Austria visa requirements for Indian passport holders

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Confirmed for this scope

Austria's Interior Ministry lists India as visa-required. A bilateral exemption covers only Indian diplomatic passports, so this guide covers ordinary passports; service and other official passports need a consular check.

Official sources: Federal Ministry of the Interior, Austria.

Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope

The Schengen visa C covers tourism, business and visits without gainful employment for up to 90 days in 180. Any work, including internships, always needs a visa, and stays over 90 days need a visa D.

Official sources: Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs).

Age Conditions to check

Children under 12 do not give fingerprints. The reduced fees and the parental consent rules for minors are explained below.

Official sources: Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs).

Residence Conditions to check

The Embassy in New Delhi only processes applicants whose habitual residence is in its territory. Indian citizens living in another country must apply there.

Official sources: Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs).

Other visas or residence permits Conditions to check

A Schengen state's D visa or a notified Schengen residence permit lets you travel for 90 days in 180 if you meet the entry conditions. A residence card as the family member of an EU citizen also removes the visa requirement.

Official sources: Federal Ministry of the Interior, Austria.

Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check

No visa is needed for a stopover at an Austrian airport without entering the Schengen area; India is not among the nationalities that need an airport transit visa. Leaving the transit area means entering Schengen.

Official sources: Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs).

Stay and visa validity Conditions to check

A visa C allows at most 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area, and a visa D covers 91 days to 6 months. Keep to the dates, entries and days on your visa sticker.

Official sources: Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs).

Where and when to apply

Apply to Austria if it is your only or main destination; with no main destination, apply to the Schengen country where you will first enter. The Austrian Embassy in New Delhi has outsourced appointments and passport return to VFS, which forwards each application; only the Embassy decides. Book a VFS appointment and lodge the application at an application centre in person, as fingerprints and a photo are taken.

Apply no more than 6 months and no later than 15 days before departure. The Embassy returns applications it receives less than 15 working days before travel, and advises applying at least a month ahead. Processing can take up to 15 working days, and up to 45 calendar days when a file needs more checks. The Embassy may ask for more documents or call you for an interview.

Official sources: Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs); Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs); Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Austria.

Documents, insurance and fees

Follow the Embassy's tourism checklist, in its order: the signed application form in English or German, an ICAO photo, and a passport issued within the last 10 years with two blank pages, valid at least three months after you leave the Schengen area. Add a cover letter, round-trip flight reservations, proof of accommodation, proof of employment or study, three months of bank statements, income tax returns for two years and copies of earlier Schengen visas. A minor traveling with one parent needs a notarized consent from the other parent, and a minor traveling alone needs one from both parents or guardians.

Travel medical insurance must cover the whole stay in every Schengen state, with at least €30,000 including medical repatriation. The visa fee is €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6 to 12; children under 6 pay nothing. The Embassy collects consular fees in rupees at the current exchange rate, and VFS charges its own service fee.

Official sources: Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs); Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs); Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs).

Existing permits and family residence cards

You may not need a new visa. A valid D visa or a notified residence permit from a Schengen state lets you travel to Austria for up to 90 days in any 180, if you meet the entry conditions. A residence card issued under the EU free-movement directive as the family member of an EU citizen also removes the visa requirement. A visa or residence permit from a country outside Schengen does not.

Family members of EEA and Swiss citizens exercising free movement who still need a visa follow special provisions, are exempt from the insurance requirement and pay no Schengen visa fee.

Official sources: Federal Ministry of the Interior, Austria; Austrian Embassy New Delhi (Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs); European Union, Your Europe.

At the border

A visa does not guarantee entry. Border officials can ask for proof of your lodging, a return ticket and enough money for the stay, so carry copies.

The EU Entry/Exit System has been fully operational at Schengen borders since 10 April 2026. ETIAS is not yet operating, and it would not replace the visa an Indian tourist needs.

Official sources: European Union, Your Europe; European Commission.