How can I apply for a visa from Russia to Austria?

Russian citizens are required to have a visa when they wish to enter Austria or one of the 27 Schengen countries. This applies equally for short trips and longer stays. Depending on the reason for entering Austria, you must meet different conditions to obtain a visa for Austria. Do you want to visit family in Austria, go on a trip to the mountains, or visit cities like Vienna and Salzburg? Or do you want to stay longer in Austria as a Russian, and perhaps even work or study? We explain how and where you can apply for a visa from Russia to Austria and what you need to consider.

Visa Austria Russia: An Overview

When traveling from Russia to Austria, you have different types of visas to choose from, depending on the length and purpose of your entry. By the way, there is no working holiday visa program between Austria and Russia, so you cannot apply for a working holiday visa for Austria as a Russian.

Application for a C-Visa (Schengen Visa) for up to 3 months

• For short stays and trips from Russia to Austria
• Stay of 90 days in Austria and the Schengen area possible
• You can apply for the C-Visa at any other Schengen state and travel to all Schengen states including Austria
• Submit your application at the Austrian embassy if Austria is your main travel destination or if you enter Austria first during a round trip
• With a C-Visa, you are not allowed to work and must leave after the visa expires
• Suitable as a tourist visa, visitor visa, business visa, language course visa, or study visa for up to 3 months

Application for a D-Visa for up to 6 months

• For longer stays and trips from Russia to Austria (with justification) 
• Stay of up to 180 days in Austria possible, as well as 90 days in the Schengen area applying for a residence permit over 6 months
• If you are traveling from Russia to Austria for longer than 6 months, you must apply for a residence title or settlement permit  in advance
• If you are working (self-employed or employed), studying, or engaged in artistic work, you must apply for the corresponding residence title
• For work purposes: residence title for exercising gainful employment
• For study and research purposes: residence title student or researcher
• For artists: residence title artist, etc.

Where do I apply for a visa for Austria as a Russian?

Depending on which visa you are applying for, you can contact different authorities in Russia. In principle, all Russian applicants aged 12 and older must submit the application in person, as fingerprints will be taken. Only visa applicants who have already submitted fingerprints at a Schengen state for an issued Schengen visa of category C in the last 59 months and have the note “VIS” on the visa vignette do not need to submit the application in person. Thus, frequent travelers from Russia do not need to appear in person every time they enter Austria and the Schengen area.

Competent Authorities for Your Visa Application in Russia 

You can contact the following places for a visa from Russia to Austria if your application is for a short-term visa or Schengen visa of category C.

C-Visa for Russian Citizens:

• Austrian Embassy Moscow
• Visa Facility Service (VFS) Global in the following Russian cities: Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Khabarovsk, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Perm, Pskov, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, Saratov, St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Ufa, Vladivostok, Vologda, V. Novgorod, Vyborg, Arkhangelsk, Novorossiysk, Petrozavodsk, Smolensk, Voronezh, Belgorod, Chelyabinsk, Cherepovets, Ivanovo, Izhevsk, Kaluga, Kursk, Lipetsk, Pyatigorsk, Ryazan, Saransk, Sochi, Surgut, Tomsk, Tula, Tyumen, Ulyanovsk, Vladimir, Volgograd

Russian Citizens in Yekaterinburg:

• Hungarian Consulate (represents Austria in visa matters)

Citizens residing in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, and the Donbas Region:

• Austrian Embassy Kyiv

Citizens residing in Abkhazia (Georgia) and South Ossetia (Georgia)

• Embassy of Switzerland in Tbilisi (representative for Austria for Schengen visas)

Visa Application for D-Visa and Residence Title

• For a D-Visa or a residence title for Austria, you can only contact the consular department of the Austrian Embassy in Moscow

How do I apply for a visa for Austria as a Russian?

Depending on the type of application you are making, you must first book an appointment to submit your visa application at the embassy or at a VFS Global office. Then, you will submit your visa application along with the documents in person. The processing time for visa applications is approximately 2 weeks.

Appointment reservation necessary for visa application:

• For private trips from Russia to Austria
• For residence titles for Austria and settlement permits (only at the Austrian embassy in Moscow)
• Groups of 10 or more persons traveling to official events in Austria require a special appointment (not for tourist purposes)

Submission of the application at the embassy in Moscow without an appointment possible:

• For business travelers (please inform the security personnel at the entrance to the visa department that you wish to apply for a business visa)
• For third-state beneficiaries
• For spouses and children of Austrian/EU/EEA/CH citizens
• For D-Visa applications
• For special cases

What documents do I need for a visa from Russia to Austria?

Depending on your purpose of travel, you must submit different documents and papers. However, the following documents are always required for a visa from Russia to Austria:

1. Completed and signed visa application form 
2. Valid travel document (valid for three months after the intended departure, with two blank pages and issued within the last 10 years)
3. 2 passport photos according to ICAO guidelines
4. Travel health insurance valid for the entire duration of the planned stay and for all Schengen countries
5. For minors: a copy of the birth certificate
6. When traveling alone as a minor: consent from the legal guardian or custodian
7. When traveling with only one parent: notarized consent from the other parent, copy of the Schengen visa of the accompanying parent (if not applying for a visa at the same time)
8. For third-country nationals living in Russia: proof of legal long-term residence in the Russian Federation
9. Payment of the visa fee

Additional documents for a visitor visa from Russia to Austria:

• Letter from the host, whose signature must be verified by a competent Austrian authority
• When visiting Russian citizens residing in Austria: proof of the legal residence of the close relative and proof of the family relationship (copy of residence permit and birth, marriage certificate, etc., certified and translated)
• When visiting Russian citizens residing in Austria: proof of employment (including income level), if not available, other proof of financial means and willingness to return (e.g., bank/credit card statements for at least the last three months, proof of property ownership in Russia, or proof of financial support by a third party)
• When visiting close relatives who are EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens: proof of the nationality of the inviting person and proof of the family relationship (copy of passport or citizenship certificate and birth, marriage certificate, etc., certified and translated)

Additional documents for a tourist visa from Russia to Austria:

• Proof of accommodation (e.g., invitation/electronic obligation declaration from the host or hotel or confirmation of other accommodation); if not available, a reasonable detailed description of the trip
• Proof of travel program (e.g., booking confirmation for an organized trip or other documents substantiating the planned itinerary, such as a receipt for the confirmed return flight); if not available, a reasonable detailed description of the trip.
• Proof of employment (including income level), if not available, other proof of financial means and willingness to return (e.g., bank/credit card statements for at least the last three months, proof of property ownership in Russia, or proof of financial support by a third party)

Additional documents for a business visa from Russia to Austria:

• Written invitation from the inviting company or organization with necessary details about the invited and inviting person (if such a request cannot be presented, other proof of the purpose of travel (e.g., information about participation in a conference, entry ticket for a fair, business correspondence, program of the business trip).
• If not sufficiently documented in the written invitation letter, proof of the existing employment relationship. 

Please note that additional separate documents may be required for each individual case. Further information about visas for Russians to Austria (e.g., student visas) can be found on the page of the Austrian Embassy Moscow.

How much does a visa from Russia to Austria cost?

Russians can expect the following costs for a visa application. Different prices apply depending on the visa category and age. In addition, if you are working with a VSF Global branch, you should expect a small extra fee in addition to the visa fees.

• Schengen Visa Type C: 35 €, free for children under 6
• Visa Type D : 150 € for persons over 6 years, 75 € for persons under 6 years
• Residence Permit: 120 € for adults, 75 € for children under 6 years + 20 € personalization fee
• Extra fee at VSF Global: 23 €, at VFS Tashkent and Yerevan 30 €
• Free for certain groups of people

If you submit your visa application from Russia to Austria at the embassy, you will receive a payment slip along with bank details. With this payment slip, you can pay the processing fee through your bank.

Important: Your visa application will only be processed once you have paid! If you submit an application at a VSF Global visa center, you must pay the fee directly on-site at the visa center. No bank cards are accepted for payment.

How can AXA help with my visa for Austria?

For your entry from Russia to Austria, you are required by the visa code to have a travel health insurance that meets certain conditions. It must cover all costs that may arise from medical repatriation, urgently needed medical treatment, hospitalization, or the death of the traveler during the stay. The insurance must have a minimum coverage amount of €30,000 and be valid in all Schengen countries and cover the entire stay.

The AXA Schengen travel insurance is an insurance approved by all embassies and Schengen states for visa applications. Choose from a cost-effective option for only €22 per week of travel or use the multitrip insurance for a year or longer if you frequently travel from Russia to Austria or other Schengen countries. If you also want to travel to other European countries that are not part of the Schengen area, we offer the Europe Travel insurance. As a relative or acquaintance, you can also take out the insurance as incoming insurance for your foreign guests. All insurance policies can be conveniently completed on our site in just a few clicks. You will receive your insurance certificate for your visa by email in just a few minutes.

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• How to apply for a student visa for Austria?
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FAQ: Visa Russia for Austria

What do I need for entry from Russia to Austria?

Since Russia has not concluded a visa waiver agreement with Austria or the Schengen states, all Russian citizens require a visa. In addition to your visa application, you must have a valid travel document, two passport photos according to ICAO guidelines, travel health insurance for the Schengen area, as well as additional documents depending on the purpose of travel.

Where can I apply for a visa for Austria as a Russian?

Either at the Austrian Embassy in Moscow or at the external service partner VSF Global in currently 46 Russian cities.

How much does a visa from Russia to Austria cost?

The cost for a regular Schengen visa for Russians wanting to travel to Austria is €35 per visa application for persons aged 6 and over. For children under 6, the application is free, as it is for certain other groups of people, such as school students or university students. Note that at VSF Global, you must additionally pay a service fee of €23.