Entry and Residence Permits

To facilitate timely and accurate dissemination of information to the public regarding applying for a visa, the Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles launched a Visa Information Service. 

Applicants are able to call the service to obtain information regarding applying for entry and residence permits.

The benefits of the new service are that the applicant:

• may speak with an operator who will be able to answer questions about visa requirements and application procedures from the convenience of their home or office.
• may prepare and plan ahead for their application.

To access the service, applicants have to call 1-323-704-4573 from Los Angeles or (43)(1)2297210 from Austria and either provide a Visa or MasterCard credit card for a fee of  12,73 Euros.  By paying this fee, the caller will be connected to an operator who is able to provide the information that will be required by the Austrian Consulate General.

The Visa Information Service is available in German and English.  Operating hours are from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm PST, Monday through Friday.

Information about Austrian visa information may also be obtained from the Austrian Foreign Ministry website at http://www.bmeia.gv.at/.

The Visa Information Service is operated on behalf of the Austrian Ministry by CSC.

The following overview should give you an idea whether you will need an entry permit (visa) or a residence permit to enter Austria. U.S. citizens do not need an entry permit (visa) to stay in Austria as either tourists or on a business trip for a period of up to three months. (If you enter Austria under the Visa Waiver Program, you are not allowed to take up any employment there.)

Starting January 1, 2006, it is the length of your stay in Austria that determines whether you must apply for an entry permit (visa) or a residence permit.

If you plan to take up employment in Austria, even if it is just a temporary or short-term one, please make sure that you obtain in advance all the necessary work authorization papers and (if you are not self-employed) a letter from your employer. Without proper papers, neither a visa nor a residence permit will be issued.

Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles
11859 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 501
Los Angeles, CA 90025

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Pacific Islands.

If you do not reside in one of these states, you must apply at the office of the Austrian representation responsible for your state. We only accept applications within the consular jurisdiction of the Consulate (see above). Beside the Austrian Embassy, Consular Section in Washington DC, there are two more Austrian Consulates General in the United States.

Austrian Embassy in Washington D.C. - Consular Section
3524 International Court N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
www.austria.org

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands and Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

Austrian Consulate General in Chicago
400 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 707
Chicago, IL 60611
www.austria-chicago.org

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Austrian Consulate General in New York
31 East 69th Street
New York, N.Y. 10021
www.austria-ny.org

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Bermudas.

An entry permit (visa) is issued to individuals who plan to go to Austria on a temporary basis. The stay must not exceed six months (in most cases) and you do not intend to take up any employment in Austria. An entry permit is, in general, not a work authorization. However, starting January 1, 2006, some exceptions to this rule--mainly concerning certain temporary job assignments--come into effect.

If you answer yes to one of the following questions, you will most likely need an entry permit (visa) to enter Austria.

• Do you pass through Austria in (airport) transit?
• Do you intend to temporarily visit Austria as a tourist or to see friends or relatives who live in Austria?
• Are you on a (short-term) business trip to Austria?
• Will you take part in a conference or a seminar in Austria?
• Will you attend a German language course (up to six months)?
• Do you plan to study or to do an internship in Austria for up to six months?
• Will you be working as a guest professor at an Austrian university for one semester?

A residence permit is issued to foreign nationals who plan to stay in Austria for more than six months.

If you answer yes to one of the following questions, you will most likely need a residence permit in order to both come to and stay in Austria.

• Do you plan to move to Austria permanently because you are retiring or you are married to an Austrian citizen?
• Will you be transferred to your company's office in Austria for more than six months?
• Do you plan to study at a university/college or to attend school (grade 1-12) in Austria fora period exceeding six months?
• Will you be working as a researcher (as stipulated by Austria's "Alien Employment Act") at an Austrian university for more than six months?
• Do you plan to take up a one-year-job as an "au-pair" in Austria?