Austria visa procedure

Visa to Austria for Russians

Austria is part of Schengen, and therefore all Russians planning a trip to this country should first obtain a visa. (in the same way as in other Schengen states - a unified visa legislation has been developed regarding this European zone).

• It is quite possible to obtain a visa to Austria on your own in 2021 by contacting consular branches or visa service centers located in every major locality in our country.
• But if you value time , and it is very important to obtain a visa in a short time, without difficulties, excluding the rejection of your request, the best solution would be the mediation of our visa center.

Visa to Austria

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• Consultations with a VFS visa specialist are held Mon-Fri, from 9:00 to 18:00

Consultation

Issuing a visa at the service center

1. Austrian visas are always issued by visa centers, excluding requests for a national visa. When contacting a service center, you should consider a number of rules:
2. Documentation can be submitted either independently or through the mediation of close relatives (with mandatory documentary evidence of family ties).
3. A relative has the right to apply for an Austrian visa for the applicant only if he previously had a Schengen visa.
4. Minors submit documentation only in the presence of their parents/legal representatives.
5. Papers under a corporate or notarized power of attorney are not subject to consideration.
6. Documents from any groups will not be accepted.

Obtaining an Austrian visa at the service center is possible only by appointment. Applications are accepted on weekdays from 9.00 to 17.00. Late arrivals are excluded, in which case the application acceptance will be postponed. When applying for a national visa, you should submit your request directly to the Austrian Embassy.

Austria visa costs

Visa consultation +7 (495) 414-18-14

In what cases is it appropriate to apply for a visa to Austria?

When you are heading there. But when it is difficult for you to predict events, and you do not know which country will be the main reference point for your trip, documentation and a visa request should be submitted to the embassy of the country where you will first cross the Schengen border.

An Austrian visa will be needed when you are planning a trip to different countries of the Schengen zone, but at the same time you intend to stay in Austria for the longest period of the entire trip. If you do not take into account these requirements, there is a risk of being refused when re-applying for a visa to Austria and other Schengen states.

• Russians must obtain a type C visa (this is the most popular type of visa permit, short-term, allowing you to stay in Schengen for no more than 90 days in a six-month period)
• Or a national visa (type B) is a long-term permit that allows you to stay in Austria for more than a 90-day period, but not longer than 12 months (then it must be extended if you intend to stay in the country longer).

Types of Austrian visas

As in the consulates of other Schengen countries, the most common request for visas is a tourist visa. The list of documents required to submit an application is the most simple, standard, familiar to Russians due to a number of requirements of other consular missions.

• When applying for this type of visa permit, there is no need to present invitation letters. Long-term visas are more difficult to obtain; they are issued to those who intend to work, study, or visit relatives.

List of documents for a visa to Austria

Typically, the entire list consists of two parts: a distinction is made between mandatory and optional lists of papers. Optionally, documents are provided in case of visa issuance based on the intentions of the traveler (visit, work permits, visa for a spouse, etc.).

Mandatory list of documentation

1. Visa application form (it can be downloaded directly from the website of the embassy or visa center). You must enter the data in printed English font, and it is important to check the accuracy and correctness of the entered data. Only the applicant directly signs the application form (to avoid refusal). A sample form for filling out the form is provided on our website.
   When changing place of residence (see clause 31), the applicant is obliged to immediately inform consular officers (or visa managers) about this, since all information provided in the application form is checked administratively.

1. International passport , valid after completion of the trip for another 90 days (this is the minimum). It must have at least two blank pages to provide space for visa stamping. If children are traveling with you, then you should take into account that you need 2 more blank passport pages for each child traveling with you.
2. 2 photographs measuring 3.5 by 4.5 cm, made in accordance with ICAO standards.
3. Medical insurance for the entire duration of the trip. This document must be valid throughout the Schengen area and cover costs in a minimum amount of 30 thousand euros. The policy can be issued virtually and printed. When submitting a request for a multiple-entry visa, medical insurance is issued only for the first departure, and subsequently your signature on the application form confirms the obligation to obtain insurance yourself for the full period of your stay in Schengen. This is also an important aspect, since there have been numerous cases where medical insurance was required at the border.
4. A copy of the initial page of the international passport and previously canceled Schengen visas for the past 3 years.
5. Guarantees of the applicant's financial solvency. This role is played by certificates from the place of employment (containing information about the employee’s status, the amount of his income, length of service), bank statements reflecting the movement of assets over the last three months. It is acceptable to present a letter from the sponsor (in any form) with a copy of his passport and a certificate of income as a guarantee of solvency.

Visa to Austria 2018 - step-by-step instructions

You can contact the service center yourself to save time and effort. Visa managers work according to a clear algorithm, have extensive experience in communicating with consular officials and will provide you with full information support for the application procedure.

So what is required of you:

1. Please read the information sheet carefully.
2. Print and sign the consent form to study the information sheet.
3. Print this instruction and sign it. The paintings need to be deciphered only in Latin script. Instead of the minor, the parents sign, simultaneously indicating his last name, first name and patronymic.
4. Print, complete and sign the authorization to handle your personal information.

The Austrian consulate prefers that all documentation in Russian be translated into English or German (otherwise the documentation review procedure will be delayed). You have the right to carry out the translation yourself, but it is better if a professional translator does it correctly and accurately to avoid troubles.

When translating yourself, you can use document templates (available on the official website of the visa center). They are filled out and attached to the original documentation.

For tourist visa and for those making a private visit

• Certificate of availability of accommodation (you can print out your hotel reservation, provide an invitation letter guaranteeing the availability of accommodation, a travel plan indicating overnight addresses).
• Trip plan. This role is played by a tour package and round-trip tickets. If these documents do not become a convincing argument for consular officers, then a requirement may be made to pay for the reservation of vouchers (tickets). But if you have not violated the law in previous trips, then the above papers are quite enough to confirm the availability of housing.

For owners of real estate in Austria and their family members

• Evidence of ownership of real estate (recent extract from the register, purchase and sale agreement). For family members - proof of close family ties with the owner.

Employed people and individual entrepreneurs visiting Austria on a business visit

• An official invitation from an employer in Austria, containing the purpose and period of the trip.
• A letter from a Russian employer containing information about the applicant’s status, period and purpose of departure, and salary parameters. The document must contain information about who is responsible for the material support of the trip.

For those traveling to visit relatives (based on invitation letters)

• A letter from an Austrian citizen (or a foreigner living on the basis of a long-term visa), a relative of the applicant. The signature of the inviter is recorded at the immigration branch of the relevant authority.
• Certificate of legal residence in Austria of the inviter.
• A certificate from the inviter’s work (if he does not have Austrian citizenship) or a bank statement when he fully covers the costs of the trip.

For travelers in transit (less than 5 days)

Evidence of the need for transit travel (flight tickets and visa of another state).

Visa for students doing internships, participating in cultural and sporting events

• Written invitation (from the university, event organizer).
• A statement from the Austrian side that it covers all travel and accommodation costs for guests (if this is not the case, then it is acceptable to provide other evidence of solvency and availability of housing during the trip).

Procedure for submitting documents

Obtaining a permit to enter the country through the Austrian visa center in Moscow is possible subject to the personal presence of the applicant from Russia, since a mandatory procedure for submitting fingerprints has been introduced since 2015. If the applicant has already undergone biometrics over the past 5 years, the following documents can be submitted for him:

• Next of kin;
• Confidant.

Applicants can also use the Mobile Biometrics option and submit their fingerprints at a convenient location. The cost of the service is from 128 euros for 1 person.

The applicant is required to prepare documents that provide evidence of the purpose of travel to the country, as well as strong ties with the country and financial well-being to cover expenses during their stay in Vienna or any other Austrian city. If we are talking about a student visa, an invitation from the educational institution is required indicating the part of the payment paid.

The list of required documents for a visa to Austria includes:

• Application form filled out in international/national languages;
• National and foreign passports (as well as copies of pages with photos, registration and visas);
• 2 photos;
• Medical insurance;
• Permission to process the personal information provided;
• Confirmation of financial capabilities:
• * for employees - a certificate from work, an account statement and translations into the international (English) / national language;
• * for individual entrepreneurs – a certificate of registration of individual entrepreneurs, an extract from the account and from the tax register;
• * for schoolchildren/students/unemployed – a certificate from the educational institution, a sponsorship letter, a certificate from work and an extract from the sponsor’s account;
• * for pensioners - a copy of a document confirming the status of a retired person and an account statement.

The presence of passports and documents confirming financial support is required when visiting the visa department.

All other papers (application form, translation, copies, insurance, photos, reservations) can be completed and printed at VFS for a fee.

Austria visa for children

When applying for a child visa, the same general package of papers is collected as for adults (see above), but additionally attached to it

• A copy of your birth certificate.
• Notarized permission from parents or guardians. It is important that each parent who does not travel with the minor must give consent.
• A copy of the current Schengen card of the parents or persons traveling with a minor, if they have already received a visa.
• Letter from sponsors.

Important to consider! The minor's representatives sign the application form if he is not yet 14. If he has already reached this age, he signs the form himself, and the parents also sign their signatures (there should be three signatures in total). Instead of a child, his parents or guardians can submit documents (his presence is not required).

Schengen visa photo parameters

As a rule, a photo salon already knows all the intricacies of printing photographs for a visa, but just in case, we will present here the basic requirements again.

• The photo parameters are always standard for all Schengen visas - 35 by 45 mm.
• The photograph must have been taken no earlier than six months ago.
• The main part of the image is the facial area, the upper shoulder area.
• The head is held straight, without tilting, full face, eyes looking at the camera.
• You cannot shade or cover your face with glasses, accessories, strands of hair or other elements.
• The background is made bright, smooth, without any foreign objects.
• The photograph should not be edited in computer programs; any printing defects are unacceptable.

Any visa service center has special booths where visa photos are taken, and the cost of this service is up to 450 rubles for six photos.

Visa cost

It includes a consular fee (when issuing a short-term visa, it is 35 euros for citizens of the Russian Federation and 60 euros for representatives of other countries), as well as payment for service center services (about 26 euros in Russian currency equivalent). In addition, those who live in the regions also pay the costs of sending documentation ( 450 rubles ).

• For express visa processing, the consular fee doubles.
• All payment receipts must be retained. Neither the consular fee nor the mediation fee is refundable if the request is rejected.

Registration deadlines

Urgent visa processing allows you to receive a passport after 3 working days (if you apply directly to the consular branch, without intermediaries). However, then you must somehow justify the need for an urgent issuance of a visa document (by providing an invitation to the event, citing deadlines, the availability of a last-minute tour, purchased tickets, etc.).

• If you need express processing, you should come to the visa center from 9:00 to 9:50 (no appointment required).

Review of visa documentation is delayed if it falls on holidays or if consular officers have any clarifications. In the latter case, you will be asked to either provide additional documentation or appear in person for an interview with a consular officer.

On the official website of the Austrian visa center it is worth checking the dates of national and international holidays when the Embassy does not process documents and is not open.

• It will be better if you apply for your visa early, about 2 weeks (maximum 3 months) before your trip. This is the optimal time to stick to your plans.

How to apply for a visa correctly

This can be done by contacting the Austrian consulate or embassy or a visa center, which are available in many major cities. You should contact the Austrian embassy to obtain a national visa. Other categories can be obtained at the visa center.

To obtain a document at the visa center you need to follow a few simple steps:

1. Find out the work schedule and reception conditions. In some organizations you need to make an appointment in advance, in others you can come at any convenient time.
2. Decide on the type of visa and collect all the necessary documents.
3. After visiting the visa center, you need to pay the consular fee and go through the procedure for submitting biometric data.
4. Submit all necessary documents.

Regardless of where the application is submitted, the decision is made by the official Austrian Embassy. Therefore, you need to take into account the time it takes to deliver documents and it is better to submit them in advance.

The online application method is only suitable for persons who have already received Schengen status. The applicant must notify the Visa Application Center that they wish to apply online. Then a courier is sent to him, who takes away the entire package of documents. Then the visa is delivered to the applicant in the same way.

What documents are needed for registration?

The package of documents for a trip to Austria can be divided into standard and additional. The standard package is mandatory for every tourist, regardless of the purpose of his trip:

• international passport - original and copy;
• application form;
• original and copy of general passport;
• 2 photographs in accordance with specific requirements;
• personal account statement or sponsorship letter;
• airplane tickets;
• hotel reservation;
• medical insurance.

The additional package of documents depends on the purpose of the trip. Most often this is:

• certificate from place of study or work;
• invitation from an Austrian citizen.

The consulate may ask for other documentation if they deem it necessary. This increases the chances of a positive decision in issuing a visa. You can submit documents to the Austrian Embassy or visa center.

Terms of consideration

The Austrian consulate checks documents within at least 9 working days. On average, it takes 2-3 weeks to obtain a visa. Therefore, you need to submit an application in advance, but not earlier than 90 days before the trip, because the visa center will not consider it. For an additional fee, you can order urgent production - it takes about 3 days.

Providing additional services

Each visa center offers its clients an additional set of services that simplify the application process:

1. SMS notification about what stage of registration the application is at.
2. Courier delivery service.
3. Mobile biometrics, but this service is not available at all visa centers.
4. Photo services.
5. Paid completion of the application form if the applicant is not confident in his knowledge of the English language.
6. Copying documents.
7. Insurance.

The above services are optional, so you do not have to agree to them. But some of them will help in the correct preparation of documents. For example, to obtain Schengen you need to take photographs in accordance with special requirements. And the visa center staff will be able to photograph the applicant according to all the rules. Therefore, some services may be useful, especially when applying for Schengen for the first time.