🇦🇹 How to apply to university in Austria

There is no central application system: you apply to each institution directly. Programmes usually start: October (winter semester); some programmes also in March (summer semester).

Checked on 20 October 2026 against the official sources listed below.

The essentials

Application system: None — apply to each institution on its own website.
When programmes start: October (winter semester); some programmes also in March (summer semester).
International applicants: International students apply directly to each institution; the OeAD doesn't handle applications. Reviewing foreign documents takes time, so non-EU applicants should apply early.
Language: German for German-taught programmes (proof such as a German language diploma); English for English-taught ones.

Key dates

Add all these dates to my calendar (.ics)

Programmes with entrance exams (medicine, arts universities, universities of applied sciences) can close up to six months before the semester. MedAT 2027 dates aren't published; in 2026 registration opened in early March and the test was in early July. Universities may set earlier deadlines for applicants from outside Austria.

Date	What	Who	Intake	Source	Calendar
5 February 2027	General closing date at public universities	Applicants to public universities; programmes with entrance exams and other institution types set their own, often much earlier	Summer semester 2027	Study in Austria (OeAD) — Application and admission
5 September 2027	General closing date at public universities	Applicants to public universities; programmes with entrance exams and other institution types set their own, often much earlier	Winter semester 2027/28	Study in Austria (OeAD) — Application and admission

A window shows its opening date above its closing date. Individual universities and programmes can set earlier dates of their own — always confirm on the official page before you rely on a date. The calendar file adds each date as an all-day event with a reminder a week before.

Your checklist

The usual steps for an international student applying to a bachelor's in Austria, in order. Tick them off as you go — your ticks stay in this browser, with no account.

1.Check that your school-leaving certificate is equivalent to the Austrian one and gives entry to the same programme in your home country.
2.Find out whether the programme has an entrance exam or selection procedure, and register for it in time.
3.Apply online to the university with your passport, certificate and proof of German (or English), legalised and translated where needed.
4.If your German isn't yet enough, you can be admitted to a preparatory German course first (A2 needed).
5.Receive your admission letter.
6.Apply for a 'Residence Permit – Student' at the Austrian embassy or consulate, ideally about 6 months before arrival, then for a D visa to enter.
7.Arrange housing and health insurance.

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Next steps

Sources

Written by CollegeMatcher in our own words from these official pages, checked on 20 October 2026. Dates change every year.

Study in Austria (OeAD) — Application and admission