Visa application
Austria is one of the countries participating in the Schengen Agreement, so the basic rules for obtaining a visa to travel here comply with the general requirements of the Schengen. However, there are a number of nuances that the Austrian consuls have, and which must be observed in order to obtain a visa on time. Check a2zdirectory for history of Austria.
In order to obtain a standard tourist visa to Austria, you need to provide the following:
Original and copy of the passport. It must be valid for at least 3 months from the date of return to Russia, and must also contain at least three blank pages.
Application-questionnaire. To be completed in German only. Free versions of the questionnaires, which can be downloaded from the official website of the Austrian consulate, have a translation of all questions into Russian.
Two color photographs 3.5×4.5 cm. Since 2010, the photo requirements are as follows:
The face should occupy 70% of the entire area of the image;
The photo must be taken against a white, cream, light gray or beige background;
It is forbidden to be photographed in headdresses, including national headdresses;
You can not be photographed in sunglasses, “chameleons”, glasses with a bright and too wide frame, there should be no glare on the lenses;
Photos should not be subjected to color correction and other retouching.
An insurance policy from a company licensed in Austria. The amount of coverage must be at least 30,000 euros. The policy must be valid for the entire period of the proposed trip.
Receipt and a copy of the receipt confirming payment of the visa fee.
Original and copies of all pages of the Russian passport.
Certificate of employment with the seal of the organization, printed on a special form. The reference must include:
The position of the employee and the scope of his activities;
Salary for the last year (salary, bonuses, fines and other penalties);
A line stating that the employee is provided with leave during the trip to Europe, and that upon his return he will return to work with the same position and salary.
Bank statement confirming the availability of the necessary amount for the trip. This amount is calculated according to the formula: 50 euros per person per day, minus accommodation and travel expenses. The certificate should also contain information about all transactions with the account for the last six months.
Marriage certificate for persons in official relations. If one of the spouses has died, then a copy of the death certificate must be provided.
For schoolchildren and students, it is necessary to have a certificate from the place of study, which indicates the graduation date of the institution and permission to leave from the head.
Minors must provide:
Original and copy of birth certificate;
Russian passport and copies of all its completed pages;
Permission to leave from both parents, or from one parent who remained in Russia. It must be notarized and translated into German by a licensed translator.
Sponsorship letter for non-working citizens with an application in the form of an extract from the sponsor’s bank account and information about his work.
Guaranteed return to Russia. Certificates of doing business, owning real estate, cars and others will do.
To obtain a visitor visa to Austria, the following documents must be attached to the above documents:
A written invitation from the Austrian side, as well as a copy of it. It must be handwritten or faxed. The invitation must be certified at the place of residence / registration of the inviting person or legal entity.
Copies of documents confirming Austrian citizenship – internal passport, driver’s license.
Certificate from the place of work or registration of a private company. It is mandatory to attach information about all income for the last six months to the certificate.
Guarantees of financial obligations. Filled in a special form. According to this document, the inviting person undertakes to bear all expenses for the period of the guest’s stay. This item is optional and does not relieve the guest of financial responsibility for the period of travel.
Proof of kinship for close relatives. Most often – marriage certificates, as evidence of a change of surname or other documents.
Since 2014, for persons visiting official burial sites, military cemeteries and memorials, it is necessary to provide a certificate of relationship with the buried person.
All key documents and copies must be supported by an official German translation. Translation is carried out only by a competent specialist with a special education. On each page of translations, his contact details should be indicated.
The length of stay in Austria is determined by visa categories. Category A is a transit visa that allows you to stay only at the airport while waiting for a flight. Category C allows you to stay in Austria for up to 90 days. Category D gives the right to reside in the country up to 180 days.
Visa processing time
For 2015, the official visa processing time for Austria is 14 working days. When applying for an express visa, the period will be 7 days. Under certain circumstances or a heavy load of the visa center, the period can be extended up to 21 working days.
The reason for refusal to obtain a visa to Austria may be:
Loan debts;
Debts on utility bills;
Alimony debt;
outstanding conviction;
Absence of the required amount in the bank account;
Deliberately false information in documents;
Errors in the translation of documentation or in the questionnaire.
Consular fee
For citizens of Russia and the CIS countries for 2015, the consular fee for obtaining an Austrian visa category C is 35 euros. A similar express visa will cost 70 euros. A transit visa category A will cost 60 euros. For a category D visa, you will have to pay 100 euros. Service fees are not charged to Russian citizens.
In case of refusal to issue a visa, the consular fee is not refundable.
Customs regulations
The last major changes in Austrian customs regulations were made in 2007. Since then, any amendments have been insignificant, but important enough for those who do not want to have problems crossing the border. See Austria import restrictions.
Allowed duty-free import to Austria
Tobacco products – no more than 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars. Each package can be weighed at the screening point;
Tobacco in its pure form – no more than 250 grams ;
Alcohol from 22 to 80% strength (brandy, whiskey, absinthe, cognac, vodka) – no more than 1 liter ;
Alcohol up to 22% strength (champagne and sparkling wines, port wine, liqueurs) – no more than 2 liters ;
Alcohol up to 22% strength (red and white wine) – no more than 4 liters ;
Beer – no more than 16 liters ;
Medicines – in a reasonable amount with a prescription from the attending physician;
Personal valuables (including jewelry, electronics, accessories) – for a total amount not exceeding 430 euros per person if the tourist is traveling alone, or not more than 300 euros if two or more people are traveling;
Cash in any world currency – no more than 10,000 euros at the current exchange rate.
Prohibited from importing into Austria
Narcotic drugs of plant and synthetic origin;
Explosives, including fireworks and firecrackers;
Firearms, gas and pneumatic weapons and ammunition for them;
Cold steel, including collectible items;
Food products produced outside the European Union;
Any kind of pornographic products.
Export prohibited from Austria
Items of special artistic and historical value;
Gold bars weighing more than 50 grams.
