You need a visa for if you will study or do research in Austria for up to 180 days (=6 months). You always apply for a visa outside of Austria at the responsible Austrian embassy.

For stays of 181 days or more you need a residence permit.

If you will study/research/work in Austria for more than 6 months (i.e. more than 180 days), you must apply for a residence permit.

In case you need a visa to enter Austria, you must apply for the residence permit at the responsible Austrian embassy. Persons from countries that are allowed to enterAustria without a visa (as tourist) can apply for the residence permit in Austria. In such a case, please prepare your documents in your country of origin to avoid unnecessary delays.

If you are in contact with us, we will be happy to recommend a suitable procedure for your situation.

Basically, you are allowed to stay in Austria as a tourist with another EU residence permit for a maximum of 90 days.

Research or studies are actually not permitted with another EU residence permit - there are very few exceptions. Therefore, you usually have to apply for a visa or a residence permit. If you are already living in the Schengen area, please contact the Austrian embassy in Munich, Ljubljana or Bratislava to clarify whether a stay in Austria with the existing residence permit is allowed.

If you have two non-EU/EEA nationalities, you need a visa/residence permit for Austria. Mention both nationalities to the Austrian authorities. If you have two passports (nationalities), one of them being an EU/EEA/Swiss one, use the EU/EEA/Swiss passport for your stay. EU/EEA and Swiss nationals do not need a visa or residence permit to enter and stay in Austria. If you stay longer than 3 months in Austria, you have to register additionally at the residence authority after arrival (EU registration).

• Prepare the documents well. Your documents may need to be legalized and translated abroad (in the country of issue). Please find out about the regulations early on. Here you can check which form of legalization is required according to the document's country of origin.
   
• If necessary, make an appointment at the Austrian embassy as early as possible - the waiting times for appointments are often long.
   
• Find out about the financial requirements for a residence permit. You must be able to prove the financial means for the stay in Austria when applying.