Applying to Austrian universities

If you hold a non-EU passport, applying to an Austrian university is less about a single "apply" button and more about a sequence: prove your school-leaving certificate is good enough, prove your German (or English), meet a deadline that is usually earlier than the one EU students get, then wait for an official admission decision. That decision letter is also the document your residence permit hinges on, so the whole timeline matters more than most applicants expect.

This guide walks through how admission works at public universities and at universities of applied sciences (Fachhochschulen / UAS), what restricted programmes add to the process, and what actually happens between "submitted" and "enrolled".

The two systems: public universities vs Fachhochschulen

Austria has two main routes, and they work differently.

Public universities (Uni Wien, TU Wien, Uni Graz, etc.) admit you based on your general university entrance qualification (allgemeine Universitätsreife) plus, where relevant, a subject-specific entitlement (besondere Universitätsreife). In plain terms: your secondary-school leaving certificate must be equivalent to the Austrian Matura and must already entitle you to study that same subject in your home country. If your home certificate requires a national entrance exam (e.g. Türkiye's ÖSYS/YÖS, China's Gaokao, Iran's Konkur), you usually have to prove you passed it too.

Universities of applied sciences (UAS / Fachhochschulen) are more selective on people and less bureaucratic on paper. You apply online to a specific programme, then every applicant goes through an admission procedure — typically a written or computer-based test plus an interview, sometimes a portfolio or practical task (architecture, design, health programmes). Places are capped, so it is genuinely competitive rather than first-come.

Deadlines: why non-EU applicants must move earlier

At public universities the headline closing dates are 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester, with applications opening around mid-April. But third-country nationals frequently get a shorter, earlier window, because foreign documents take longer to verify and you also need lead time for a visa.

The University of Vienna is a clear example. For winter semester 2026/27:

| Applicant group | Application period | | --- | --- | | EU/EEA/CH (and equivalent status) | 22 June – 5 September 2026 | | Third-country nationals | 22 June – 3 August 2026 |

For summer semester 2027, third-country nationals apply 16 Nov 2026 – 7 January 2027, versus 5 February for EU applicants. That is roughly a month less — and missing it means waiting a whole semester.

Restricted programmes and entrance exams (Aufnahmeverfahren)

Some fields are capped and run a selection or entrance procedure: medicine and dentistry, psychology, biology, business, computer science, pharmacy, communication, and others depending on the university. These programmes can:

• Run a single application window per year, usually in spring, well before the normal deadline.
• Require a fee and registration for the test — the closing date for registering can fall up to six months before the semester starts.
• Decide admission by exam score, by a selection step in the first semesters, or both.

UAS programmes always include an aptitude procedure, but many FHs run multiple application rounds through the year (FH JOANNEUM offers up to six). Check the specific programme page, not the general site.

Application fees

There is no flat national application fee for public universities — you generally do not pay just to submit a standard application. The cost arrives at enrolment (see below). Entrance-exam programmes (notably medicine via MedAT, and several UAS) charge a separate exam/registration fee, typically a modest amount, paid when you register for the test. Verify the figure on the programme's page.

After you submit: from notice to enrolment

This is the part non-EU students underestimate. Submitting is step one of several.

The key distinction: admission (Zulassung) means you are entitled to study; enrolment (Inskription) means you actually are a registered student for the semester. You are not enrolled until you have completed registration and paid your fees within the admission/registration period.

German proficiency and supplementary exams

Most degree programmes are taught in German; an increasing number are in English. For German-taught study you generally need C1 German by the time you enrol, though some universities admit you with A2 and let you upgrade through the University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU) or an equivalent preparatory course. If your certificate differs substantially from the Austrian Matura, you may be assigned supplementary examinations (German, plus possibly maths, English, history/geography) that you pass at the VWU before — or alongside — starting your degree. English-taught programmes require proof of English (often B2–C1); UAS programmes commonly ask for B2 in the language of instruction.

The costs you actually pay

Two separate charges:

• ÖH student union fee — compulsory for everyone, €25.20 per semester (Winter 2025/26). It includes basic accident and liability insurance. (Some universities still display €26.20; the current ÖH-set rate is €25.20 — confirm at payment.)
• Tuition fee — non-EU/third-country students at public universities pay €726.72 per semester from the first semester. EU students (and non-EU students treated as equal, e.g. permanent residents) pay €363.36 only after exceeding the standard study duration plus two tolerance semesters.

You pay these each semester within the payment period to stay enrolled. UAS tuition varies by institution and can be higher.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Using the EU deadline. Find your non-EU date and work backwards from it.
• Underestimating document legalisation. Originals must be legalised; non-German/English documents need certified translations, themselves legalised. This takes weeks.
• Confusing admission with enrolment. An admission letter is not enrolment — you must still register and pay.
• Ignoring entrance-exam windows. Restricted and UAS programmes often close in spring, months before the normal deadline.
• Assuming all your German prep can happen after arrival. Plan the VWU/supplementary-exam path before you come.

Frequently asked questions

Sources