Austrian public universities charge non-EU students roughly €726 per semester plus the students' union fee, which is among the lowest in Western Europe. Many master's programmes at the technical universities are taught in English, while most other faculties still teach in German.
Scholarships for international students are administered centrally by the OeAD, which is the first place to look rather than individual university pages.
At a glance
| Language | English at technical universities and several master's; German elsewhere |
|---|---|
| Tuition | About €726.72 per semester for non-EU students, plus union fee |
| Living costs for the permit | Roughly €1,200 a month evidenced |
| Main intake | Winter (October); some programmes also start in March |
| Where you apply | Directly to the university |
| After graduation | Red-White-Red Card, 12 months |
What they require
- Bachelor's with a matching subject profile; Austrian universities check equivalence closely
- German B2 for German-taught programmes, IELTS 6.5 for English-taught ones
- Legalised and translated transcripts
- Motivation letter and CV
How admission actually works
Equivalence-based: the university confirms that your degree gives access to the same level at home, then checks subject coverage. Technical universities may require supplementary examinations in specific subjects.
How much does a supervisor matter?
Not needed for master's. Required for doctorate.
Doctoral admission needs a supervisor and a dissertation agreement. Many positions are project-funded through FWF grants, advertised as employment.
When applications open and close
The pattern below is what these systems normally do. Every programme sets its own dates, so treat this as the planning shape and confirm on the official portal linked at the end.
Funding that genuinely exists here
The central database of Austrian government and institutional awards, including Ernst Mach grants.
For students and researchers from selected countries, with annual calls.
Salaried research employment through the Austrian Science Fund.
Documents this country asks for
- Legalised degree and transcripts with certified translation
- Language certificate
- Motivation letter and CV
- Proof of funds and insurance for the residence permit
Visa and permit
Non-EU students apply for a residence permit for students, with roughly €1,200 a month in evidenced funds, insurance and accommodation proof. Processing is slow, so apply immediately after admission.
After you graduate
Red-White-Red Card, 12 months
Graduates of Austrian universities can apply for a twelve-month residence permit to seek employment, then move to a Red-White-Red Card once employed at the required level.
What they favour
- Precise subject match
- German language progress for non-technical fields
- Complete legalised paperwork
Where applications fail
- Missing the 1 September non-EU deadline
- Underestimating supplementary examination requirements
- Assuming English suffices outside technical faculties
Official sources
Rules and dates change, sometimes mid-cycle. These are the pages that carry the authoritative version; if anything here disagrees with them, they are right. Reviewed September 2026.