life, various criteria need to be considered, such as how long they are planning to stay there and the location of the educational establishment.
  If they register Vienna as their main residence, incoming students are eligible to buy the student semester ticket for public transport.

  
  Further information:

  Information from the Viennese authorities regarding registering your residence

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• European Health Insurance Card / e-card replacement certificate

  With the EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card), all EU/EEA citizens have the same entitlements in Austria as an insured Austrian. The EHIC card entitles you to see a doctor with the right health insurance contract ("Kassenarzt") in Austria and to receive free medical treatment for all treatments which are medically necessary during your stay in Austria. Regular medical check-ups or screenings are not covered. 

  Students from Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, North Macedonia or Montenegro receive the form TR/A3, SRB/A3, BIH/A3, MK/A3 or YU/A3 in their home country. They can exchange this form for an "e-card replacement certificate" ("e-card Ersatzbeleg") at the Wiener Gebietskrankenkasse to see a doctor with the right health insurance contract ("Kassenarzt") in Austria and to receive free medical treatment for all treatments which are medically necessary during their stay in Austria. Regular medical check-ups or screenings are not covered.
• Student self-insurance

  Students who do not have compulsory public health insurance but have taken up residence in Austria can take out a student self-insurance policy with the Österreischiche Gesundheitskassa (ÖGK). The student self-insurance policy can be obtained by any international student, regardless of their nationality. Students from non-EU/EEA countries who arrive in Vienna early in September or February (in order to attend a German course, for example) can only apply for this insurance plan from 1 October or 1 March, respectively.

  The insurance premium is currently € 69.13 per month. This insurance enables you to receive medical treatment free of charge. This, however, applies exclusively to treatments which are medically necessary during your stay in Austria. Regular medical check-ups or screenings are not covered. 

  You will need the following documents to apply:

  • The completed application form
  • Up-to-date enrolment documents ("Studienblatt" and "Studienbestätigung")
  • Photo ID or passport (containing any visa for Austria)
  • Confirmation of registration from your Municipal District Office ("Magistratisches Bezirksamt") 

  You can either submit your application to the Headquarter of the Österreichische Gesundheitskassa in Vienna or to one of the branches in the districts. The branches, however, do not process your application but just forward it to the headquarters, which prolongs the process. If you require the insurance as soon as possible, you might want to submit your application to their headquarters directly.

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• Halls of residence

  Exchange students can benefit from collaborations between the University of Vienna and the following halls of residence operators:

  • Room in a hall of residence via WIHAST
    Simple, affordable rooms, easy handling of the booking procedure
    -> Further details
  • Room in a hall of residence via STUWO
    Special offer primarily aimed at exchange students who are going to arrive in Vienna at the beginning of September
    -> Further details
  • Room in a hall of residence via INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RESIDENCE STAARGASSE
    Spacious apartments with loggia and close to recreational areas, quota for international students
    -> Further details
  • Room in a hall of residence via OeAD-Housing Office
    Places in different categories and from various hall of residence operators
    -> Further details

  Alternatively you can also search for a place in any other hall of residence. Here is a list of halls of residence in Vienna (list by Austrian Students' Union of not-for-profit housing providers, in German only, may be incomplete). Information on living in a hall of residence is provided in a guide by the Austrian Students' Union.

  
  Collecting your keys

  Please note that in a lot of halls of residence keys can only be collected during certain office hours. Please inform yourself about the terms and conditions that apply as they vary depending on the different halls of residence. 
• Private accommodation

  • HousingAnywhere.com
    The University of Vienna has a cooperation with the international housing platform HousingAnywhere.com, which enables students to find a room or a flat for their stay abroad for short periods of time.

   

  Other useful links for finding accommodation:

  • ÖH Wohnungsbörse (Housing exchange of the Austrian Students’ Union)
  • wg-gesucht.de
• Help with housing problems

  In the event of serious problems in connection with your housing situation (e.g. rental contract, annual operating costs statement or refund of the deposit), you can turn to either of the following:

  • Tenants' Assistance ("Mieterhilfe")
  • Housing Promotion and Arbitration Board for Legal Housing Matters MA 50
    ("Schlichtungsstelle für wohnrechtliche Angelegenheiten")