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Note: Many aggregator sites quote €722.58/month for Austrian student visas — that figure is out of date. Austria’s own migration authority currently publishes €777.58/month for applicants under 24, confirmed directly on migration.gv.at.
To get a “Students” residence permit for Austria, third-country nationals must prove “adequate means of subsistence” tied directly to Austria’s General Social Insurance Act (ASVG) standard rates — a figure that updates annually and applies nationally, unlike Germany’s or Switzerland’s mission/canton-set amounts.
What Austria’s migration authority actually publishes
- Students under 24 years of age: €777.58 per month, or €9,330.96 for a full year.
- Students 24 years of age or older: €1,308.39 per month, or €15,700.68 for a full year — the same standard rate applied to general residence permits for singles.
- These are minimum fixed and regular income figures — the applicant must show they can meet living costs without recourse to Austrian welfare aid.
- Accommodation costs are added on top where relevant, and must be factored into your subsistence evidence separately.
How to prove it
Austria’s migration authority accepts a range of evidence: pay slips, pay certificates, employment contracts, certificates of state pension or other insurance benefits, or evidence of “adequate amounts of invested capital or owned assets.” Critically, evidence of social benefits that are only payable once the residence title is granted — including welfare aid — is explicitly not permissible as proof.
Other requirements for the Students permit
- Health insurance coverage providing benefits in Austria.
- A minimum 40 ECTS-credit university course at a recognized university, university of applied sciences, or accredited private institution.
- Evidence of study progress required for extensions — renewing the permit means showing you’re advancing toward your degree, not just re-enrolled.
- Proof of accommodation is not required for the Students permit specifically (unlike most other Austrian residence categories), though its cost still counts against your subsistence evidence.
Frequently asked questions
What is Austria’s proof-of-funds requirement for students?
€777.58/month for applicants under 24, and €1,308.39/month for applicants 24 or older — both confirmed directly on Austria’s official migration portal and tied to the national ASVG social insurance standard rate, which is updated annually.
Why do other sites quote a different figure?
€722.58/month is last year’s rate — Austria’s ASVG standard rates increase annually, and many third-party guides haven’t been updated to the current figure. Always check migration.gv.at directly for the live number before budgeting.
Does this include accommodation costs?
No. Accommodation costs are considered separately and added to what you need to demonstrate — the published figure is the baseline subsistence rate, not a complete cost-of-living total.
Can a family member’s income count?
Yes, if you rely on a third party’s capacity to support you, proof of that arrangement must be submitted alongside your own documentation — Austria’s rules explicitly allow for sponsor-based evidence, not just the applicant’s own funds.
Verify details on the official site: migration.gv.at — Temporary Residence, Students. Figures checked directly on the official page, September 2026; ASVG rates update annually, so always confirm the current figure before applying.
See the full Proof of Funds Requirements by Country comparison, or check Germany’s and Switzerland’s neighboring requirements.
