Austria Visa Procedures and Application Process
Austria Visa Procedures and Application Process
Austria visa is an official travel permit required for foreign citizens who will travel to the Republic of Austria for purposes such as tourism, education and work.
Austria visa is a travel document that is stamped on the passports of foreign nationals subject to visa. Passports with a visa are processed by being stamped by the passport police at the border gates when exiting Turkey and entering the Republic of Austria.
If you are going to travel to Austria for less than 90 days, you need a type C (Schengen) Austrian visa; if you are going to travel for more than 90 days, you need a type D (national) Austrian visa.
Does Austria Require a Visa from Turkish Citizens?
Austria requires a visa from ordinary (maroon) passport holders, regardless of the duration of travel.
Holders of diplomatic (black) passports, service (grey) passports and special (green) passports are exempt from visas for their travels to Austria, provided that their stay does not exceed 90 days within 180 days.
What are the Austrian Visa Types?
Austrian visas are divided into three basic groups according to their validity period and travel purposes; short-term (Schengen, type C), long-term (national, type D) and transit visas. C and D type visas are also divided into themselves according to the purpose of travel.
Austrian visa types are listed below.
- Airport Transit visa
- Short-term (visitor visas) visas
- Tourist visa
- Business visa
- Visit visa
- Driver visa
- Long term visas
- Austria student visa
- Austria work visa
- Austria job seeker visa
- Immigrant Visas
- Austria investor visa
- Austria family reunification visa
- Austria approved visa
When deciding on the appropriate visa type for your trip to Austria, you need to determine the appropriate sub-visa type among the Austrian visa types not only according to the length of stay but also according to the purpose of your travel.
Austria Visa Types Based on Number of Entries
Regardless of the purpose of travel and visa type, short-term Austrian visas can be issued as single entry, double entry or multiple entry.
Eligibility Requirements for Austria Visa
The conditions you must meet to obtain an Austrian visa are listed below.
- You must provide evidence that you will return to Turkey when your visa expires.
- You must have sufficient income or a sponsor to cover travel expenses.
- You must not have committed any visa violations in your past travels abroad.
- You must provide valid travel health insurance
- There must be no past records about you in the Schengen Intelligence System (SIS).
- For long-term visas, you must not have any negative situations in your criminal record.
- If you have not been registered within the last 59 months, you must provide fingerprints to obtain a visa.
How Much Is the Austrian Visa Fee?
The Austrian visa fee is 80 EUR as of 2024. The VFS processing fee is 24.66 Euro (including VAT) for each application. These fees do not include Austrian travel health insurance and consultancy fees.
You can find detailed fee breakdown on the Austria visa fee page.
What are the documents required for an Austrian visa?
Documents required for an Austrian visa vary depending on the visa type, age of the applicant and employment status.
Type C Austria visa documents required for all applications are listed below.
- Passport with at least 6 months validity and 2 blank pages
- Austria visa application form
- Travel health insurance
- Accommodation and transportation plan
- Financial resources
- Documents indicating employment status
You can find the list of documents appropriate for your personal situation on the Documents Required for Austria Visa Application page.
Where to Apply for an Austrian Visa?
Visa applications for Austria, regardless of the type of visa to be applied for, are made only to the visa centers of the intermediary institution VFS Global, authorized by the Austrian Consulate General, in Ankara, Antalya, Gaziantep, Izmir, Istanbul, Bursa, Edirne, Trabzon. The visa decision is given by the visa department of the Austrian foreign mission.
The foreign representative of the Istanbul Consulate General operating in Turkey serves under the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Currently, Austrian foreign missions do not accept visa applications. Austrian visa applications made to intermediary institution visa centers are sent to Austrian missions according to the province of residence to be evaluated and concluded. The intermediary institution has no authority to evaluate Austrian visa applications.
Austria Visa Application Centers
VFS Global Austria visa application centres in Turkey are located in Ankara, Istanbul, Antalya, Muğla (Bodrum), Bursa, Edirne, Gaziantep, Izmir and Trabzon.
There is no regional distinction between Austrian intermediary visa centers depending on the province of residence. You can apply for a visa at any of the Austrian visa application centers regardless of the province you live in.
How to Apply for an Austrian Visa?
To apply for an Austrian visa, you must follow the steps listed below.
- Fill out the Austrian visa application form.
- Prepare the necessary documents according to the type of visa you will apply for.
- Make a visa appointment at the brokerage application center.
- Complete the document submission, visa fee payment and biometric procedures on the appointment date.
After the Austrian visa procedures are completed, the application file is forwarded to the Austrian Consulate General for evaluation. After the visa evaluation process, the passport is collected from the intermediary institution center where the application was made.
How Many Days Does It Take to Get an Austrian Visa?
Austrian visas are issued within an average of 15 days after the visa application file is sent to the Austrian Consulate General in Istanbul. Visa processing times may vary depending on the workload of the foreign mission, requests for home documents or public holidays.
Austria Visa Tracking and Inquiry Procedures
Austria visa tracking and inquiry transactions are carried out through VFS Global's online tracking system. Online Austria visa tracking is completed with the reference number and surname information on the receipt given to the applicants at the appointment.
The visual of the visa tracking screen is given below.
What are the Reasons for Austrian Visa Rejection?
The main reason for Austrian visa applications to be rejected is that the person applies with incorrect or incomplete documents. Also, not having sufficient financial resources and the fact that the applicant is not expected to leave the country at the end of the visa period are among the most common reasons for Austrian visa rejections in recent times.
Austria Visa Violation and Its Consequences
Violating an Austrian visa is considered illegal immigration and has various sanctions. Visa violators are subject to a fine of up to 2500 EUR and may also be deported or blacklisted so that they will not be able to issue a visa again.
Austria Visa Policy
Austria was accepted into the Schengen area as of April 28, 1995 and is a member state of the European Union. With a Schengen visa obtained from Austria, entry to 29 Schengen countries can be made as of 2024. With a double or multi-featured Austrian visa, entry to Bulgaria, the Greek Cypriot Administration, and Romania, which are not in the Schengen country union, can also be made.
What is Austria Visa Facilitation?
Persons with passports of the countries listed below who have a residence permit in Turkey can pay the visa fee of 80 EUR as 35 EUR within the scope of the EU visa facilitation.
- Albania
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cape Verde Islands
- North Macedonia
- Georgia
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Serbia
- Russia
- Ukrainian
Austria Visa Exemption
Austria visa exemption is valid for citizens of 27 Schengen countries in the European economic area in accordance with the European Union single market policy. Spouses and children of citizens of these countries who are Turkish citizens are exempt from the visa fee of 80 EUR.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below you can find answers to the questions most frequently sent to our center about Austria visa application processes.
How Long Does an Austrian Visa Last?
Austrian visa duration is regulated as minimum 7 days and maximum 5 years for C type Schengen visas. Even if the visa period is longer, Austrian C type visa holder can stay in Austria for maximum 90 days within 180 days. If the 180-day period is completed, if the visa validity period is still valid in the passport, he can travel to Austria and other Schengen member European Union countries again.
To stay longer than 90 days at a time, you will need a type D visa and an Austrian residence permit.
Can I Extend My Austrian Visa?
Yes, you can extend your visa while you are in Austria. In order to extend your Austrian visa, you must have compelling reasons, humanitarian reasons or serious personal reasons, and this must be provable.
Does an Austrian Visa Guarantee Entry into the Country?
An Austrian visa does not guarantee that you can enter Austria. The border police have the final say on whether the visa holder can enter the country. If they detect that the visa status is violated, they can cancel the visa at the border.
Can I Apply for an Austrian Visa Online or by Post?
No, Turkish citizens can apply for an Austrian visa by submitting the necessary documents through intermediary institutions. There is no electronic visa (ETA) application option.
Does Austria have visa on arrival?
No, there is no visa requirement for Austria.
Can I Apply for a Visa at the Austrian Consulate?
The Austrian Consulate General does not accept visa applications made directly from the consulate for an indefinite period. Applications for an Austrian visa are evaluated by authorized intermediary visa application centers.
Austrian visa applications made from Turkey are examined by the Austrian Consulate General in Istanbul without being divided into any jurisdiction.
Where Can I Find Out My Austria Visa Results?
The Austria visa application result can be learned through the website of the intermediary institution where the application was made. Whether or not the visa has been approved is only learned after the passport is received.
Is Austrian Visa Schengen Specific?
Yes, Austria is a member of the Schengen Area and a short-term Austrian visa has the characteristics of a Schengen visa.
The countries that can be visited with an Austrian visa during its validity period are all countries that are members of the Schengen area.
Is It Difficult to Get an Austrian Visa?
Obtaining an Austrian visa is an easy process provided that applicants who meet the visa requirements prepare their visa documents completely, meet the financial requirements for travel and prove that they will return to their country at the end of the trip.
Can I go to Austria without a visa?
If you have a green, grey or diplomatic passport, you can enter Austria without a visa and stay for up to 90 days. Deportation is appropriate if foreigners subject to a visa are found in Austria illegally.
Can I Go to Other Schengen Countries with a Single Entry Austria Visa?
Austria accepted the Schengen agreement on 1 December 1997, thus accepting the Schengen visa policy.
According to the EU Freedom Security and Justice Area (AFSJ), there are no border controls and customs inspections between Schengen countries and European Union countries. Even if the visa you receive is single-entry, you can travel to other Schengen countries without leaving the Schengen area for the duration of the visa.
Can I Apply for an Austrian Visa via iData?
No, the authorized intermediary for Austrian visa applications is VFS Global.
Are There Direct Flights to Austria from Turkey?
Yes, there are direct flights to Austria, especially to Vienna, organized by Pegasus Airlines and THY (Turkish Airlines).
How to Get Austrian Visa Consulting Service?
Austria visa consultancy and visa application expert support can be obtained for both C and D type visas through accredited visa agencies registered with TÜRSAB in Turkey.
VFS Global offices, the intermediary institution for Austria visas, do not provide consultancy services. Persons or institutions that attempt to make visa appointments or sell travel insurance using the name of the intermediary institution should not be trusted.