A visa to Austria for most residents of the CIS countries is a mandatory attribute of a trip. This need is due to the fact that this state belongs to the Schengen Union, on the territory of which migration rules are the same for all member states. What type of visa permission is needed and how to issue it, we will consider in this article.
Types of Austrian visas
Whether Russians need a visa to Austria is determined by the unified Schengen legislation. Regardless of the purpose and duration of the trip, citizens of the Russian Federation will definitely need a visa permit to cross the Austrian border.
The only exceptions are persons who are EU residents and those who already have a valid Schengen in their passport. You can use the second option only if certain conditions are met:
- entry on a Schengen visa will be carried out through the country that issued it;
- the period of stay in Austria will not exceed the total number of days spent in the country to which the existing visa stamp belongs.
The way an Austrian visa looks like is no different from the appearance of stickers from other Schengen states. It is a sticker with information about which country issued the entry permit, its validity period and category, information about the visa holder.
All Schengen stamps differ from each other only in information content.
Based on the purpose of entry into the country, visas are divided into several types:
- Tourist - category C. One of the most frequently requested. It gives the right to travel for the purpose of sightseeing, recreation, treatment, business visits to establish contacts. Does not give the opportunity to work and conduct commercial activities.
- Transit visa. It needs to be opened for those for whom Austria is only the territory on which the transfer will be made. Russians, if they do not plan to leave the airport area, do not need to request a transit permit.
- Visitor visa. Designed for visiting relatives and friends. Issued on the basis of an invitation from the host party, which most often acts as a guarantor or sponsor of the trip.
- Student visa. It will be needed by those who intend to get an education at an Austrian educational institution. Allows a long stay in the country, gives the right to obtain a residence permit.
- Work Visa. Issued to persons entering for employment with an invitation from a local company.
- Business visa. It is requested by persons who intend to conduct business in the country.
The last three types of visas are national, category D. They are issued for a long stay in Austrian territory and make possible subsequent legalization in the country.
According to the validity period, visa permits are divided into short-term and long-term. The latter are of two types: for one entry and multivisa, involving several entries into the country.
How to get a visa and where to go
The process of how to independently apply for a visa to Austria includes several stages:
- Preparation of documents.
- Online appointment at the consulate or visa center.
- Payment of consular fees.
- Submission of documents.
- Waiting for an answer.
- Obtaining a passport with a visa.
If you are not confident in your own abilities, you can turn to intermediary firms, which will take care of all the issues related to obtaining visa permits. But such a service will result in an additional budget.
Where to apply
You can submit an application at the consular department of the Austrian mission or at the visa center in your region. In the second case, you can apply without an appointment.
Those who submit documents in Moscow certainly need to sign up for the electronic queue. This can be done on the organization's website.
Those who apply to the consulate also need to go to the portal of the diplomatic mission to schedule the day of the visit. The following categories of persons can submit a request to the consulate without an appointment:
- persons serving on business trips;
- those who are applying for a national visa.
You need to make an appointment for all persons applying for a visa, including children who have not reached the age of majority and children who are inscribed in their parent's passports.
One application can be made for the whole family by using the "Add applicant" button. The confirmation received after submitting the application must be printed out and taken with you on the appointed day.
You need to show up for a meeting no earlier than 15 minutes before the set time. Even if the previous time is free, the service officers will only accept in a strictly appointed time frame.
Children under 11 years old are not required to attend the procedure. Persons who are not related to the visa request are not admitted to the department.
Starting from 2021, all foreign persons applying for a short-term visa must provide biometric data - fingerprints and digital photos. The exception is children under 12 years of age, heads of state and representatives of official delegations entering by invitation.
The coordinates of the departments where you can apply are given in the table:
| Name of the organization | Address and telephone | Working hours |
|---|---|---|
| Embassy of the Republic of Austria Moscow (consular section) | per. Bolshoi Levshinsky, 7 Individuals should contact the address Chisty Pereulok, 11. +7 (495) 956-16-60 | Monday-Friday 9.00-12.00 |
| Visa Application Center, Moscow | Dubininskaya Street 35 +7 (499) 705-72-50 | Monday-Friday 9.00-17.00 |
| Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg (this is where residents of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region apply) | pl. Preobrazhenskaya, 4 78123317600 | Monday-Friday 9.00-16.00 |
| Visa Center St. Petersburg | Vvedensky channel, 7 +7 (812) 418-26-26 | Monday-Friday 9.00-20.00 |
Preparing documents
It is important to prepare the necessary documents for obtaining an Austrian visa as much as possible.
Each type of visa permit corresponds to a certain list of papers. Let's conditionally divide it into two packages: main and additional (characteristic only for a particular category of stamp).
Regardless of which visa is requested, to apply to the consulate you will need:
- Completed visa application.
- The original and a copy of the foreign passport, which must contain at least one blank spread. The validity of the document must remain valid for 3 months from the date of departure from the country.
- A copy of the main spread of the civil passport.
- Two photos, 35 x 45 mm.
- Financial guarantees or sponsorship letter.
- Insurance.
- Proof of residence.
- Receipt of consular fee payment.
All documents drawn up in a foreign language must be translated into German or English and certified by a notary.
How to fill out a questionnaire
The visa application is filled out in English or German. None of the sections should be left blank.
You can enter data electronically, or by hand. In the second case, you need to use black or blue ink.
Below is a sample of filling out the questionnaire.
Corrections, blots and strikethroughs are not allowed. Only Latin letters can be used. At the end of the application must be the personal signature of the applicant.
What else to pay attention to:
- Parents or guardians fill out the questionnaire for persons under 18 years of age, they also sign the document.
- All items of the completed questionnaire must be confirmed by copies of the relevant documents (for example, marriage certificate, child's birth certificate).
- The application must include all family members who are requesting a visa authorization.
After filling out the questionnaire, you need to print it on separate sheets, sign it and attach a photo.
Additional documents package
Now let's figure out what documents are needed for a trip to Austria, based on the visa category:
- Work Visa:
- an invitation from the employer;
- an employment contract with an indication of the position, salary and duration of cooperation;
- work permit (the employer requests and sends it to the consulate of the country where the visa is issued);
- confirmation of the availability of housing.
2. Tourist visa:
- hotel reservation;
- round trip tickets;
- the route of the trip;
- certificate from the place of work indicating the position and salary;
- financial guarantees (this can be a bank statement, sponsorship letter);
- Copies of documents of ownership of real estate (usually they are asked as proof that the applicant plans to return home).
3. Visitor visa:
- an invitation from the host country indicating who will bear the travel expenses, where the applicant will live, how long his stay in the country will last;
- confirmation of family or friendship relations;
- a copy of the inviting person's passport as proof of citizenship or Austrian resident status.
4. Student visa:
- an invitation from the university;
- confirmation of the availability of housing;
- financial guarantees (a statement from the bank on the availability of funds in the account in the amount of 600-800 euros per month);
- education document;
- receipt for payment of the first year of study.
To apply for a transit visa, you will need a visa permit from the country that is the final destination and a ticket.
The list also depends on the status of the applicant:
- entrepreneurs will need a certificate of business registration and a certificate of payment of taxes for the last six months;
- pensioners - a pension certificate and an extract on the amount of pension payments;
- those leaving for treatment - a medical certificate and an invitation from an Austrian medical institution;
- unemployed - an account statement or a letter from the sponsor confirming his solvency.
Traveling with children requires the preparation of the following documents:
- A copy of the birth certificate.
- The consent of the other parent if the trip is made with only one of them.
- Permission from father and mother if traveling with a trusted person.
The consulate may also request other documents if they have doubts about the suitability of the purpose of the visit and the category of the requested visa.
Do I need to apply for a visa for citizens of other CIS countries
Citizens of other post-Soviet republics will also need a visa permit to enter Austria, but there are some exceptions. A visa to Austria for Ukrainians is not required if the following conditions are met:
- the visit will not last more than 90 days in half a year;
- the person entering has a biometric passport;
- the purpose of the trip is exclusively tourism or recreation.
If you are planning a longer stay in the country, and the purpose of the trip involves, for example, work, study, business, then you must submit a request for a visa permit of category D.
For Belarusians, Kazakhstanis, Uzbeks and representatives of other CIS countries, a visa is required. The procedure for its registration is the same as for the Russians.
How much does it cost and how long does it take to apply for a visa
The package of documents for an Austrian visa requires the submission of a receipt for the payment of the consular fee. The cost of obtaining a visa to Austria depends on its category.
Prices for 2021 are shown in the table:
| Name of the organization | Address and telephone | Working hours |
|---|---|---|
| Embassy of the Republic of Austria | per. Bolshoi Levshinsky, 7 | Monday-Friday 9.00-12.00 |
| Individuals should contact the address Chisty Pereulok, 11. | ||
| Moscow (consular section) | +7 (495) 956-16-60 | |
| Visa Application Center, Moscow | Dubininskaya Street 35 | Monday-Friday 9.00-17.00 |
| +7 (499) 705-72-50 | ||
| Visa permit type | Fee in EUR | |
| Transit | 35 | |
| Any stamp of category C | 35 | |
| National (category D) | 100 |
A separate budget will be required to pay for the services of intermediaries. In particular, when contacting the visa center, you will have to pay 26 euros as a service fee.
How much the services of intermediaries in obtaining a visa cost depends on the city and the company itself. On average, a check can be 200-300 euros.
If you need to apply for a visa quickly (within 3 days), the consular fee will be 70 euros. But you can apply for urgent clearance only if we are talking about a category C stamp and there are documented reasons for an urgent request. National visas are not urgently issued.
The following are exempt from payment of the fee:
- children under 6 years old;
- disabled people;
- persons accompanying persons with disabilities.
The processing time for an Austrian visa also depends on its category and on the city in which the applicant lives. Muscovites receive permission faster, since they do not waste time sending documents.
But there is also a certain time frame. According to EU regulation, the processing time for a request is 15 days. In some cases, it can be extended up to 30 or 60 days. In any case, documents can be submitted no earlier than 90 days before the trip.
As for the validity period of the visa permit itself, for the first time it is usually issued for one trip for a short time with a corridor of a maximum of one to two weeks. Subject to the migration rules, with subsequent requests, you can already count on a visa for a period of six months, a year or even 5 years.
With a C visa, you can stay in the country for up to 90 days in one half of the year, with a D visa - up to 180 days during the same period. A visa extension is possible, but, as practice shows, in the case of a short-term C visa, the chances are very small, even with very good reasons.
And visa D assumes that after entry, a foreign person will apply for a residence permit or leave the country after the expiration of the period of legitimacy of the visa stamp.
Checking visa status
After the submission of the documents, there is a waiting period. If the approximate processing time is coming to an end, and there is no information from the consulate, the question arises of how to find out if a Schengen visa will appear in your passport.
You can check the status of the application on the website of the visa center. The procedure is as follows:
- Enter the number that was assigned to your appeal.
- Please enter your date of birth.
- Confirm that you are not a robot.
- Submit your request.
After a short processing of the information, the system will give information about the stage of consideration of the visa request. Be prepared for the fact that if the consulate refused to grant the right to enter, you will not find information on the reasons on the website. You need to find out about this at the moment when you pick up your passport.
Why they can refuse and how to be in such a situation
The rules for applying for a visa for all Schengen countries are the same. But the degree of loyalty of individual states differs significantly.
Austria is not among the countries that issue visas with ease. Be sure that your documents will be checked with the utmost care, and if necessary, they will also ask for additional ones.
There are many reasons for refusal from representatives of the state:
- incomplete package of documents;
- counterfeit papers;
- doubts about the identity of the applicant;
- no reason to return home;
- violation of migration legislation in past visits;
- insufficient financial support for the trip.
To find out why they refused, a special code will help:
- C1 - a ban only for this visit (perhaps the reason was errors in the questionnaire).
- C2 - the consulate wants to invite the applicant for an interview to clarify some details.
- C3 - an incomplete package of documents (you need to find out what is missing and bring the papers to the department).
- C4 - denial of any entry into the country, not limited in time.
The consular fee for a visa to Austria is not refundable, and therefore it is important to prepare all the documents so that the consulate has nothing to complain about. If a refusal is still received, you can try to correct the errors and apply again. If the reason for refusal does not allow this, it can be appealed.
The appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of the decision. But you need to do this only if you are absolutely sure that the decision was made incorrectly, and you have confirmation of this.
What you need to travel to Austria by car
The rules for entering Austria by car require additional documents. These include:
- International driving license.
- Technical certificate.
- Insurance (the so-called Green Card) and a tax sticker on the glass. You can buy a policy at any gas station in front of the border.
- Itinerary.
Confirmation of hotel reservations will not be superfluous. Be sure to stock up on a green vest in case of an accident and wheel chains if you're heading for the mountains.
For the driver himself, you will need a visa, the procedure for obtaining which is described above in this article.
Outcomes
All Russians will need a visa to enter Austria, regardless of the duration and purpose of the visit. To apply, you need to book the day and time on the website of the consulate or visa center.
The package of papers includes a basic list and an additional one specific to each specific type of visa. The processing time for a short-term visa application takes about two weeks.
The amount of the consular fee as of 2021 remains unchanged: 35 euros for a category C visa and 70 euros for its urgent registration.
