Do you need a Visa or Residence Permit to enter Austria?

The following overview should give you an idea of 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.)

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

A) Entry Permit (Visa)

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 are not authorized to take up any employment in Austria. In general, an entry permit is not a work authorization. However, since January 1, 2006, some exceptions to this rule--mainly concerning certain temporary job assignments--apply.

If you answer to one of the following questions is yes, 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)?
• Are you planning on studying or doing an internship in Austria for up to six months?
• Will you be working as a guest professor at an Austrian university for one semester?

B) Residence Permit

A residence permit is issued to foreign nationals who want 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 enter and stay in Austria.

• Are you planning on moving to Austria for an unlimited period of time 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?
• Are you planning on studying at a university/college or on attending school (grade 1-12) in Austria for a period longer than 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?
• Are you planning on taking up a one-year-job as an "au-pair" in Austria?

Embassy of Austria
Consular Section
3524 International Court, NW
Washington, D.C., 20008

Consulate Office Hours:
Monday through Friday,10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
(except Austrian and U.S. holidays )

E-mail: consularsection[at]austria.org