AUSTRIA VISA PROCES VISA TYPES AND FEES

Who requires a visa?

Holders of an EEA (EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) or Swiss passport do not require a visa. Nationals from EU-countries as well as Switzerland and Liechtenstein may remain for an unlimited time.

Holders of British Passports (European Union) do not need a visa for Austria (exceptions are listed below). There are no restrictions on the remaining validity of your passport, providing you leave Austria before its expiry date.

All holders of Travel Documents and Certificates of Identity (CID) do require a visa!

Austria is a member of the European Union, but also of the Schengen Treaty. The Schengen area includes most of the EU countries and Switzerland and lead to the end of border controls between Austria and most of its neighbor countries. However, everybody foreigners as much as Austrians are required to carry an official identification document with them at all times.

Schengen visa are issued collectively, if you got a visa for e. g. France, it is automatically valid for Austria. Citizens of the EU are free to travel, work or live in Austria with almost full citizen rights except the suffrage for national elections and the passive vote.

Citizens of the European Economic Area, the United States, Canada, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, most South American countries, Australia and New Zealand do not need a visa for a stay in Austria up to three months.

Citizens of the following countries do require a Schengen visa for traveling to Austria:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina-Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Republic), Congo (Democratic Republic), Cote dIvoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan,

Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea (Democratic Peoples Republic, North), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia and Montenegro, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Holders of the following British Passports will have to apply for a visa as well:

- British Subject (without the right of abode in the UK) British Dependent Territories British Overseas Citizens British Protected Persons

What documents will be required? The following documents are required:

- Completed application form, duly signed by the applicant(s). You must answer all the questions, otherwise your application will not be accepted. In some cases more than one application form may have to be submitted. Minors must submit a letter from school, college, university and/or legal guardian. Furthermore both parents must sign the form. If one parent is unable to sign the form, he/she must submit a letter of agreement together with a copy of his/her passport.

- A full national passport or official travel document valid for more than 3 months beyond the validity of the requested visa, with a blank visa page to affix the visa sticker.

- 2 passport-size photos (do not staple or damage the photo, background has to be light and plain)

- Proof of why you want to visit Austria. This should be ONE of the following:

1). Original letter of invitation (= Verpflichtungserklrung) legalised by a notary public, solicitor, or other competent authority and a copy of the Austrian passport (or national passport containing a valid Austrian residence permit) and proof of sufficient income/funds of the host: i.e. last bank statement/last pay slip, together with tenancy agreement or police registration (= Meldezettel). OR

2). Original letter from your Austrian business partner. The letter must specify that the company will be financially responsible for you during your stay in Austria including copy of the company registration certificate (= Firmenbuchauszug) OR

3). Confirmed hotel reservation or confirmation of tour. Please note bookings from www.booking.com or www.venere.com or www.hostelworld.com or www.hostelbookers.com are not accepted without confirmation of payment for the whole duration of your reservation.

- Proof of sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay (e.g. recent bank statement, travellers cheques) with the applicants name, amounting to a minimum of GBP 30.00 day/person. Please note that cash and credit card statements are not acceptable proof.

- Proof of health insurance (travel insurance) minimum of medical coverage GBP 15,000 comprehensive accident and medical insurance, valid for all Schengen countries, validity must exceed validity of the visa, insurance company must be based in Austria or other EU member states, e.g. insurances can be bought from post offices, bank, travel agencies or BUPA-insurances! Please make sure that the document includes the following information: name of applicant, duration of the insurance, cover details (e.g. winter sport cover). Documents not in English or German require certified translation. A policy number only is not sufficient!

- Evidence of occupation/student status: Proof of your current occupation. This could be a recent, original letter of continued employment from your employer stating the position and income; if you are self-employed: a letter from your solicitor, accountant or the Chamber of Commerce including

income statement; if you are a student, you will need a letter from the school, college/university confirming your status/attendance. Pay slips and work contracts are not accepted.

- Transport documentation: airline ticket or email confirmation of airline or rail ticket if you are driving: ferry confirmation, registration document, proof of legal ownership of vehicle, insurance papers (Green Card, which provides additional proof that the minimum legal third party cover is held. For further advice please contact your insurance company), if applicable: export license.

Please note: a proof of reservation is needed, but a ticket should not be bought until a visa is guaranteed or issued!

All supporting documents must be submitted together and in duplicate in ORIGINAL and PHOTOCOPY! Ensure all documents requested are provided. Incomplete applications will not be dealt with: Applicants will need to book another appointment to provide the lacking documents.

Time required to issue visa:: Nationals from the following list of countries should allow several weeks for the processing of the application from the date of appointment/receipt of documents:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan (Service passports only), Lebanon, Libya, Liberia, Moldova, Nigeria, North Korea, Palestine, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam (not for service and diplomatic passports), Yemen. All holders of Travel Documents for stateless persons and refugees.

For all other nationals the processing time is approx. 5 working days. Please note that the visa cannot be issued on the same day.

What is the cost of a visa? Visa Application Fee: 31 EUR A uniform type of visa, the Schengen visa, is issued for tourist and private visits. NOTE: Spouses and children of EU or EEA countries can obtain a visa free of charge on presentation of relevant documentation.

How long is the visa valid for? You may use your visa to travel to the Schengen area until the date it expires under expiry on the right side of the visa. Please check your visa carefully before you go to Austria.

Other information: Holders of Schengen visas are still subject to immigration controls and are not guaranteed entry into any of the Schengen countries.

My husband/wife/children and I want to travel to Austria. Do all members of the family have to come in person? Yes (exception children under the age of 16, when travelling with the parents)

What do I have to do if I have a valid Schengen visa issued by another Embassy but want to travel to Austria? If your visa is valid for enough days to cover your trip to Austria and allows multiple entries you are able to use it for your trip to Austria.

If your visa does not allow multiple entries or you do not have enough days left you will have to have the visa cancelled by the Embassy who issued it.

If I travel through / travel to more than one Schengen country do I require a multiple entry visa? No. However, if you leave the Schengen area (i.e. go to Switzerland, ) and then go back to the Schengen area you will need a multiply entry visa.

How long is the processing time? The processing time for your application should not be in excess of 5 working days provided you lodge all the supporting documents. However, for some countries the processing time is up to several weeks. Please apply well in advance for your visa.

Embassy contact information: Please contact the nearest Austrian Embassy for information on what documentation you may require to enter Austria. Austria Embassies Worldwide.