University of Vienna: admission for international applicants

You apply to the University of Vienna (Universität Wien) online in u:space, prove German at level C1 to be admitted, and pay per semester according to your citizenship: EU/EEA/CH citizens pay only the EUR 26.20 Students' Union fee during the stipulated duration plus two tolerance semesters (EUR 389.56 in total after that), and non-EU/EEA citizens pay EUR 752.92 from the first semester.

Arcade courtyard of the University of Vienna

The University says its 20 faculties and centres are home to approximately 87,000 students from Austria and around the world, and it offers over 50 bachelor's and diploma programmes.

The entrance exam is a written test that takes place in Vienna and can only be taken on site. Only the test result counts and there is no numerus clausus in Austria.

What the fee amounts hide

EU/EEA/CH citizens pay only the Students' Union fee during the stipulated duration of the programme plus two tolerance semesters; for a bachelor's programme that is 6 semesters + 2 tolerance semesters, with the tuition fee due from the 9th semester. Non-EU/EEA students pay the tuition fee from the first semester onwards. Citizens of the countries on the University's developing-countries list have the tuition fee remitted for the full duration of their studies, and Ukrainian citizens have it waived automatically.

Rules that catch international applicants out

• German is required for all bachelor's and diploma programmes, with Mathematical Foundations of Data Science as the only exception because it is taught in English.
• Special admission requirements apply to certificates from some countries and to IB diplomas, A-levels and US high school diplomas; for Bangladesh, India and Pakistan the University points to information on the required CGPA, a competence check and the onSET.
• For a non-EU/EEA certificate, supplementary examinations in Mathematics, English and/or History/Geography are required when the certificate differs significantly from the Austrian equivalent, and which ones apply is decided only while your documents are processed.
• Some programmes need an additional exam in Latin on top of the general requirements.

The University of Vienna reports that it is ranked 95th among 2,297 universities in the 2027 Times Higher Education (THE) ranking, 140th in the 2026 QS ranking and in the 101-150 group of the 2026 Shanghai ARWU ranking. These are the University's own statements, not positions taken from the ranking publishers.

The University of Vienna describes itself as the highest-ranked Austrian university in all three rankings. This report does not list overall positions from the publishers' own pages, so the figures below are the University's claims, attributed as such.

95th

World University Rankings · THE 2027

140th

World University Rankings · QS 2026

101-150

Academic Ranking of World Universities · ARWU 2026

In THE, the University says it has retained rank 95 and is the only Austrian university in the top 100. It adds that this places it in the top 4 % of all universities in the THE ranking. For comparison, the University's own page lists 165th position among 1,103 universities in the 2018 THE ranking. In QS, the University gives position 152 for 2025 before the 2026 result. In ARWU it says it is the only Austrian university in the top 200.

Where the University says it ranks strongest

It names these subject positions in the subject rankings:

Founding, size and history

The history of the University of Vienna starts in 1365, and the University itself refers to a 660-year history. Its recent Nobel Prize laureates include Anton Zeilinger in Physics (2022) and Emmanuelle Charpentier in Chemistry (2020).

Medicine is no longer part of the University. The Faculty of Medicine belonged to the University of Vienna from 1365 until 2004, when the Medical University of Vienna was established as a separate institution. This report therefore does not cover medicine admission.

The University of Vienna does not publish an overall admit rate or a split for international applicants. In Psychology, positions 1 to 485 in the test ranking receive a study place.

The University states that there is no numerus clausus (a fixed national cap on places) in Austria. The latest statistics page it lists for bachelor's programmes with an entrance exam procedure covers the 2026 to 2027 procedure and is dated 03.08.2026.

The University explains that there is no written test when fewer applications arrive than there are study places, and that in that case all applicants who applied in due time receive a study place. For 2026 to 2027 the University lists the written test for English and American Studies as not taking place.

Where applications exceed places, the University warns that even applicants with good test results may not receive a study place because others scored better.

Programmes without an entrance exam

Many programmes have no entrance exam procedure, among them African Studies, Earth Sciences, Geography, German Philology, History, Linguistics, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics, Statistics and Data Analytics, and Theatre, Film and Media Studies. The University publishes no chance statistics for these programmes; they are open to qualified applicants. Sport and Human Movement Science is the exception in that list: you have to complete the sporting aptitude admission test.

Each programme's study profile instead gives the number of students, graduates in the past academic year, the median study duration, a level of difficulty and the average gross monthly income three years after graduation. The difficulty level is how graduates assess the demands of their programme, and a graduate survey and graduate tracking is published per programme.

The University of Vienna selects students in two ways: programmes without an entrance exam are open to every qualified applicant, while programmes with an entrance exam or aptitude test procedure (Aufnahmeverfahren or Eignungsverfahren) rank applicants by a written test only. The University says that only your result in the written test counts, not your school grades.

The University of Vienna offers over 50 bachelor's and diploma programmes. In some of them only a limited number of study places is available, and an entrance exam procedure determines who receives a place. In the others, a qualified applicant is admitted without a ranking.

What counts and what does not

The first stage of the procedure is the Online-Self-Assessment (OSA). Whether the written test takes place depends on demand: with fewer applicants than places no test is required.

Ranking is by test score alone. In Psychology, the University ranks results by the sum of the weighted scores per part, and participants in positions 1 to 485 receive a place. The parts are weighted 50 % for acquiring subject knowledge from literature, 25 % for methodical and analytical thinking and 25 % for understanding simple texts in English and German. Grades, essays and interviews play no part in the ranking the University describes.

Transcultural Communication adds a language quota: 400 places go to the highest-scoring participants who registered with German as their A-language and 262 to those who registered with a different A-language.

Aptitude tests with unlimited places

Two programmes use an aptitude test instead of a place ranking: Teacher Education and Mathematical Foundations of Data Science. The University says that the number of study places is not limited in these two programmes, the written test always takes place, and you have to reach a minimum percentage of points.

If you miss the registration or do not get a place

A missed registration means waiting for the next year. The University points you to two options: reapply next year, or apply to a programme that does not require an entrance exam procedure. You can repeat the procedure as often as you would like.

The University of Vienna does not use the SAT or ACT as an admission test: places in programmes with an entrance exam are decided by the University's own written test, which in the 2026 to 2027 procedure took place between 6 July 2026 and 15 July 2026, only on site in Vienna.

Applicants with a US high school diploma are the only group for whom the University mentions the SAT, the ACT or AP: results from an academic aptitude test (SAT, ACT or AP) are uploaded together with the high school diploma in one PDF document. The University names no minimum score and no other role for these results.

Test dates, places and format, 2026 to 2027

The dates below are for the academic year 2026 to 2027. The application period for programmes with an entrance exam ran 2 March to 4 May 2026, and all tests took place in Vienna. Programmes missing from the table had no test that year: the University states that for English and American Studies, Mass Media and Communication Science, Political Science, Nutritional Sciences, Transcultural Communication, Education, Sociology, Korean Studies and Social and Cultural Anthropology the written test does not take place.

Every test takes place on site in Vienna with no alternative dates, and the University says an online test is not offered. You receive permission to attend no later than 14 days before the test, and results arrive approximately 14 days after the written test. The Computer Science and Business Informatics test takes place at the same time as the TU Wien test and you can only take one of the two.

Preparation, language and fees

Test content is German for most programmes, with English used for certain test parts. The University's test literature is only valid for the academic year 2026/27. The online self-assessment gives you an OSA code, valid for 18 months, which goes into your application.

An administration fee is mandatory for all bachelor's and diploma programmes with an entrance exam or aptitude test procedure. The University sets the fee at € 50 for these applications. That fee is not reimbursed if the exam does not take place, if you do not take part, or if you decide to study a different programme.

Interviews, portfolios and the sports aptitude test

The procedures the University describes are written tests. The only other format is the sporting aptitude admission test for Sport and Human Movement Science, described on the German-language page. It has three parts: a medical check, personal registration and identity check at the ZSU (the University Sports Institute), and a check of sporting aptitude. The page lists identity checks and submission of the medical certificate on 25.01.2027 and 26.01.2027.

You apply to the University of Vienna in the student portal u:space with a u:account, upload your documents, and complete admission within the admission period. Every date below is the one the University currently lists, and it belongs to the 2026 to 2027 cycle.

The periods differ by programme type: there are different periods for degree programmes with and without an entrance exam or aptitude test procedure.

Steps for programmes without an entrance exam, non-EU/EEA certificate

The supplementary examinations that may be prescribed are German (if you have not uploaded a C1 certificate), Mathematics, English or History/Geography. For an EU/EEA or Swiss certificate the route is shorter: you can upload the certificate after the application period, until the end of the admission period.

Documents, translation and legalisation

Non-EU/EEA applicants also upload their list of subjects (Stundentafel) with translation and legalisation and proof of German; proof of English at level B2 is needed only for International Legal Studies. Where applicable you add proof of the national university entrance examination and proof of additional exams such as Latin. Documents must be translated by sworn, court-certified translators into German or English, and applying without the required legalisation is not possible.

Which legalisation applies depends on the issuing country. The University lists these examples:

• No diplomatic certification: USA, United Kingdom, Switzerland.
• Apostille: Australia, China (plus certification by the APS of the German embassy in Beijing), Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia.
• Full diplomatic certification: Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Egypt, Vietnam.

Application fee and confirmation

For applications to bachelor's and diploma programmes with an entrance exam or aptitude test procedure, the University requires a fee of € 50, paid by credit card or eps transfer (only possible with an Austrian bank account). You pay it only once per group, and it is not reimbursed if the exam does not take place, if you do not take part, or if you decide to study a different programme. The University lists no application fee for programmes without an entrance exam. Whatever the route, you are only admitted to the programme once your tuition fee or Students' Union fee has been received by the University.

For bachelor's and diploma programmes taught in German, the University of Vienna requires German at level A2 or higher in your application and level C1 to be admitted. The only exception is the English-taught Mathematical Foundations of Data Science, for which you do not need any knowledge of German.

The University states that you need German proficiency for all bachelor's and diploma programmes except that one. The bilingual International Legal Studies adds a second language requirement: proof of German at A2 or higher and English at level B2. Applications without proof of German at level A2 will be rejected without exception.

The University adds that it only accepts these certificates, with no exceptions.

Who does not need to prove German

A secondary-school leaving certificate from Austria, Germany, South Tyrol, Luxembourg or Liechtenstein counts as a C1 certificate, so you upload no further proof. A certificate from a German-speaking school abroad also counts if German is the language of instruction and examination, as does one from an Austrian or German school abroad. If German is your first language, you upload a sworn statement confirming that German is your first language. Citizenship is no proof of German language proficiency, and the Admission Office may request proof in case of doubt.

If your German is below C1

With A2 you can apply and then take the supplementary examinations at the University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU), to which you cannot apply directly. If you apply to a programme without an entrance exam and upload no C1 proof, the supplementary examination in German will be prescribed. Once you are admitted to the VWU, only the VWU supplementary German examination (Ergänzungsprüfung Deutsch, EPD) is accepted without exception. You can also first take a private German course and then complete admission. The VWU German course is not available for Mathematical Foundations of Data Science.

When you must show C1

A2 goes in with the application, and C1 is needed only to complete admission. For a programme without an entrance exam, you need C1 already or reach it until the end of the admission period. For the written test itself, it is up to you to decide whether your German is sufficient and dictionaries are not permitted.

The University of Vienna offers one English-taught bachelor's programme, Mathematical Foundations of Data Science, and it asks for English proof at level B2 there and in the bilingual International Legal Studies. Every other bachelor's and diploma programme needs German, as Mathematical Foundations of Data Science is the only exception to the German requirement.

The admission language of Mathematical Foundations of Data Science is English and you do not need any knowledge of German. Admission runs through an aptitude test with unlimited places and a minimum of 50 % of the maximum possible overall score. International Legal Studies is bilingual: you need German A2 or higher and English B2 in your application and German C1 to be admitted.

English and American Studies is taught in English, but the University lists German as the admission requirement and English as the language of instruction. Economics lists German as the admission requirement and German and English as the languages of instruction.

Proof of English without a test

You can prove B2 without a test in several ways. One is a secondary-school leaving certificate with a successful graduation exam in the subject English, completed at a school in an EU/EEA country, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Others are an IB diploma with the subject English, or a degree of at least two years, full-time and taught entirely in English. For International Legal Studies and Mathematical Foundations of Data Science you must upload the certificate with the English exam before you complete the admission procedure.

English-taught master's programmes

For most English-taught master's programmes the University asks for English B2 for the application. English C1 applies to Anglophone Literatures and Cultures, English Language and Linguistics and School Subject English, and the Translation master's needs English C2 if English is one of your working languages.

The University of Vienna accepts a secondary-school leaving certificate as proof of general university entrance, and for some certificates it sets extra rules: an IB diploma needs at least 24 points, A-levels need four independent subjects with grade A* to C, and a US high school diploma is uploaded together with any SAT, ACT or AP results, with no minimum score stated.

The University describes the general university entrance qualification as usually a secondary-school leaving certificate, for example the Matura or Berufsreifeprüfung in Austria or the Abitur in Germany. A completed programme also counts: a bachelor's programme lasting at least 3 years with a minimum of 180 ECTS credits. For a non-EU/EEA certificate, the University tells you to note the special admission requirements for some countries (e.g. Iran, China, Türkiye) and for IB diplomas, A-levels and US high school diplomas.

For a German-taught programme you still need German at C1 to be admitted; the University states that the IB and A-level German subjects do not replace the required proof at level C1.

Country-specific entrance exams

The University states the rule plainly: if the country where you completed your previous education is listed, there are additional requirements. A few entries from that list:

• China: Gaokao with at least 70 % and the Huikao, with Apostille and certification by the APS of the German embassy in Beijing.
• Iran: the university entrance exam Konkûr with full diplomatic certification.
• Türkiye: ÖSYS for Turkish citizens or YÖS for citizens of other countries, each with Apostille.
• Ukraine: the NMT with Apostille, a minimum of 100 points in each section, valid 4 years.
• Indonesia: UTBK-SNBT with a result of at least 500 and Apostille.
• Spain: the Prueba de Acceso a la Universidad; Greece: the Panhellenic Examination.

If you have already completed a bachelor's or diploma programme, you do not need to provide proof of having passed the university entrance examination. The University says a secondary-school leaving certificate from Afghanistan alone cannot lead to admission to a bachelor's or diploma programme. For Bangladesh, India and Pakistan the University points to information on the required CGPA, a competence check and the onSET.

Legalisation and supplementary exams

It depends on the country: the UK, the USA and Switzerland need no diplomatic certification, Australia, Hong Kong and South Korea need an Apostille, and Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria need full diplomatic certification. A list of subjects (Stundentafel) with translation and legalisation is part of a non-EU/EEA application.

If a non-EU/EEA certificate differs significantly from the Austrian one, supplementary examinations in Mathematics, English and/or History/Geography are required. They depend on the issuing country and the programme you choose, and the University cannot tell you before you apply: which and if any are prescribed is determined individually while your documents are processed.

The University of Vienna prescribes supplementary examinations (Ergänzungsprüfungen) in two cases: German if you did not upload proof of German at level C1, and Mathematics, English and/or History/Geography when a non-EU/EEA certificate differs significantly from the Austrian one. You take them at the University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU, Vorstudienlehrgang).

You do not apply to the VWU directly. You apply for a degree programme at the University of Vienna, and a VWU place is possible only if you applied to a German or bilingual bachelor's or diploma programme and your admission letter requires supplementary examinations. Which examinations apply depends on the country where your documents were issued and on your degree programme, and it is determined individually while your documents are processed. Supplementary examinations must be taken before you are admitted to a regular degree programme.

The VWU has its own deadlines: register at the VWU and pay the course fee there. During your time at the VWU you only pay the Students' Union fee at the University of Vienna.

Once you are admitted to the VWU, only the VWU supplementary German examination (EPD) is accepted as proof of German. Your admission is then complete once the Students' Union fee has been received.

Additional exams in Latin, Greek and Descriptive geometry

Separate from supplementary exams, some programmes require an additional exam in Latin during your studies, and some need proof of Latin before admission. For Law the Latin exam falls in the first stage of your programme; for International Legal Studies and Pharmacy it falls during your studies. Descriptive geometry is waived after at least four hours per week after the 8th grade; otherwise you must pass it before admission to the degree programme.

Studying without a school-leaving certificate

The general university entrance qualification gives you permission to start a bachelor's or diploma programme. Without it, the University of Vienna points to the Studienberechtigungsprüfung (SBP): with the SBP you can study any degree programme within a specific subject group. If you want individual courses without completing a degree, there is a non-degree programme.

The University of Vienna offers over 50 bachelor's and diploma programmes across 20 faculties and centres. Biology, Pharmacy and International Legal Studies run 6 semesters and 180 ECTS credits, and the Law diploma runs 8 semesters and 240 ECTS credits. To stay enrolled, you must earn at least 16 ECTS credits in the first four semesters.

Main reading room of the University of Vienna library

Programmes with limited places use an entrance exam or aptitude test; the rest are open to qualified applicants, as the admission chapters explain. Within a bachelor's programme, extension curricula (EC) are a block of ECTS credits you choose freely. In certain cases completing them can open up access to master's programmes in a different subject field. The size of the block differs by programme, and the table shows it next to the length of each programme.

Transcultural Communication works differently: you complete 135 ECTS in the programme plus extension curricula worth 45 ECTS. English-taught Mathematical Foundations of Data Science also runs 6 semesters and 180 ECTS.

Minimum study progress and the introductory phase

The introductory and orientation period (STEOP) comes at the start of your studies. The University says most students reach the minimum of 16 ECTS in the first semester through STEOP examinations. One ECTS corresponds to approximately 25 hours of attending, studying and exams, and the University expects 30 ECTS per semester to finish within the stipulated duration.

The minimum applies to bachelor's and diploma programmes: at least 16 ECTS credits in the first four semesters. Achievements up to one month after the end of your fourth semester count, so the deadline falls on 31 October or 31 March. Semesters on leave of absence are not included in the count. If you miss it, you will no longer be admitted to the programme and can resume it only after four semesters. You can apply for an exemption with a medical confirmation of an impairment that made participation difficult for at least six months.

Each programme's study profile also lists the number of students, graduates in the past academic year, the median study duration, a level of difficulty and the average gross monthly income three years after graduation. The academic year used in these statistics runs from 1 October to 30 September.

The University of Vienna does not publish a University-wide employment rate; each programme page lists the average gross monthly income three years after graduation, from € 2,712 for Mass Media and Communication Science to € 3,652 for Business Informatics. The career service is called Uniport.

The University says the income figure is the average gross monthly income three years after graduation. It does not state a survey year next to the figure, so treat the amounts as a comparison between programmes rather than as a forecast for your own start salary. For career entry and paths, each programme links a graduate survey and graduate tracking (PDF).

The University publishes a graduate survey and graduate tracking (PDF) per programme.

Working in Austria as a non-EU/EEA student

If you come from a country that is neither in the EEA nor the EU, there are a few additional steps you need to take before you can work in Austria. The Career Center, together with the AMS (Public Employment Service), offers free career counselling sessions for students and graduates of the University. The session covers work permit regulations for students and residence permit options. It lasts 50 minutes as a one-time session, online or in person, in German or English, and is free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.

At the University of Vienna you pay EUR 389.56 per semester as an EU/EEA/CH citizen and EUR 752.92 as a non-EU/EEA citizen, each including the EUR 26.20 Students' Union (ÖH) fee. The University lists these amounts without naming a semester or academic year, and says that exemptions, equal status and remission change what you actually pay.

The University says the fee is paid each semester and that the amount depends on your citizenship, the duration of your studies and whether you are in a degree or non-degree programme. For EU/EEA/CH citizens only the Students' Union fee is due during the stipulated duration plus two tolerance semesters. For a bachelor's programme that is 6 semesters + 2 tolerance semesters, with the tuition fee due from the 9th semester onwards; for a master's programme it is 4 semesters + 2 tolerance semesters. Non-EU/EEA students pay from the first semester onwards and the programme duration does not affect the amount. The Students' Union fee is determined directly by the Austrian Students' Union.

Exemptions, equal status and remission

Non-EU/EEA citizens may pay the same tuition fee as EU/EEA citizens or only the Students' Union fee, depending on personal circumstances. Several routes exist. Citizens of the designated developing countries have the tuition fee remitted for the full duration of their studies and pay only the Students' Union fee. The list is:

• Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comores, Congo - Democratic Republic, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti
• Kiribati, Lao - People's Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia
• South Sudan, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia

Equal status with EU/EEA citizens is available to degree students who belong to a group under the PersGV or have a residence permit other than "Student". With an Aufenthaltsbewilligung - Student, equal status is not attainable unless you meet another requirement such as the residence title "Daueraufenthalt - EU". Applications are due until 31 March for the summer semester and until 31 October for the winter semester, and processing takes around two weeks. Ukrainian citizens have the tuition fee waived automatically. UK citizens pay the EU rate only if admitted before 31 December 2020 without interruption.

Remission (waiver) of the tuition fee can be requested in the period the University lists: summer semester 2027 from 11 January to 31 March 2027. Grounds include pregnancy of at least two months during the semester, care for children up to seven years, federal student aid, a degree of disability of at least 50 %, and mobility programmes. You must still pay the Students' Union fee by the deadline.

Other fees

Programmes with an entrance exam or aptitude test procedure carry an administration fee of € 50. You are only admitted once your tuition fee or Students' Union fee has been received. While you attend the VWU, you pay only the Students' Union fee at the University of Vienna, and the VWU course fee is paid to the VWU.

Living costs

The University's International Office gives an estimate of monthly living expenses for students in Austria, on the page for incoming exchange students. Accommodation is calculated on the basis of a room in a hall of residence or a shared flat.

The University of Vienna offers a merit scholarship awarded on the basis of academic achievement to date, and points to external funding opportunities. The University publishes no amount, deadline or eligibility rule for its merit or research scholarship on its overview.

The overview does not say whether first-year international bachelor students are eligible for the merit scholarship, and it lists no support for studies abroad.

External funding and your income

The University reminds you that your income may affect any grants and scholarships you receive.

Because no amounts are published, budget from the fee and living-cost figures in the tuition chapter and treat any scholarship as an upside, not as part of the plan.

The University of Vienna does not offer or guarantee housing: it states that it does not have its own student halls of residence, so you arrange accommodation yourself. For a room in a hall of residence or a shared flat, the University's International Office gives a guideline of € 450 - 700 per month including heating and electricity.

Ceremonial hall of the University of Vienna

On its page for incoming exchange students, the University of Vienna adds that it does not have its own student halls of residence. It states no guarantee for new international students on any route. The cost guideline is calculated on the basis of a room in a hall of residence or a shared flat.

Where the University sends you to look

The links the University lists are:

• Home4students Stiftung
• OeAD student housing
• STUWO Student Housing
• ÖH noticeboard (in German)
• heimdatenbank.at

If you need accessible accommodation, contact one of the listed options directly to ask about availability.

Because housing is not guaranteed, look while your admission is still open. The University publishes no rent figures beyond the guideline above.

The University of Vienna's academic year begins on 1 October and ends on 30 September of the following year, split into a winter and a summer semester. The winter semester 2027 to 2028 begins on 1 October 2027, and students come from more than 120 countries.

Glass building in the Campus courtyard of the University of Vienna

The University publishes semester dates for three consecutive semesters. These are the dates for a student entering in autumn 2027 and the semesters before it, as the University lists them:

The University is closed on public holidays.

Support for new and international students

To help you get off to a good start, the University invites new students to Orientation Courses (OV) and Welcome Events, and its Welcome Weeks offer orientation courses and workshops. For incoming exchange students, a buddy system pairs local students with incoming exchange students.

Sport, student union and the city

The University Sport Institute (USI) offers affordable courses in a wide variety of sports. Unisport is run by students for students, and a Study - Performance - Sport programme is aimed at elite sport. The Austrian Students' Union (ÖH) represents all students studying in Austria and is completely independent and autonomous. For transport, the annual youth pass of Wiener Linien is available at a reduced rate for all persons under the age of 26.

The International Office calls Vienna a relatively safe city, a metropolis with over 2 million inhabitants, and the University describes its location as one of the most liveable cities in the world.

For visas and residence permits the University of Vienna sends you to the authorities: abroad, Austrian embassies or consulates are the correct point of contact, and in Vienna it is the MA 35 department of the City Council. The University does not publish visa fees, proof-of-funds rules or processing times.

Your admission letter is the starting document for most steps.

How your German route can affect your residence permit

If you want to take a German course in Austria but not at the VWU, the University tells you to clarify with the Austrian Embassy, the Austrian Consulate or Magistratsabteilung 35 in advance what impact this will have on your residence permit. Once you are admitted to the VWU, only the VWU supplementary German examination is accepted, and failure to comply can have serious consequences for your residence permit. For non-degree studies, contact MA 35 about whether non-degree examinations can be recognised for your residence permit; supplementary examinations from the VWU are recognised.

Study progress and equal status

The University states its own progress rule: you must earn at least 16 ECTS credits in the first four semesters, otherwise you are no longer admitted to the programme. The same page notes that stricter requirements may apply to financial aid and grants and scholarships. The University does not publish the progress a residence-permit renewal requires, so ask the City Council department named above directly. A student residence permit also changes your fees: with an Aufenthaltsbewilligung - Student, equal status with EU/EEA citizens is not attainable unless you meet another requirement.

Work rights

The University's Career Center offers free career counselling sessions for students and graduates. For students from non-EU/EEA countries, the topics include work permit regulations for students and information on various residence permit options. The session details are in the careers chapter.

The University of Vienna suits applicants who can reach German at level C1 to be admitted, or who choose the English-taught Mathematical Foundations of Data Science, and who can prepare for a written test where only your result in the written test counts.

Who it suits and who it does not

• It suits you if your German reaches C1 by the end of the admission period, or if you take a route through the University Preparation Programme (VWU) for supplementary exams.
• It suits you if you want a programme where one written test decides, with no numerus clausus in Austria and school grades not counting in the entrance exam procedure.
• It suits you if you want an open programme without an entrance exam, such as Mathematics, Physics or History, where qualified applicants are admitted.
• It does not suit you if you cannot be in Vienna for the test: the University offers no online test, only on-site in Vienna.
• Cost depends on who you are: the tuition fee depends on citizenship, duration of studies and whether you are in a degree or non-degree programme.

The amounts for a bachelor's student are EUR 389.56 per semester for EU/EEA/CH citizens and EUR 752.92 for non-EU/EEA citizens, as the University lists them, with exemptions and equal status described in the tuition chapter.

Other Vienna universities

For Computer Science and Business Informatics, the University of Vienna and TU Wien tests take place at the same time and you can only take one of the two. Medicine is not part of the University of Vienna: its Faculty of Medicine became the Medical University of Vienna in 2004. The University publishes no comparison figures with the other institutions.

Next steps and dates

If you miss the registration for an entrance exam procedure, you reapply next year or apply for a programme without an entrance exam. The 2026 to 2027 cycle shows the pattern: you apply in spring, before you finish school, complete the Online-Self-Assessment and take the written test in July.

Official pages of University of Vienna (Universität Wien), UCAS, gov.uk and the ranking publishers. Applicant reports, where shown, are self-reported and labelled.

THE Ranking – University of Vienna ranks among the top 100 worldwide for the first time · About us · International Report 2024 · Psychology (bachelor's programme) · Deadlines · German language proficiency for bachelor's and diploma programmes with entrance exam procedure · Amount of the tuition fee/Students' Union fee · Living and Studying in Vienna · Admission to bachelor's and diploma programmes with entrance exam procedure · Bachelor's and diploma programmes with entrance exam or aptitude test procedure · Through the entrance exam · Country-specific requirements for admission · University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities | University of Vienna · Additional exams · Deadlines and dates · Nobel Prizes & Wittgenstein Awards - Research excellent at the University of Vienna · Test details: Test literature and sample exercises · Statistical data about studying | University of Vienna · After the entrance exam · English and American Studies (bachelor's programme) · Guidance for unsuccessful applicants · Bachelor's and diploma programmes · Before the entrance exam · International Legal Studies (bachelor's programme) · Chemistry (bachelor's programme) · Political Science (bachelor's programme) · Law (diploma programme) · Business Administration (bachelor's programme) · Economics (bachelor's programme) · Pharmacy (bachelor's programme) · Teacher Education (bachelor's programme) · Biology (bachelor's programme) · Computer Science (bachelor's programme) · Mathematical Foundations of Data Science (bachelor's programme) · Administration fee · Zulassungsprüfung · Admission to bachelor's and diploma programmes without entrance exam procedure · Admission to bachelor's and diploma programmes with entrance exam procedure · Legalisation · German language proficiency · Admission to the bachelor's programme in Mathematical Foundations of Data Science · English language proficiency · Studying without secondary-school leaving certificate · University Preparation Programme and entrance exam · Minimum number of credits · International Business Administration (bachelor's programme) · Mass Media and Communication Science (bachelor's programme) · Transcultural Communication (bachelor's programme) · Business Informatics (bachelor's programme) · Nutritional Sciences (bachelor's programme) · Sociology (bachelor's programme) · Students & Graduates from Third Countries · International Students · Equal status with EU/EEA citizens · Remission and reimbursement · Stipendien und finanzielle Unterstützung | Universität Wien · Jobs, Housing and more · Services of the University of Vienna · The academic year · Studying at the University of Vienna – Programmes & Admission · University of Vienna – study, research, live in Vienna

Photos: Main building of the University of Vienna on the Ringstrasse: photo Thomas Ledl, CC BY-SA 3.0 at, Wikimedia Commons · Arcade courtyard of the University of Vienna: photo Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Main reading room of the University of Vienna library: photo Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Ceremonial hall of the University of Vienna: photo User:Florian Prischl, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons · Glass building in the Campus courtyard of the University of Vienna: photo Ian Ehm (https://www.ianehm.com/), CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons