A new chapter begins! I'll be flying from New Delhi to Vienna on Air India AI153 on 27 September 2026 as I head to Austria to begin my Master's at Johannes Kepler University (JKU), Linz.

If anyone else is traveling on the same flight (AI153) or arriving in Vienna around the same time—especially fellow students heading to JKU or anywhere nearby—I'd love to connect.

It would be great to travel together, help each other navigate the airport, and make the journey a little easier.

Feel free to comment below or send me a connection request/message.

Looking forward to meeting fellow travelers and future classmates! 😊

#Austria #JKU #JohannesKeplerUniversity #MastersAbroad #StudyInAustria #InternationalStudent #AirIndia #AI153 #Vienna #Linz #Networking #IndianStudentsAbroad

Since Reddit helped me throughout my Austria application journey, I wanted to give back by sharing my complete timeline and experience. I hope this helps future students, especially those applying from India.

Profile

• Nationality: Indian
• University: Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz
• Course: MSc Computer Science (Network & Security)
• Intended arrival in Austria: 27 September 2026
• Accommodation: STUWO Lambach
• Financial proof: ₹24 lakh (Education Loan from Avanse Financial Services)
• Interview: No (documents only)

Timeline

22 February 2026

• Emailed the Austrian Embassy in New Delhi requesting an appointment for my Residence Permit application.

23 February 2026

• Received a VFS appointment booking link from the Embassy.
• (This process has since changed. As far as I know, the Embassy now provides appointments directly again.)

12 May 2026

• VFS assigned my appointment for 27 May 2026.

27 May 2026

• Submitted my Residence Permit application at the Embassy of Austria, New Delhi.
• Biometrics were taken.

18 June 2026

• Received an email directly from the Wels Magistrate (.gv.at email address) requesting additional documents.

20 June 2026

• Submitted the requested documents.

22 June 2026

• Residence Permit approved by the Wels Magistrate.

23 June 2026

• Embassy emailed me asking me to apply for my Visa D.

25 June 2026

• Submitted my Visa D application at VFS Global New Delhi.
• Biometrics were taken again.

30 June 2026

• Received my passport with the Visa D.
• Visa D was approved in 2 working days.

Total processing time

• Residence Permit submission (27 May) → Visa D received (30 June): 34 days

Documents I submitted for the Residence Permit

• English Residence Permit application form
• Admission letter from JKU Linz
• Passport COPY
• Accommodation confirmation (STUWO Lambach)
• Bank statement from my newly opened Avanse loan account
• Financial proof (Education Loan)
• Apostilled Birth Certificate
• Apostilled Police Clearance Certificate (PCC)

Additional documents requested by the Wels Magistrate

They asked me for only two additional declarations:

1. A declaration stating that I would transfer my funds to an Austrian bank account after arriving in Austria.
2. A declaration explaining the source of my funds. In my case, the funds came from an education loan from Avanse Financial Services.

I also informed them that I was using Zuno Health Insurance (provided through my loan process) for the Visa D and that I would switch to ÖGK after arriving in Austria.

After I submitted these documents, there were no further requests, and my Residence Permit was approved shortly afterwards.

Documents submitted for Visa D

• Visa D application form
• Passport
• Embassy approval email
• VFS appointment confirmation
• Flight ticket
• Zuno Health Insurance
• Biometrics

Things I learned

• Austria does not require a blocked account like Germany. An education loan can be accepted as financial proof if properly documented. (RECOMMENDED)
• Don't panic if the Magistrate asks for additional documents. It doesn't necessarily mean there's a problem with your application.
• Residence Permit approval comes first. Only after approval will the Embassy ask you to apply for the Visa D.
• In my case, the Visa D was processed very quickly (2 working days).
• Be prepared to provide biometrics twice:
  • Once for the Residence Permit at the Embassy.
  • Once for the Visa D at VFS.

FAQs

Q: Was there an interview?
No. I was only asked to submit documents.

Q: Did the Wels Magistrate contact you directly?
Yes. They emailed me directly from their official .gv.at email address.

Q: Was an education loan accepted?
Yes.

Q: Were your Birth Certificate and PCC apostilled?
Yes, both were apostilled.

Q: What insurance did you use?
Zuno Health Insurance for the Visa D. I informed the Magistrate that I would switch to ÖGK after arriving in Austria.

Q: Was the Visa D single-entry or multiple-entry?
Single-entry, valid for approximately 4 months.

If anyone applying from India has questions about the Residence Permit process, Visa D, documents, Wels Magistrate, education loans, or JKU Linz, feel free to comment below. Reddit helped me a lot during this journey, so I'm happy to help future applicants as well.

Can Anyone please tell me do i have to pay rp fees in cash or card will work.

Also do i need motivation letter and dummy ticket of travelling?

And how much euro i have to give them if cash

I am Indian and appointment in next 2 hours

Hi everyone,

I recently applied for my Austrian RP card and uploaded all the required documents on the portal for the initial verification process. However, I received a correction asking me to provide a 3-month bank statement.

The issue is that this bank account was newly opened specifically for my education loan disbursement. My loan provider (Avanse) required me to open a new account, and the loan amount was disbursed only into that account. Because the account is new, I cannot generate a 3-month statement.

I have already uploaded the education loan sanction/disbursement documents from Avanse as proof, but the 3-month statement requirement is still showing as pending.

Has anyone faced a similar issue? What alternative document did you provide, and was it accepted?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!