Citizens of EU Member States, the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland do not need a visa for entering the Republic of Austria. Nationals of other countries might require a visa in order to enter the Schengen Area or the Austrian territory.
In general, visas can only be applied for a stay in Austria of up to 6 months. Visas are exclusively granted by the permanent Austrian mission abroad. N.B.: Visas can neither be applied for nor converted once you have arrived in Austria.
Please check whether you require a visa or not on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior - list of visa requirements.
If you need a visa to travel to Austria, please inform yourself via the following links:
List of countries requiring a visa
entry requirements to Austria (→ BMI)
Third-country nationals (citizens of countries who are neither citizens of EU Member States nor of the European Economic Area ) who want to reside and work in Austria for more than six months within a one-year period require a residence permit. The most common residence permits are the following:
Third-country nationals need not possess a residence permit for stays of up to a maximum of six months but nationals from certain countries must apply for a visa. Stays of up to 90 days within a 180-day period are permitted for certain third-country nationals without a visa.
More information on permanent immigration is available at www.migration.gv.at.
Please find an overview of all possible types of residence permits here:
types of OeAD residence permits
Usually, scientists from third countries will apply for a researcher residence permit.
EU/EEA citizens and Swiss nationals have the right to permanent residence (“Daueraufenthalt- EU”) in Austria after five years of legal and uninterrupted residence in the territory of the Federal Republic of Austria. In this case a "document certifying permanent residence" will be issued for them.
For more information on mobility within the EU go to: www.migration.gv.at
For application or extension of your residence permit you can contact the Municipality of Vienna, Municipal Department MA 35:
British citizens who stayed in Austria before 31 December 2020 and who are in the possession of a “confirmation of registration” or a “permanent residence card” continue to be allowed to reside in Austria and only need to apply for a residence permit under Article 50 TEU (Artikel 50 EUV) with MA35.
For further information please visit the BREXIT Website
British citizens who want to stay/work in Austria starting 2021 have to follow the procedure for third-country-nationals.
Third country nationals, i.e. persons, who are not EEA citizens or Swiss nationals, need a residence permit for Austria, when they plan to stay longer than six months. There are different types of residence permits. Please see chapter “residence permit”.
For stays of up to six months third country nationals do not need a residence permit. They need a visa. For stays of up to 90 days within 180 days a visa is not required for some third country nationals (depending on their citizenship) – Please see chapter “Visas – types of visa”.
Anyone who wants to move to Austria as an EU/EEA citizen has unrestricted access to the Austrian labour market. Such individuals have the right to freely move around in Austria within the context of the freedom of movement for workers and the freedom of establishment. For this reason, they are principally allowed to work on a self-employed basis, provided that they are in possession of a valid travel document (passport or the like).