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Move-in checklist

Vienna for new students — the bureaucracy in order

From admission letter to student card, in chronological order. Pick your origin to hide steps that don't apply, then tick them off as you go.

Progress—

Before you fly

  • Get your university admission letter

    Apply through the admission portal of the Austrian university you chose. If you need a residence permit, you cannot apply for it without this letter.

    ≈ 30 d

  • Book a dorm

    Use Istadi to compare 5 Vienna operators on one map. The dorm contract counts as proof of accommodation for the residence permit and for the Meldezettel.

    ≈ 7 d

  • Apply for the student residence permit from home

    Studying for more than six months needs the “Aufenthaltsbewilligung – Student”. You file it at the Austrian embassy or consulate for the country you live in and wait there for the decision — the authority has up to 90 days, so file at least three months before you travel. Bring your admission letter, the dorm contract, proof of funds for 12 months (2026: €722.58 a month under 24, €1,308.39 from 24, plus any rent above €386.43), health insurance that covers all risks, and your birth certificate. The fee is €218. Once the permit is approved you get a visa D to travel in and collect the card.

    ≈ 90 d€218Official page

Week 1 in Vienna

  • Meldezettel — register your residence

    Within 3 calendar days of moving in, take the form (signed by the dorm) to any Meldeservice office. Free, and walk-in on weekday mornings. You will need it for the bank, ÖGK and your residence card.

    ≈ 3 dOfficial page

  • Get an Austrian SIM

    Yesss, HoT, Magenta, Drei. Prepaid plans around €10 a month are the student standard. Every SIM is registered with a photo ID such as your passport — prepaid cards too, since 2019.

    ≈ 1 d€10

  • Open a bank account (free student giro)

    BAWAG, Erste, easybank — all offer free student-giro. Bring passport, Meldezettel, university enrolment confirmation. ID-checking can be done online via N26 / Revolut if your bank visit is delayed.

    ≈ 7 d

First month

  • EU citizens: get your Anmeldebescheinigung

    EU, EEA and Swiss citizens staying longer than three months confirm their right of residence at MA 35 within four months of arriving (by appointment). Bring your passport or ID card, your enrolment confirmation, proof of health insurance and proof that you can support yourself. The fee is €44 (2026).

    ≈ 14 d€44Official page

  • Collect your residence card at MA 35

    Pick the card up in person at MA 35, Dresdner Straße 93, 1200 Wien, while your visa D is valid; bring your passport and, if you have not shown it yet, proof of health insurance. To extend it, apply before it runs out — at the earliest three months before. Already in Austria legally (visa-free or on a visa D)? You may file a first application at MA 35 instead, but filing does not let you stay beyond what your visa allows.

    ≈ 7 dOfficial page

  • Register for ÖGK student health insurance

    Self-insurance for students costs €78.84 a month (2026, up from €73.48). Cover starts the day after you apply and does not reach back, so apply as soon as you arrive. The residence permit needs health insurance that covers all risks; ÖGK is one way to show it. It covers treatment, not sick pay.

    ≈ 14 d€79Official page

  • Wiener Linien annual pass (Jugend)

    The €75 semester pass is gone — Wiener Linien withdrew it on 1 Jan 2026 and the Jahreskarte Jugend replaced it from 1 Feb 2026. €294 for a full year if you buy the digital pass and pay once (€309 by monthly debit; €300/€315 for the plastic card). Note the digital price includes a €6 discount limited to one year. Anyone under 26 qualifies — enrolment is no longer required. From 26 it is the ordinary annual pass at €461 digital / €467.

    ≈ 1 d€294Official page

  • Pick up your student ID card

    Once you have paid the ÖH fee (€26.20 a semester) you get your student ID — digital, as a card, or both, depending on the university. It unlocks student prices at museums, cinemas and theatres; how much you save depends on the venue.

    ≈ 14 d

Ongoing

  • Get a Steuernummer if you start a part-time job

    €551.10/mo Geringfügigkeit threshold — under that you owe nothing and your employer files everything. Above it, register at FinanzOnline.

  • Learn the bin colours

    Red = paper and cardboard, yellow = plastic and metal packaging (drink cartons too), brown = organic waste. Glass goes into the white (clear) or green (coloured) containers; everything else is residual waste. Most dorms have their own bins.