About the Welcome Center
Willkommen! Welcome! We would like to briefly introduce ourselves.
We inform and support you around the arrival, so that you can focus on the actual reasons of your stay. For this purpose, we cooperate with various internal as well as external stakeholders, such as embassies and authorities. Our goal is to further strengthen the welcome culture at the University of Graz.
In our consultations and on this website, we provide information on the following topics (to name a few):
- Visa & residence permit for students, staff and guest researchers
- Finding accommodation in Graz
- Administrative steps after arrival (registration of residence, EU registration, opening a bank account...)
- Taxes and working in Austria for international staff (initial information and info events)
- (Health) insurance
- Learning German in Graz
- Offers for (international) staff or students
New at the University of Graz? We know that structures and processes are a bit confusing when moving to another country, you often don't know whom to contact. Therefore, please feel free to contact us and we will refer you to the people in charge, if necessary.
Julia Schmidt, BA. MA.
Julia has been coordinating the Welcome Center since its kick-off in 2016. She completed her master's degree in English/American Studies at the University of Graz and wrote her master's thesis on the topic of advising international students. In addition to her role at the Welcome Center, she is also the deputy director of the International Office.
Lei Wang, BCom
Lei has been working in the International Office since 2023. As of January 2025 she has been supporting the Welcome Center for 20 hours per week. Prior to moving to Austria, Lei studied and worked in China, Japan and Canada. She earned her bachelor's degree in Business Economics in Canada and a bachelor's degree in Computer Science in China.
How to reach us:
The Welcome Center office is located on the 1st floor of the main building (Universitätsplatz 3, 8010 Graz).
Please contact us in advance to schedule a personal appointment.
You can reach us by phone under +43 316 380 3940 or by email: welcome@uni-graz.at / international.students(at)uni-graz.at
Niklas Puffer
Niklas Puffer has been supporting the Welcome Center for 12 hours per week since July 2026. Originally from the Ennstal (upper Stryria), he brings both his strong regional ties and his enthusiasm for international mobility to the team.
In his free time, Niklas enjoys travelling and beekeeping – two interests that reflect his openness to new perspectives and his commitment to sustainability. As part of the Welcome Center team, he helps international researchers and students to settle in well in Graz and find their way around quickly.