Visa Requirements for Austrian Citizens

Visa requirements for Austrian citizens are the pre-established by foreign governments rules and conditions applicable upon crossing the border. International travel always requires a bit more preparation than exploring your home country. Some kind of visa is usually needed.

Luckily, the Austrian passport is one of the most powerful passports in Europe today. Austrian citizens have visa-free access to almost 150 countries, including the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Malaysia, and Mexico.

Austrian citizens can also apply for eVisas to visit many other countries without needing a regular visa. Currently, around 40 destinations have come forward with such facilitation regarding international travel.

Another 40 countries have a Visa on Arrival system in place for Austrian citizens visiting. This means that any Austrian passport holder can arrange the needed travel authorization document after arriving in the selected country, upon arrival.

Still, even though Austrians have significant international travel liberty, there are 30 countries that do require a valid Embassy visa presented by Austrian passport holders upon arrival.

Out of all available visa types, eVisas are the easiest ones to obtain since the whole process is completed online. That is why more and more countries adapt this system and expedite the whole visa handling process.

There are many more steps required before Austrian travelers can actually board the plane. This article contains all the relevant visa-related information for any Austrian citizens planning a trip abroad.

Electronic visa

Electronic visas or eVisas are simply an easier alternative to traditional Embassy visas. eVisa can come in the form of a single or multiple-entry permit and can usually be used for tourism, business, or transit purposes.

No matter the selected type or reason for usage, eVisas are easily obtainable online following a quick and intuitive application process.

List of countries offering eVisas for Austrian citizens

38 countries offer an eVisa option for Austrians traveling abroad. You can forget about the troublesome and tiring Embassy visas when visiting any of the above-listed destinations.

Austrian passport holders traveling with an eVisa can stay abroad for different amounts of time. However, it's usually either one or three months at a time. Each country stipulates its own rules and regulations regarding the length of the permitted stay.

All Austrian citizens must remember that eVisas are not a visa-free option. eVisa holders will still need to comply with the entry requirements of each country they visit, even if it's just for tourism purposes. Luckily, the requirements are minimal and can be easily met.

eVisas serve best for short-term trips related to leisure, professional, or transit-related reasons. This means that all Austrians traveling using this system can go on vacation, visit their friends and family, do business, or simply take a layover abroad, all with an online visa.

Visa on Arrival

A Visa on Arrival is a visa obtained at the airport, seaport, or land border of any country for which the Austrian citizen does not have a pre-issued visa. The Austrian citizen needs to fill out an application and provide necessary identification documents at the port of entry.

List of Visa on Arrival countries for Austrian passport holders

  • Angola
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cambodia
  • Comoros
  • Egypt
  • Ethiopia
  • Gabon
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Iraqi Kurdistan
  • Jordan
  • Kenya
  • Kuwait
  • Hainan
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • The Maldives
  • Mauritania
  • Mozambique
  • Myanmar
  • Nepal
  • Niue
  • Pakistan
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Rwanda
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tanzania
  • Togo
  • Uganda
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

The above 40 destinations are using a Visa on Arrival system applicable to all Austrian citizens visiting. VoA eliminates the need to visit an Embassy and handle any travel authorization document before departing. However, using the VoA system is still not as traveler-friendly as using eVisas.

Obtaining a Visa on Arrival includes a few steps. First, it's crucial to check the current entry requirements prior to departing. Some countries may require applicants to provide additional supporting documents for the visa to be issued.

Prepare appropriately before leaving and once in the country go straights to the nearest border control checkpoint. Ask for a Visa on Arrival application form and carefully fill it out avoiding making mistakes in the essential personal and travel-related information.

The next step may be optional and requires travelers to cover the visa issuing fee. It's best to check if the country to be visited does require fee payment. Please note! Sometimes, the customs officials make it obligatory that the payment is made in cash (in local currency).

Lastly, Austrian citizens should simply wait for the approval of their application. Once a VoA is issued, its holders can enjoy a short-term trip for any leisure, business, or transit-related reasons, such as making visits to relatives or friends, going on a relaxing getaway, trying the available tourist attractions, attending a business meeting, or simply transiting.

Please note! eVisas and VoAs are similar in many ways. However, electronic visas are much easier to obtain. eVisas do not require travelers to wait in lines upon arrival and make Austrians travel prepared.

Numerous countries that offer a Visa on Arrival also have an eVisa option available. It's best to check if an eVisa is available before the planned trip to be able to travel in the most effortless way possible.

Embassy visa

An Embassy visa is a document authorizing Austrian citizens to stay in another country for either short or long-term purpose. An Austrian citizen should apply for the traditional visa at the Embassy of the selected destination in their home country.

List of countries that require Austrian passport holders to present a valid Embassy visa upon arrival

  • Abkhazia
  • Afghanistan
  • Algeria
  • Artsakh
  • Bhutan
  • Burundi
  • Cameroon
  • The Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • China
  • The Republic of the Congo
  • The Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • Cuba
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Iraq
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Mali
  • Mongolia
  • Nauru
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • North Korea
  • Sudan
  • Syria
  • Tokelau
  • Turkmenistan
  • Yemen

Over 30 countries still require Austrians to present a valid Embassy visa upon arrival. This type of visa takes a longer time to be obtained and requires applicants to make personal Embassy visits.

An Embassy visa usually is issued within a few weeks after submitting all of the documents required, which are:

  • A valid passport
  • Valid proof of tourist or business purpose
  • A completed application form
  • Passport photos
  • Receipt confirming payment of visa fee

Additional documents may be required depending on the country to which Austrian citizens are traveling. The paperwork may also differ when choosing a certain Embassy visa type.

Please note! The Embassy visa application process may require taking additional steps, such as going through a visa interview with a consular officer. Applicants are advised to contact their nearest Embassy to get up-to-date information and prepare appropriately.

Even though Embassy visas are more difficult to get, they have more diverse visa types options. Austrians wishing to work, study, or even live abroad for a specified period of time can do so with an Embassy visa. That is why its processing time is longer than those of eVisas and VoAs.

Visa-free countries

Austrian citizens can enjoy visa-free entry to all of the following countries due to the Austrian and European Union's visa waiver program. Austrian citizens can stay in these countries for a short-term duration without a visa:

List of visa-free countries for Austrian citizens

  • Albania
  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil
  • Brunei
  • Bulgaria
  • Cape Verde
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Costa Rica
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • The Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominica
  • The Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • El Salvador
  • Estonia
  • Eswatini
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Grenada
  • Guam
  • Guatemala
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Indonesia
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kiribati
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Latvia
  • Lesotho
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau
  • Macedonia
  • Malaysia
  • Malta
  • The Marshall Islands
  • Mauritius
  • Mexico
  • Micronesia
  • Moldova
  • Monaco
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Namibia
  • The Netherlands
  • Nicaragua
  • North Macedonia
  • Norway
  • Palau
  • Palestinian Territory
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • The Philippines
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Qatar
  • Romania
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • The Solomon Islands
  • South Africa
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Swaziland
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Timor-Leste
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Tuvalu
  • Ukraine
  • The United Arab Emirates
  • The United Kingdom
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • The Vatican City
  • Venezuela

To visit any of the above-listed destinations from Austria, all travelers should need is a valid passport. There's no need to apply for a visa, neither before nor upon arrival, when visiting these countries.

Please note! Some countries may have additional requirements to meet, even for visa-free travel. It's best to check beforehand when planning the next trip abroad to make sure if all the required documents are prepared.

Traveling visa-free is perfect for all short-term trips related to leisure, business, or transit. Austrian passport holders can visit more than a hundred countries without a visa to go on vacation, enjoy a relaxing stay abroad, explore foreign places and their tourist attractions.

But also take care of any work-related duties, such as going on a business trip, attending a meeting, seminar, or conference, or simply negotiating future contracts. Visa-free travel is also available for Austrian citizens transiting through any of the above-listed countries to reach another destination.

Bogdan T
2022-09-28

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