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How do I get a language study visa for Austria?

This visa will let you study German in Austria for up to six months, and it’s relatively unbureaucratic to apply for compared to some others. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 6 April 2023 13:10 CEST
Updated: 23 November 2023 16:01 CET
An Austrian language (i.e. German) book. Photo: Wikicommons

If you’re looking to both improve your German and potentially check to see if Austria is a place for you to come to live and work later on, the language study visa may be for you.

Not everyone necessarily needs this visa though, depending on your nationality and how long you want to stay and do German language courses in Austria. But if you’re planning on staying for more than three months to do some intensive German learning and exploring, it could well be the right bet.

Who needs this visa?

Any non-EU/EEA or Swiss national who wants to stay in Austria to learn German for more than three months needs this visa — also called a “Category D” visa. With it, you can stay longer than three months, but less than six for the purposes of language learning and tourism. There is one special exception for Japanese nationals, who can visit Austria for up to six months without a visa.

If you’re planning on taking German language courses in Austria, but you intend to stay for three months or less, you’ll need a “Category C” visa for short stays, but there are a lot more exceptions.

In addition to EU/EEA and Swiss nationals, people from nearly 60 countries don’t need a visa to visit Austria for up to 90 days. These countries include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, and the US, among many others. You can find a full list here. Again, with the exception of Japan, people from even these countries will need a Category D visa if they intend to stay in Austria for more than three months but less than six.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How entrepreneurs can get Austria’s Red-White-Red card for skilled non-EU workers

What do I need to apply for this visa?

Whether you need a Category C or D visa, you’ll need to find an accredited German course and typically register and pay the course fee. At least part of this fee may be non-refundable in many cases. The language school should then be able to issue you a confirmation of when your course is, that you’ve registered and paid, and how long your course will last. You’ll typically need this confirmation to apply for your visa.

Along with your application form, you’re also going to need a passport photo, proof that you’re either reserved or booked accommodation, and a passport that has at least two free pages and is valid for at least three months beyond the end of your stay.

A language study visa might provide the perfect opportunity for people to explore Austria for the first time, while also improving their language skills.
(Photo by Matthew Yong on Unsplash)

You’ll also need to prove financial resources and insurance coverage. You’ll need to provide proof of health, travel, and accident insurance that covers you for at least €30,000 if something goes wrong. You’ll also need to prove that you have the financial resources to cover you during your stay, perhaps through a bank statement. You may also be asked to provide proof of a return ticket home or ties to your home country, to confirm that you plan to go back at the end of your stay.

People applying for a Category C visa — which lets you stay up to three months — will also have to pay a €60 application fee. This fee is €100 for Category D applicants, or those that want to stay between three and six months.

Once you have these things, you can pop into your Austrian Embassy or Consulate abroad and apply, typically no earlier than three months and no later than three weeks before you arrive in Austria.

READ ALSO: Germany or Austria: Where is it easier to get an EU Blue Card?

What can’t I do with this visa?

Category C or D visas don’t let you work in Austria, which is part of why you will need to demonstrate financial resources to cover your stay. They also don’t entitle you to public healthcare, which is why you’ll be asked to prove insurance coverage.

READ ALSO: COMPARED: Germany’s Chancenkarte vs. Austria’s Red-White-Red card for skilled non-EU workers

A language study visa will also technically allow you to study other languages other than German, but you will need to justify your choice of going to Austria instead of , for example, the UK or Malta for learning English to the official at the Austrian representation abroad, though. 

Finally, no visitor visa will let you stay in Austria for more than six months. For that, you’ll need to apply for a residence permit.

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EU

How would a ‘youth mobility scheme’ between the UK and EU really work?

The EU and the UK could enter into a 'youth mobility' scheme allowing young people to move countries to work, study and live. Here's what we know about the proposal.

Published: 18 April 2024 17:09 CEST
How would a 'youth mobility scheme' between the UK and EU really work?

Across the 27 countries of the EU, people of all ages can move countries to work, study, spend a long visit or chase the possibility of love – and all this is possible thanks to EU freedom of movement.

That freedom no longer extends to the UK. As a result of Brexit, a UK national who wants to move to an EU country, or an EU citizen who wants to move to the UK, will need a visa in order to do so.

However, a new ‘mobility scheme’ could re-create some elements of freedom of movement – if the EU and UK can come to an agreement. The signs of that are not good, with the current UK government rejecting the proposal before it had even been formally offered, but here’s what we know about the proposal.

Who would benefit?

First things first, it’s only for the youngsters, older people will have to continue with the time-consuming and often expensive process of getting a visa for study, work or visiting.

The Commission’s proposal is for a scheme that covers people aged 18 to 30. 

Their reasoning is: “The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has resulted in decreased mobility between the EU and the UK. This situation has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges.

“The proposal seeks to address in an innovative way the main barriers to mobility for young people experienced today and create a right for young people to travel from the EU to the UK and vice-versa more easily and for a longer period of time.”

How would it work?

The proposal is to allow extended stays – for young people to be able to spend up to four years in the EU or UK – under a special type of visa or residency permit. It does not, therefore, replicate the paperwork-free travel of the pre-Brexit era.

The Commission states that travel should not be ‘purpose bound’ to allow young people to undertake a variety of activities while they are abroad.

Under the visa system, people must travel to a country for a specific purpose which has been arranged before they leave – ie in order to study they need a student visa which requires proof of enrolment on a course, or if they intend to work they need a working visa which often requires sponsorship from an employer.

The proposal would allow young people to spend their time in a variety of ways – perhaps some time working, a period of study and then some time travelling or just relaxing.

It would also not be subject to national or Bloc-wide quotas.

It seems that some kind of visa or residency permit would still be required – but it would be issued for up to four years and could be used for a variety of activities.

Fees for this should not be “excessive” – and the UK’s health surcharge would not apply to people travelling under this scheme.

Are there conditions?

Other than the age qualification, the proposal is that young people would have to meet other criteria, including having comprehensive health insurance, plus financial criteria to ensure that they will be able to support themselves while abroad.

The visa/residency permit could be rejected on the ground of threats to public policy, public security or public health.

Will this happen soon?

Slow down – all that has happened so far is that the European Commission has made a recommendation to open negotiations.

This now needs to be discussed in the Council of Europe.

If the Council agrees then, and only then, will the EU open negotiations with the UK on the subject.

The scheme could then only become a reality if the EU and UK come to an agreement on the terms of the scheme, and then refine the fine details – reacting the news reports of the proposal, the UK government appears to have already dismissed the idea out of hand, so agreement at present seems unlikely. However, governments can change and so can the political climate.

But basically we’re talking years if it happens at all – and that would require not only a new government in the UK (which seems likely) but a major change in the whole British political atmosphere.

Don’t start packing just yet.

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