Study in Austria as an international student: universities, costs, permit and insurance (2026)

Where are you in the process?

Study in Austria for international students runs in a fixed order. Admission comes first, then the permit, then arrival. Pick the box that matches where you are now; each one names the next step and the section to read.

Studying in Austria in 10 official facts (2026)

Which universities in Austria accept international students?

Universities in Austria for international students include all four types of higher education institution. According to Study in Austria (OeAD), Austria has 23 universities, 21 universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen), 19 private universities and higher education institutions and 14 teacher education colleges. What differs is the fee, the language and the admission process. In Vienna, the University of Vienna, WU, TU Wien, MedUni Wien, BOKU and Vetmeduni run the VWU preparation programme together with the OeAD (see below). The federal migration portal adds that universities of the arts run their own admission process.

Can you study in English? Yes, English-taught programmes exist; the official degree database studienwahl.at lets you filter by language. We could not verify a current official count of English programmes, so we do not quote one. For German-taught degrees, Study in Austria says you must prove “a German level of at least A2” for admission, and that some universities look for B2 and others for C1. If your admission is granted on condition that you pass German or other supplementary exams, the next section applies.

What is the VWU in Vienna (Vorstudienlehrgang), and is it a Studienkolleg?

The VWU is Vienna’s university preparation programme for international students; it is comparable, in our words, to a Studienkolleg in Germany. It is run by the OeAD together with six Vienna universities (University of Vienna, WU, TU Wien, MedUni Wien, BOKU and Vetmeduni) and prepares students who already hold a study admission for their supplementary exams (Ergänzungsprüfungen). Graz and Leoben run their own preparation programmes.

The VWU is no way around university admission. You apply to the university, receive a conditional admission, and only then register. The fee above is for winter semester 2026/27 only, so check the VWU page for later semesters. Preparatory-course students can qualify for ÖGK student self-insurance. The ÖGK lists people who “besuchen einen Vorstudienlehrgang” (attend a preparatory course) among the insurable groups, provided your habitual residence is in Austria, no compulsory insurance applies and the other ÖGK conditions (such as the income limit) are met (oegk.at; details on ÖGK student insurance). If you will attend only a preparatory programme or single courses, ask Care Concept AG in writing whether the Education tariff fits your status before you buy. The policy terms also admit to the Education group people under 36 who can show they are in Austria for training at state or private institutions approved for that purpose (AVB, Part B II); whether your course counts is for the insurer to confirm.

How much does it cost to study in Austria as an international student?

A non-EU student at a public university pays €726.72 tuition and €26.20 ÖH fee per semester, €218 for the first permit and, with Care Austria Education, €56 a month (1-year minimum term, AVB § 3). That makes €2,395.84 in fixed costs for the first year (2026). Living costs come on top and depend on the city. We found no official cost-of-living figure for students apart from the permit’s funds amounts. The University of Graz estimates around €1,000–1,300 a month, with a dorm room from around €300. That is an estimate for Graz, not an official minimum.

“Studying in Austria is free” does not apply to students from outside the EU/EEA who hold a Student permit, unless you are a national of a country on the OECD least-developed list (the ÖH fee is still due); ask your university. Plan with €726.72 per semester unless your university confirms a waiver in writing.

What does the student permit ask for?

The Austrian student residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student) asks for university admission, funds, accommodation and all-risk health insurance, and the first permit costs €218 (wien.gv.at, OeAD, 2026). You apply after the university has admitted you, as a rule at the Austrian embassy or consulate (filing in Austria instead, and its limits under § 21 (6) NAG, are explained below). For 2026 you must show funds of €722.58 a month under 24 or €1,308.39 from age 24, for 12 months in advance (base; more if regular costs such as rent exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG) (OeAD). The student permit documents are on our checklist. Renewal rules and timing are on our student residence permit page, the entry visa is in the Austria student visa guide and the Vienna office in MA 35 Vienna in English. Every official fee with its legal basis is listed in Austria visa fees 2026.

Can international students work in Austria while studying?

Yes, with an employment permit: students can work up to 20 hours a week without a labour market test, and the employer applies for the permit at the AMS (migration.gv.at, OeAD). The permit is needed even for marginal employment (geringfügige Beschäftigung). Above 20 hours, the Austrian Business Agency says the AMS may check the labour market first, and work must not endanger the purpose of your stay, which is studying. Do not plan your budget on a job: the permit funds must be shown before you arrive.

After graduation, migration.gv.at describes a one-time renewal of 12 months to look for work or set up a business, and a switch to the Red-White-Red Card is possible. Your student years count half towards the five years for permanent residence, and only if they came immediately before the settlement permit (§ 45 (2) NAG). The rest of that route is on permanent residence in Austria.

Which health insurance do you need to study in Austria?

You need health insurance covering all risks that pays benefits in Austria, and you must show it with the permit application. The OeAD states on its page for scholars from non-EU countries: “You will only be issued a residence permit if you have sufficient insurance protection” and “A travel insurance does not fulfil this requirement in any case.” For students, the City of Vienna’s MA 35 page says the same: travel insurance bought for the visa is not sufficient for the permit. One exception for the first student permit: OeAD says a written statement that you will take out ÖGK student insurance after entry can be attached to the application, and travel insurance is sufficient only until then (OeAD). Vienna’s MA 35 page does not mention this statement, so ask your residence authority whether it accepts it; the alternative is private all-risk cover from entry. The full legal rule is on health insurance for a residence permit.

Care Concept AG is on Vienna's MA 35 insurer list. Care Austria and Care Austria Education (the unlimited tariffs) need no extra declaration; the 364-day tariffs do (checked 30 October 2026). ÖGK student self-insurance costs €78.84 a month in 2026 (oegk.at); some official pages still print an older rate. Students who stay with Care Austria Education (within its age band) pay €274.08 less a year than with ÖGK student insurance at 2026 prices; students who switch to the ÖGK later should remember the one-year minimum term of the unlimited tariff. For all insurance prices side by side, see what health insurance costs in Austria. The detailed comparison is on ÖGK student insurance and student health insurance in Austria.

Study in Austria from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal: what is different?

If you plan to study in Austria from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal, the steps and rules are the same as for every other non-EU nationality. What differs is where you file and which documents your embassy asks for. Country guides are listed below. Students who need a visa apply, as a rule, at the Austrian embassy or consulate responsible for their country of residence (OeAD). § 21 (2) Z 6 NAG also allows filing in Austria after lawful entry and during a lawful stay, but after entry on a visa issued for another purpose OeAD says this only “may be possible” after a case-by-case check, and not if filing in Austria was the hidden reason for that visa. Filing in Austria does not let them stay beyond the visa (§ 21 (6) NAG). The tuition waiver for least developed countries depends on the current OECD list, which we could not verify for these countries, so plan with the full fee. These guides cover the local steps for study in Austria for Indian students and for students from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Nepal.

• Austria visa from India
• Austria visa from Pakistan
• Austria visa from Bangladesh
• Austria visa from Nepal
• Austria student visa from Sri Lanka

For a worked example of an Indian student’s file, see Arjun’s student permit at MA 35 Vienna.

On YouTube, some commenters suggest a cheap home-country travel policy for the permit. Whatever the insurer, the test is all-risk cover that pays in Austria, and travel cover does not pass it. If you compare providers, our comparison Care Austria vs Swisscare uses the same criteria for both.

Worked example: Ayesha’s first year in Vienna

Illustrative example: Ayesha is 23 and has an admission letter for a bachelor’s programme at a public university in Vienna. Here are her fixed costs for the first year, at 2026 amounts.

If Ayesha chose the 364-day Education tariff at €51, she would save €60 a year but would need the extra MA 35 declaration in her papers. When she turns 24 during her studies, the funds amount for her renewal rises to €1,308.39 a month (2026 amount, base). It is more if regular costs such as rent exceed €386.43 (§ 11 (5) NAG). The Education tariff applies up to age 35 (premium age band).

Bringing your spouse / parents: what should you know first?

Your spouse or parents cannot join on your student permit; each needs a permit of their own, with its own fee and its own health insurance. Your spouse or registered partner (at least 21 when applying) and unmarried minor children can apply for their own “Residence Permit – Family Community” (OeAD; details on our student residence permit page). Parents do not count as family members for this permit and need a permit of their own on another route. Once they live with you in Austria, the ÖGK student self-insurance page allows co-insuring spouses, registered partners and children; the extra cost is not stated there, so ask the ÖGK (oegk.at). Read family reunification in Austria for spouses and children and can I bring my parents to Austria? for parents. Once a family member lives in Austria with a permit and is not compulsorily insured (for example through a job subject to compulsory insurance; a marginal job up to €551.10 a month (2026) gives accident insurance only), ÖGK self-insurance becomes possible. It costs €565.25 a month in 2026, with a 6-month waiting period unless waived (oegk.at).

For the first price, age is the calendar year in which cover starts minus the year of birth; after that, the unlimited Standard tariff moves to the next band from 1 January of the year the spouse or parent turns 50 or 65 (AVB premium table). Unlimited contracts can be cancelled ordinarily only after 1 year, then only to 31 December with 1 month’s notice (AVB § 3). If you are older, ask Care Concept AG in writing whether a new contract can start at your age.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• migration.gv.at: study in Austria (permit, work, after graduation)
• migration.gv.at: temporary residence (general requirements)
• oesterreich.gv.at: tuition fees at universities (€726.72 in 2026 and waivers)
• City of Vienna: residence permit “Student” (documents, fee, appointment)
• § 24 NAG, RIS on renewal timing
• ÖGK: student self-insurance with the 2026 rate
• City of Vienna (MA 35): health insurance for residence permits, checked 30 October 2026
• Foreign Ministry (BMEIA): visas
• OeAD: residence permit “Student” (no mobility programme) (2026 funds, documents, 90-day rule)
• OeAD: insurance for stays over 6 months (non-EU/EEA), which says travel insurance is not sufficient
• Study in Austria (OeAD): institutions, tuition fee, learning German
• OeAD Vorstudienlehrgang Vienna: about us and first registration (vorstudienlehrgang.oead.at)
• ÖH University of Vienna: tuition fee and waiver FAQ; University of Graz: costs; Austrian Business Agency: FAQ for international students (2023)
• Care Austria policy terms (AVB), the insurer’s terms, and Care Concept AG’s tariff page with the Education prices (read 30 October 2026)

Our editorial standards and about this site pages explain how we work, and student questions reach the team through contact. This page is general information, not legal, immigration or insurance advice; universities and the authority decide each case. Referral links may earn us a commission from Care Concept AG at no extra cost to you (affiliate disclosure).