Visa and Residence Information for the CEU Vienna Campus (Austria)
Visa and residence permit applications can only be processed by the Austrian immigration authorities. You can find your nearest Austrian representation office here. The office for immigration in Vienna is the MA 35. CEU PU is not allowed to apply for a visa or residence permit on behalf of students, nor are we legally entitled to make inquiries with relevant authorities on the student's behalf. Please follow the steps on this page for application instructions and recommendations.
First time applicants
Step 1: Find out what kind of document you need before entering Austria
- Non-EU (European Union) and Non-EEA (European Economic Area) nationals (third-country nationals): find out if you need a visa to enter Austria. Please check this OeAD list to see if you have the right to a 90 day visa-free stay. If you need a visa to enter Austria, please submit your student residence permit application in your home country as soon as you receive your confirmation of acceptance for visa purposes (see Step 2 below).
- Students who can enter 90 day visa-free or hold a residence permit from another Schengen country may apply in Austria. ATTENTION: Applying in Austria does not allow you to overstay the 90 days visa free time. For that reason we strogly recommend you only apply in Austria if you have prepared all your documents before entering Austria and have request an appointment at the immigration authority. If you exceed your visa-free stay before your residence permit has been approved, you will need to leave the Schengen area until you receive your student residence permit.
- EU or EEA citizens: You do not need a visa, nor a residence permit to reside in Austria, however, you must apply for a Confirmation of Registration (Anmeldebescheinigung) within four months of your arrival in Austria. You can find further information on the government website.
Step 2: Get an appointment
Please get an appointment at your local Austrian embassy or consulate, or at the MA 35 office in Vienna. The appointment at the embassy should be scheduled as soon as you have accepted your CEU offer of acceptance. You need to apply in person*. If you are applying at the MA 35, please note that you can get an appointment eight weeks in advance. We recommend you get an appointment at the MA35 for the middle of September.
*Please note: you may need to visit the embassy multiple times before your application is approved.
Step 3: Prepare all required documents for the application, listed here. Please make sure that your police clearance certificate needs to be legalized and translated by a certified court translator. A Confirmation of Acceptance document will be made available on your applicant portal once you have officially accepted an offer of admission.
Step 4: Wait for approval from the MA35. You will recieve an E-Mail once the decision has been made.
Step 5*: Apply for a visa D to enter Austria with.
Step 6*: Travel to Austria and apply for an appointment at MA35.
Step 7: Prepare the documents to pick up your residence permit.
Step 8: Pick up the residence permit and bring all required documents to your appointment.
*in case you need a visa to enter Austria.
Extension of residence permit (renewals)
If you need to renew your Austrian student residence permit, please follow the instructions here.
Want to find out what kind of residence permit or visa you need?
Follow the flowchart below to see if you need a residence permit or a visa. The flowchart will also show you when and how you should apply for a residence permit.
