Career at the University of Vienna

Arrival for Third-Country Nationals

At a Glance

You need a visa and/or a residence permit to live and work in Austria. The exact permit you need depends on how long you will stay and the nature of your role.

For further information, the following official sources are generally recommended: 

What documents do I need to prepare before leaving for Austria?

The following documents are commonly required for visa and residence permit applications. Collect them before your departure, as some take several weeks to obtain. Please note that this list does not claim to be exhaustive and that additional documents may be requested by the competent authorities.

→ Foreign documents submitted to Austrian authorities generally require legalisation (authentication) and a certified translation. Check the specific requirements for your documents before you leave here: Visa & Document Verification for Austria. 

  • Valid passport (must remain valid for the duration of your stay plus at least three months)
  • Police clearance certificate from your current country of residence (not older than 3 months at the time of application and legalised and afterwards translated)
  • Marriage certificate (if your spouse is accompanying you)
  • Children's birth certificates and school records (if children are accompanying you – school records help with school placement in Vienna)
  • Health insurance documents (You need comprehensive health insurance with a minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 to obtain a visa or residence permit). Check the official government website for List of accepted health insurance providers (Website in German). Researchers who are employed by an Austrian research institution within the framework of a hosting agreement fulfil the requirement of a “health insurance covering all risks” due to the statutory insurance associated with this employment.

Ian Ehm

To top

Permits by length of stay and role

For employment in research (PhD candidates and above), you are advised to apply for a Visa C or D for gainful employment (work visa) at the Austrian representation in your country of residence (Search for Austrian Representations worldwide) before travelling to Austria, even if there is a general right of entry without a visa (PDF). 

If you enter Austria visa-free without a visa for gainful employment, you will not be able to start working until your residence permit has been issued in Austria. This process can take several months.

Required visa and residence permits depending on length of stay:

Stays of up to 90 daysVisa C - Gainful Employment (Visum C zu Erwerbszwecken) - Apply at the Austrian embassy or consulate in your country of residence
Stays from 90 up to 180 daysVisa D - Gainful Employment (Visum D zu Erwerbszwecken)  - Apply at the Austrian embassy or consulate in your country of residence
Stays longer than 180 days

Before arrival Visa D - Gainful Employment (Visum D zu Erwerbszwecken) - Apply at the Austrian embassy or consulate in your country of residence

AND after arrival

  • Settlement Permit - Researcher (Niederlassungsbewilligung Forscher) for scientific research at an Austrian research institution with Hosting Agreement

    OR if not applicable

  • Settlement Permit - Special Cases of Gainful Employment (Niederlassungsbewilligung Sonderfälle unselbständige Erwerbstätigkeit) for scientific research and teaching in Austria without a Hosting Agreement

STEP-BY-STEP-OVERVIEW Settlement Permit – Researcher: 

To work as a researcher/scientific staff (employed PhD candidates and above) at the University of Vienna for more than 180 days.

1

Prepare Documents

Consult the OeAD (Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation) for information on the applicable regulations. You will need a Confirmation of planned employment/Hosting Agreement (Aufnahmevereinbarung) from the University of Vienna. Your faculty liaison officer is your first point of contact.

2

Pre-Arrival: Apply for a Visa D for gainful employment

Apply at the Austrian representation office in your country of residence. This visa is valid for 180 days and allows to start work immediately upon entering Austria. Processing time: typically four to eight weeks. 

3

Within three working days of arrival: Register address in Austria

Registration of residence at a municipal registration office (Meldeservicestelle) for yourself and all accompanying family members. A registration confirmation (Meldezettel) will be issued.

4

As soon as possible after arrival: Apply for Settlement Permit (Niederlassungsbewilligung-Forscher) – Researcher at MA 35

Submit all required documents to the MA 35 Business Immigration Office in Vienna. The authority has eight weeks to decide.

See also information on residence permits and procedures for family members accompanying family members. 

5

After two years: Renew or upgrade 

Renew the Settlement Permit – Researcher (Niederlassungsbewilligung-Forscher), or apply for a Red-White-Red Card Plus (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte Plus) with unrestricted access to all employers in Austria, or EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU). 

  • Prospective scientific employees who already hold a residence permit in another EU country — but not yet an Austrian permit — cannot apply for a work visa (Visa C/D for gainful employment) at Austrian representations in most countries. You must apply in person at one of the following Austrian representation offices: Munich, Bratislava, or Ljubljana (Find your nearest Austrian representation office). After your arrival in Vienna with the work visa (Visa C/D for gainful employment), you may start working and should then apply for the appropriate residence or settlement permit in Austria.

Not all PhD candidates at the University of Vienna hold an employment contract. If you are enrolled as a PhD student (no mobility programme) and not employed, a different residence permit applies. 

Student status vs. Employment status

  • Student status: You are enrolled as a PhD candidate and pay tuition fees (or are exempt). You do not receive a salary from the University of Vienna. The Residence Permit – Student applies.
  • Employment status ('Praedoc'): You hold a contract with the University of Vienna and receive a salary the Settlement Permit – Researcher applies.

Find more information at the Center for Doctoral Studies: International Doctoral Candidates.

Third-country nationals taking up a non-academic position at the University of Vienna may apply for 

  • a Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte),
  • an EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) or,
  • where applicable, a Residence Permit – Student (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student) combined with a work permit (Beschäftigungsbewilligung). The latter will be applied for exclusively by the Human Resources and Gender Equality service unit.

Please refer to the Austrian Business Agency for further guidance.

STEP-BY-STEP-OVERVIEW:

1

Prepare Documents

Consult the ABA (Austrian Business Agency) for information on the applicable regulations.

2

Pre-Arrival: Apply for a Visa

Apply for a visa at the Austrian representation office in your country of residence. A work visa (visa for gainful employment) is not possible.

3

Within three working days of arrival: Register address in Austria

Registration of residence at a municipal registration office (Meldeservicestelle) for yourself and all accompanying family members. A registration confirmation (Meldezettel) will be issued.

4

As soon as possible after arrival: Apply for residence permit at MA 35

Submit all required documents for the residence permit to the MA 35 in Vienna. For the residence permit application, you will need the Employer's Declaration and supplement from the University of Vienna. 

See also information on residence permits and procedures for accompanying family members.

5

After two years: Upgrade 

Apply for a Red-White-Red Card Plus (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte Plus) with unrestricted access to all employers in Austria, or EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU). 

Additional support

If you need documents or additional support from your faculty, contact the responsible liaison officer below.

Faculty / Centre Liaison Officer 
Faculty of Catholic Theology Rudolf Kaisler 
Faculty of Protestant Theology Kerstin Fest  
Faculty of Law Suzan Topal-Gökceli 
Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics Kathrin Dolmanitz 
Faculty of Computer Science Werner Schröttner 
Faculty of Historical and Cultural Studies Herbert Kamleitner 
Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies Theresa Illes 
Faculty of Philosophy and Education Barbara Breunlich 
Faculty of Psychology Ute Springer 
Faculty of Social Sciences Roman Pfefferle 
Faculty of Mathematics Alan Hazivar 
Faculty of Physics 

Susanne Ninaus-Meznik 

Sabine Elvira Vranckx Herrera 

Faculty of Chemistry Brigitte Schwarz 
Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy Roman Schett 
Faculty of Life Sciences Susanne Menschik-Zunzer 
Centre for Translation Studies Barbara Berger-Kuklik 
Centre for Sport Science Martina Hochmeister-Postl 
Centre for Molecular Biology Theresa Hügel
Centre for Teacher Education Margot Kapfer 
Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science 

Annina Müller-Strassnig 

Nadja Holzleitner 

Overview of Austrian residence permits (PDF)Overview residence permits
Application forms in English (BMI) Official residence permit application forms 
Support, information and orientation for new residents - StartWienFree support programme StartWien

Vienna offers excellent free consultation services for international residents. For individual advice, we recommend booking an appointment with one of the consultation services.

To top

To top