Studying and Living for International Students in Austria
Due to its rich cultural past and present, Austria is admired by people around the globe. Other factors for deciding on studying and living in Austria include safety, the great hospitality of Austrians, reasonable accommodation and transportation and various other benefits.
Accommodation
The Austrian Exchange Service (OeAD) and the Austrian Student Union (Osterreichische Hochschulerschaft / OH) provide an economical accommodation for pupils. Students in Austria get their accommodation either in the halls of residence or in private apartments.
Also, Youth Hostels are made available to students. These youth hostels provide reasonable stay facilities. To avail the hostel facilities visit Youth Hostels (Website: https://www.oejhv.at/)
- Student Apartments/Private Accommodation: To get these apartments, Students are required to show adequate study progress at the university and income situation of their parents as well as theirs. Freshmen only need to show their A-levels.
- Student Halls of Residence: In Austria, about 33,400 home places for students in total, with approximately 14,800 in Vienna. There are many student halls of residence in Austria and they are managed by several associations, foundations, and public corporations. Students require registering for student halls of residence one semester before they commence their study program at a University.
To know more about the accommodation in different regions of Austria, visit Student Accommodations website https://www.oeh.ac.at/#/en/student-life/housing/student-accommodations/
Living Costs
A monthly estimate of the living cost for students is 800 euros, wherein an accommodation (including electricity and heating) would cost 310 euros , food costs 220 euros and Study and personal necessities, costs 270 euros.
Tuition fees for the Universities and Universities of the Arts
- The tuition fee for the degree program students from EU/EEA country, who exceed the scheduled period of their bachelor or master or doctoral/PhD program or a section of their diploma program by more than two semesters, is 363.36 euros per semester.
- The tuition fee for the degree program students, from third countries who have a residence permit, is 726.72 euros for each semester. All other degree program students from third countries have to pay 363.36 euros per semester after the tuition fee-free period.
Other Higher Education Institutions:
- The tuition fees for other Higher Education Institutions, like University Training Courses, University Level Courses, Private Universities & University, Colleges of Teacher Education, differ from one institution to the other and should be inquired about at the respective institutions.
Travelling In and Around Austria
Austria has an extensive public transport system. Students can travel in and around Austria by trains and bike at a reasonable price.
Getting Around by Train:
Travelling via train is the most convenient way to travel around the country. The OeBB (Osterreichische Bundesbahn) (Website: https://www.oebb.at/) is the public railway company and provides special rates for taking a trip within Austria or to neighboring nations. A SparSchiene Ticket is available for 9 euros by which you can travel in and around Austria and if you want to discover beautiful cities of Europe, you can travel with a SparSchiene ticket that is available at just 19 euros.
The Westbahn is the first private railway company in Austria, which provides a passenger train service with low-priced fare between Vienna and Salzburg. Visit Westbahn official website https://westbahn.at/ to book the tickets and to know more about the costs.
Travelling in and Around by Bike:
The bike is a really economical way to travel around Austria. In Vienna you can use the CityBike (Website: https://citybikewien.at/), which permits you to drive around Vienna at free of cost. To become a Citybiker you need to register one time only and pay registration fee of 1 euro. After registration, you can hire a bike from any bike station. No charge is being levied on the first hour of using the bike.
Insurance for International Students in Austria
Students admitted to a university of the arts or Austrian university or University of Applied Science degree program as regular degree program students may go for a comprehensive health insurance with one of the regional public haulers. This insurance is only available to Austrian and International Students who have set up a legal residence in Austria. To apply for this insurance coverage, forms can be taken from the respective local public carrier’s branch offices and the Austrian Student Union.
Students from EU/EEA countries who have a valid health insurance in their home countries must go for the European Health Insurance Card.
Work in Austria
For EU/EEA or Swiss National Students:
There are no restrictions related to work for EU/EEA or Swiss nationals students in Austria. Students from Croatia need to have a work permit to work in Austria
Students from Third Countries:
These students need a work permit to work in Austria. The permit is to be received by the employer before the student begins working. This work entitles the bachelor or diploma degree program students to work up to 10 hours per week and 20 hours per week to students in master and diploma programs.
Note: The living and travel cost etc largely varies the area and quality you chose. Local conditions might be different in real time.
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