Entry Permits (Visa)

ALL visa applicants must appear in person at the Austrian Consulate General.

If you come to Austria as a tourist, pass through Austria in transit, visit friends and/or relatives in Austria, or are on business trip AND your are citizen of one of the visa-exempt countries (see below) you need NOT  to apply for a visa to enter Austria (and the Schengen zone) for a stay up to 90 days. Please remember that, in general, you are NOT allowed to take up any employment during you visafree stay.

However, while a visa is not a work permit by itself, there are certain, clearly defined circumstances under which the holder of a valid D visa may work temporarily in Austria.

In any case, the passport must be valid for three more months beyond the date of leaving Austria (and the Schengen zone).

Please note that both your nationality (= citizenship) and the passport you hold determine whether or not you must apply for a visa.

• Holders of Alien Passports and Refugee´s Travel Documents, issued by the United States (USA), need a visa for Austria. 

Due to bi- and multilateral agreements, individuals who hold a valid regular passport of one of the following countries are visa-exempt and need NOT apply for a visa to enter Austria for stays of up to 90 days. The possibility to enter Austria visa-free does not grant you the right to work there.

All EU member countries and the following countries: Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, St. Christoph and Nevis, Switzerland, South Korea, Taiwan (only Passports with ID-number) United States (USA), Uruguay, Venezuela.

Schengen Agreement
Austria is a member of the Schengen Agreement which has lead to the disappearance of internal border controls. With a Schengen visa, you may travel freely throughout the Schengen zone.

The following countries are members of the Schengen Agreement:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakiac, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

I) Airport Transit Visa (Visa A)

Passengers who are not visa-exempt under the Visa Waiver Program and travel from the US (or any other non-Schengen country) via Austria to another non-Schengen country do not need a visa, if they do not leave the transit area of the airport. If travelling from Austria via other Schengen countries (even if only to change planes), passengers from the countries (without a Green Card) mentioned below, will have to leave the transit area of the airport and therefore do need an airport transit visa (Visa A) or a Schengen visa (Visa C). This means passengers must have a direct connection flight from Austria to a non-Schengen country.  

Holders of passports of one the countries listed below who do not have a valid "Green Card" must apply for an airport transit visa (Visa A) even if they merely change planes in Austria without actually leaving the transit area of the airport:

• Afghanistan
• Bangladesh
• Dem. Rep. of Congo
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Iran
• Iraq
• Liberia
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Somalia
• Sri Lanka

II) Travel Visa (Visa C)

If you plan to go to Austria as a tourist, to visit friends or on a business trip for a period not exceeding 90 days and your country does not participate in the Visa Waiver Program, you need a Schengen travel visa (Visa C). This visa is not a work permit.

Please note that in order to apply for a travel visa at the Austrian Consulate, your only destination(longest duration of stay) must be Austria. In absence of a main destination, Austria must be your first point of entry into the Schengen zone.

III) Visitor Visa (Visa D)

If you intend to stay in Austria for more than 90 but less than 180 days as a tourist, student, on a business trip, to visit friends or relatives, or you intend to take up short term employment (less than 6 months) AND you are neither an EU nor an EFTA citizen, you need a national Austrian visitor visa (Visa D). The Visa D entitles you to stay up to 90 days in 6 months in the other Schengen countries.  A Visa D will allow you to work temporarily under clearly specified circumstances (e.g. artist or entertainer on short-term engagement) in Austria. It is not a work permit per se and, as such, does not allow you to take up any employment you like. Please note that you need the visa D to legally take up your temporary employment (as outlined above) even if you are allowed to enter Austria without a visa and your stay does not exceed three months.

You must provide the Consulate with all documents and additional authorizations required; otherwise, the visa will not be issued.

 Application procedure:

Before you fill out a visa application, please make sure that you need not apply for a residence permit to go to Austria. Please note: You have to reside in one of these states in order to apply at the Austrian Consulate General in New York: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Bermuda

• The Austrian Consulate General will accept only complete visa applications.
• The consular fee has to be paid at the time you submit your application and is non-refundable if the Visa application has been accepted.  
• According to the Visakodex the application process can take up to 15 calender days. Inquiries about the status will not be answered earlier.
• Visa applications are advised to be submitted at least 3-4 weeks prior departure. If the application is handed in less than 15 calender days before departure, issuance of the visa on time cannot be guaranteed.
• Applications cannot be submitted more than 3 months prior departure.
• ALL visa applicants must appear in person at the Austrian Consulate. The Austrian Consulate General does not accept visa applications by mail.
  Address: Austrian Consulate General, 31 East 69th Street (between Park & Madison Ave), New York, NY 10021
  Public hours: Monday through Fridays, 9 am to 12 noon; no appointment necessary; Austrian Legal Holidays    
• If you wish to have your documents returned by US Postal Service please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (including filled out Certified Mail Receipt) with your application. Documents will not be returned for C.O.D. The Austrian Consulate General will not be responsible for documents after they were mailed.
• Please note that there is no legal claim on obtaining the visa applied for. In the event that changes are made to the application after it was received, additional fees may be charged.
• If you do not reside in the United States of America (e.g. being in the U.S. as a tourist), you cannot apply for a visa at the Austrian Consulate General in New York. You must apply for the visa at the Austrian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence.

The following documents (if applicable) must be presented when applying for a visa:

1. valid and signed passport or travel document
   (Passport/travel document must be valid for at least three months beyond date of leaving Schengen zone. Further, first passport issuance date must not be longer than 10 years ago. In the case of minors, notarized signature of parent or guardian is required.)
2. the visa application form, completed and signed
3. two recent passport pictures. They strictly have to meet the following criteria  Recommended photographer in NYC:
   Columbia Photo
   3 West 51st Street (btw. 5th and 6th Av)
   Phone 212 245 8058
   
   Photographer in Albany: www.timraabnorthern.com)
   Max. head size 1.4 inch (36 mm), min. eye distance 0.3 inch (8mm)
4. travel itinerary (showing dates of travel) for complete journey 
5. airline reservation (original airline and/or train tickets, fully paid rental car and hotel reservations must be presented when visa is picked up)
6. proof of travel insurance or health/accident insurance providing coverage in the Schengen countries: stating name of insurant, typ of coverage (medical emergencies including repatriation) and amount of coverage (minimum USD 50,000), including extra coverage of min. 15 calender days before your arrival or after your departure
7. original "Green Card" (notarized copy not accepted) or US visa with I-94 affixed to passport
   (must be valid for at least three more months beyond date of leaving Schengen zone)
8. Proof of financial means (e.g. scholarship, letter of grants, bank statement of last two months, other proof of income)
9. visas of countries you intend to visit after your stay in Austria
10. one set of fotocopies of all supporting documents including copy of the passport and copy of the "Green Card" or US visa (without application form)

In addition to the above mentioned documents the following items must be submitted:

If you are traveling to Austria as a tourist:

• confirmed hotel-reservation
• confirmation of tour if apiccable
• recent bank-statement, stamped and signed by your bank
• letter of continued employment and recent statement of income

If you are visiting friends or family without own sufficient financial means:

• Electronic letter of guarantee (*Elektronische Verpflichtungserklaerung*) which the host has to file with the Austrian Alien's Police (Fremdenpolizei) and will be sent to the Austrian Consulate General electronically (no additional documents of the host necessary).

If you are visiting friends or familiy with own sufficient financial means:

• passport copy of host (if not Austrian citizen additional permit of stay for Austria)
• proof of accommodation: rent (lease contract) or proof of property
• written invitation letter of host person

If you are traveling on business:

If you cannot provide proof of your own sufficient financial means:

• Electronic letter of guarantee (*Elektronische Verpflichtungserklaerung*) which the host has to file with the Austrian Alien's Police (Fremdenpolizei) and will be sent to the Austrian Consulate General electronically (no additional documents of the host necessary).
• original company letter (mentioning the name, position and passport details of the travelling person; explaining the purpose of the trip; mentioning their contact details; detailed itinerary/business schedule; duration)

If you can povide proof of your own sufficient financial means:

• original company letter (mentioning the name, position and passport details of the travelling person; explaining the purpose of the trip; mentioning their contact details; detailed itinerary/business schedule; duration)
• original invitation letter from the Austrian company (mentioning the name, position and passport details of the invited person; explaining the purpose of the trip, mentioning their contact details; detailed itinerary/business schedule; duration

If you are attending a conference:

• original invitation to the conference
• original proof of registration (payment of the registration fee if applicable)
• proof of accommodation
• proof of sufficient financial means or an Electronic letter of Guarantee (*)

If you are participating in a student progam (less than six months):

• original Letter of institution
• original proof of registration
• proof of sufficient financial means (e.g. scholarship, letter of grants, bank statement of last two months [parent's account accepted including supporting letter], other proof of income)
• proof of lodging in Austria (e.g. lease contract, ownership papers)  

*Elektronische Verpflichtungserklaerung* - Electronic Letter of Guarantee:

 Electronic transmission of data to the Embassy/Consulate by the Austrian authority: An individual legally residing in Austria can approach the local authority responsible for visa and residence permits ((Bundespolizeidirektion, Bezirkshauptmannschaft, Polizeikommissariat) in order to sign a financial guarantee for his guest(s), wishing to visit him/her in Austria.

For business invitations, a representative of the inviting company/organisation in Austria has to file for the EVE at the local authority responsible for visa and residence permit in Austria (Bundespolizeidirektion, Bezirkshauptmannschaft, Polizeikommissariat).  The Austrian authority verifies the identity of the host as well as reviewing his/her financial status. Upon completion of the verification process and signing the financial guarantee agreement, an 8-digit ID-number is given to the host. This ID-number is required by the Embassy or Consulate at the time of the application.
Note: The Embassy or Consulate can access the data only 48 hours after the verification process, thus an application should be filed 2 days later only.   

FURTHER DOCUMENTATION MAY BE REQUIRED ON A CASE-TO-CASE BASIS!