Austria Embassy Washington DC – Visa Guide for US citizens

Introduction

Visa applications are submitted in the Austria Embassy Washington DC, Consulates-General in New York, and Los Angeles.

Austria at a glance

Austria covers an area of 83,878 square kilometres with a population of 8,822,267 residents (as of 1 January 2018), including 1,395,880 foreign citizens (15.8% of total population). In 2017, an average of 1,970 million people with migration background lived in Austria that is 22.8% of the entire population.

Vienna is Austria’s most densely populated province with 4,500 residents per square kilometer; Tyrol and Carinthia are the least densely populated provinces with 59 inhabitants per square kilometer. The average life expectancy is for woman 83.9 years and for man 79.3 years.

Austria is bordered by Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Italy.

Austria is a federal state comprised of nine provinces; each province has its own capital. Australia is also part of Schengen Area and the country has abolished its border under Schengen Agreement.

Jurisdiction of the Austria Embassy Washington DC

You can only apply at the VFS Application Centers if you reside in the consular jurisdiction of the Austria Embassy Washington DC:

Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, US Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas.

Otherwise, please submit your application at the Austrian Consulate General with jurisdiction over your place of residence.

If you do not reside in the United States of America (e.g. being in the U.S. as a tourist), you cannot apply for an Austrian visa in the United States. You must apply for the visa at the Austrian Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence.

General Information

All applicants for a visa to enter Austria must submit biometric data (ten fingerprints). Therefore, all applicants need to schedule an appointment and must appear in person. Biometric data, along with the data provided in the visa application form, is stored in the Visa Information System (VIS) and allows the Schengen States to exchange data (for more information please visit www.ec.europa.eu).

Frequent travelers to the Schengen Area do not have to give new finger scans every time they apply for a new visa. Once finger scans are stored in VIS, they can be re-used for further visa applications over a 5-year period.

Please note that both your nationality (citizenship) and the passport you hold determine whether or not you must apply for a visa.

Holders of Alien Passports, issued by the United States (USA), need a visa for Austria.

Holders of Refugee Passports, Alien Passports, and Permits to Re-Enter NEED a visa for Austria.

Types of visas

Austrian visa is classified into the following types:

Airport Transit Visa (Visa A)

Whether you are required to apply for a Schengen airport transit visa or not depends on your nationality.

Citizens of some countries must hold an airport transit visa when transiting through the international parts of airports situated in any of the Schengen States, while citizens of certain countries must hold an airport transit visa when transiting through the international parts of airports situated in some of the Schengen States.

For current airport transit visa requirements and exemptions (e.g. Green Card holders) please refer to the website of the European Commission – Migration and Home Affairs.

Travel Visa (Visa C)

If you intend to go to Austria as a tourist, to visit friends or on a business trip for a period not exceeding 90 days and your country does not participate in the Visa Waiver Program, you need a Schengen travel visa (Visa C). This visa is not a work permit.

Please note that in order to apply for a Schengen travel visa, your main destination (e.g. primary purpose of travel, longest duration of stay) has to be Austria. In absence of the main destination, Austria must be your first point of entry into the Schengen Area.

Austrian National Visa (Visa D)

If you intend to stay in Austria for more than 90 days and up to 6 months and you are not a citizen of a European Union or European Free Trade Association member state, you need to apply for a national Austrian visa (Visa D).

During the validity of the Visa D, the holder is entitled to enter, transit and stay up to 90 days in other Schengen countries.

Points to remember

According to the Visa Code, the application process can take up to 15 calendar days. Inquiries about the status will not be answered earlier.

Visa applications should ideally be submitted at least 3-4 weeks prior to departure. If the application is filed less than 15 calendar days before departure, the issuance of the visa on time cannot be guaranteed.

Applications can’t be submitted more than three months before a departure. All applicants must appear in a personal capacity.

The following documents [if applicable] must be presented when applying for a visa:

A valid and signed passport or travel document (passport/travel document must be valid for at least three months after the date of departure from the Schengen zone. Further, your passport must not be more than 10 years and it must provide at least two empty pages.)

Visa A and C application form, completed and signed or

Visa D application form, completed and signed

Supporting documents as per Document Checklist [explained below]

If you are unable to prove sufficient financial means for your stay, your host in Austria can sign a declaration of liability for you.

The Embassy or Consulate can access the data only 48 hours after the verification process, thus an application should be filed 2 days later only.

Visa application process at Austria Embassy Washington DC

Follow these simple steps to acquire a visa from Austria Embassy Washington DC:

Step 1

Open the official website of Austria Embassy Washington DC and click on ‘Services’.

It will display a number of sub-headings. You will select ‘US Residents Going to Austria’.

Step 2

Click on ‘Do you Need Visa’ to find out whether or not you need a visa. If yes, scroll back an click on Visa Application.

Step 3

The service will re-direct you to VFS global system. Follow the simple steps and complete the online application process.

Step 4

Prepare the following documents:

Travel document: This includes a passport.

Roundtrip Flight Reservation: Attach a roundtrip flight reservation with your Austria Embassy Washington DC.

Travel Health Insurance: A travel health insurance must cover expenditures up to 30,000 EUR or USD 50,000.

Hotel Bookings for Visa Application: Attach a verifiable hotel booking for visa your Austrian Visa application.

Cover Letter: Briefly explain the reason why you are planning to visit Austria in the cover letter.

Means of subsistence: It means to provide evidence to the Austria Embassy or consulate that the applicant has sufficient amount or financial resources to bear his/her expenditures during his stay in the Schengen country. There is no precise or exact amount regulated by Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria.

It may vary on a case-to-case basis.

If employed:

Contract

3-month old valid bank statement

Company’s permission letter

Income Tax Return

If self-employed:

Copy of license for business

3-month old company’s bank statement

ITR

If retired:

3-month pension statement

If applicable:

Regular income generated by property proof of the latest 6 months.

Recent nationwide criminal history check.

US work permit

Confirmation of participation in any type of event or activity

Self-addressed, pre-paid US express mail envelope (if applicable)

Following individuals are immune from submitting the biometric data

• Children with age less than 12 years
• Any disability preventing itinerant from submitting fingerprints
• Public office holders

Step Five: Interview at Austria Embassy Washington DC

Now that you’ve accumulated all the mandatory accompanying documents for your visa application, appear for the interview at the respective consulate or embassy.

Be calm and answer all the questions with honesty.

Step Six: Track your Visa

Track your Austrian Visa Application’s progress with the help of VFS global.

Address of Austria Embassy Washington DC

3524 International Ct NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA