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

Hi everyone,

I’m an upcoming student(Indian) admitted to FH Upper Austria for the Winter Semester. My Residence Permit appointment at the Austrian Embassy is on 5 August

If your application was processed by the authorities in Hagenberg, Linz, or Freistadt (Upper Austria), I’d really appreciate your help.

- Were the standard documents (admission letter, accommodation, proof of funds, PCC, insurance, etc.) sufficient, or were you asked to submit any additional documents?

- How long did your Residence Permit approval take after your embassy appointment?

- If my appointment is on 5 August, what would be a realistic timeline for receiving RP approval and then the Visa D, based on your experience?

Thanks in advance!

Any recent experiences would be really helpful.

Anyone who has used an older version of birth certificate which was in Hindi issued by nagar nigam? Or class 10th certificate as a birth proof? For rp appointment

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.

Hey everyone,

I recently received my admission letter for the Master's in Industrial Data Science at Montanuniversität Leoben (TU Leoben) for the upcoming Winter Semester 2026 (starting October 1st).

I am looking to connect with other Indian students who are heading to Leoben or Austria for this intake.

Specifically, I’d love to connect to discuss:

1. VFS visa/residence permit processing timelines and legalisation.

2. Finding student accommodation/dorms in Leoben.

3. Flying out together/flight bookings.

If there is already an existing WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord group for the Winter 2026 Leoben batch or Indian students in Austria, please drop the link or DM me! If not, comment below or send a message, and we can start a group to coordinate everything.

Looking forward to connecting!

Hello everyone,

I'm trying to study for a Bachelor's in Computer Science/ Software Engineering in Austria.

My academic background is:

- 10th Standard (SSC)

- 3 year Diploma in Computer Engineering (AlCTE recognized)

The diploma qualifies me for lateral entry into the 2nd year of a bachelor's degree in India.

My questions are:

1. Has anyone with a 10th + 3-year diploma from India (without 12th) been admitted to an Austrian public university for a bachelor's degree?

2. Did you receive direct admission, or did you have to complete any preparatory programme?

3. Is it normal for Austrian universities to avoid giving eligibility decisions by email and instead assess qualifications only after a formal application?

4. I'm looking for firsthand experiences, especially from Indian diploma holders or university admissions staff.

Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone,

I have my appointment for the Austrian Student Residence Permit (*Stay Permit - Student*) coming up at New Delhi embassy on **July 2nd**.
I’ve been prepping everything carefully, but I wanted to clear up a few doubts and get some recent insights from anyone who went through the process lately.

Here is my current situation and what I've prepared:

* **Documents Prepared:** I have completely filled out the application form and taken a copy. My PCC and Birth Certificate are both fully Apostilled, and I’ve taken copies of those too. I am also taking printouts of every single page of my passport (including blank pages).

* **The Upload Situation & Financial Docs:** I successfully uploaded my own 6-month bank statement online. For my parents (sponsors), I uploaded their ITRs, Salary Slips, and the first and last pages of their bank statements. However, I did NOT upload their full 6-month bank statements because it came to about 100 A4 pages. I am carrying the full 100-page physical statements with me.

* **Name Correction Affidavit:** There is a minor name correction regarding my mother’s name, for which I have an Apostilled Affidavit. Unfortunately, I missed uploading this affidavit on the VFS portal.

I have a few questions for the group:

1. **Additional Documents at the Counter:** Since I didn't upload my parents' full 100-page bank statements and the Apostilled Affidavit for the name correction online, can I explain the situation at the VFS counter and submit these physical documents directly to the officer? Will they accept physical documents that weren't part of the initial digital upload?

2. **Physical Copies:** Some recent posts mention that VFS is only collecting the application form, passport pages, and visa fee because everything else is digitally uploaded. Should I still carry physical copies of *all* the other supporting documents I did upload?

3. **Interview Questions:** What kind of questions do the VFS officers usually ask during the submission or biometric process for a student residence permit?

Any tips, checklist reminders, or recent experiences would be incredibly helpful. Thanks in advance, and good luck to everyone else applying!

So i am having conversation with several people from past months but they told me they just did a walk in for the visa after they got approval but now i saw that you have to make appointment with VFS after getting the approval . If yes, then what is the waiting time in New Delhi