Austrian Consulate NYC, New York – 4 Easy Steps to Apply for Austria Schengen Visa

Austria is a Schengen country full of wonder. From stunning architecture and fascinating historical sites to amazing national parks full of color and fun things to do all year round. Delicious cuisine, exciting summer and winter sports, a fabulous cafe culture, and much more – when you arrive you’ll be thrilled from the first moment. In this article learn more about how to apply for Austria Visa at the Austrian consulate in NYC, New York, Austria visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Austrian visa application center and Austrian Visa Application Process at the NYC consulate.

Schengen Visa

Last year saw a total of 304,556 visa applications received and 284,904 of them approved. The Austrian consulate in NYC, New York dealt with 991 applications and approved 964.

Applying for Schengen Visa from the United States

If you are a citizen of certain countries and you wish to travel to Austria as a tourist, are in transit, are on business or are visiting family and/or friends you do NOT need a visa for stays up to 90 days. Please check the Austrian consulate’s website to see if this applies to you. You are not permitted to take up any kind of employment in Austria if you visit on a visa-free basis.

However, if you are a non-US citizen from any other country and you live in the US on a permanent basis, you need to apply for a visa for Austria. This includes those that hold alien passports and refugee travel documents which were issued in the US.

If you are in the US as a visitor and/or you hold a B1/B2 type visa, you cannot apply for a visa at the consulate of Austria. Instead, you need to apply at the Austrian embassy or consulate in the country of your residence. You have to make sure you apply at the right Austrian embassy and consulate.

The Consulate General of Austria in New York will accept visa applications from people who reside in the following areas:

– Connecticut

– Illinois

– Indiana

– Iowa

– Kentucky

– Maine

– Massachusetts

– Michigan

– Minnesota

– New Hampshire

– New Jersey

– New York

– Ohio

– Pennsylvania

– Rhode Island

– Vermont

– Wisconsin

– British Overseas Territory Bermuda

Each of the Austrian consulates has their own jurisdiction, so if you live in a different area to those mentioned above, check the consulate’s website to learn where you need to apply.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Consulate General of Austria in NYC, New York

The duration of your Austrian trip will determine which type of visa you need to apply for. The visas available are:

1. Schengen visa – up to 90 days within a 180 day period
2. National visa – over 90 days up to 6 months

Make sure you apply for the right one before you submit your application. Applying for the wrong one could lead to your application being rejected. Check the consulate’s website for information on visas.

You’ll need a Schengen visa or entry permit for the following purposes:

1. Airport transit
2. Tourism
3. Visit family and/or friends
4. Take part in a conference or seminar
5. Attend a German language course
6. Study or internship
7. Work as a guest professor at an Austrian university

Schengen visas are usually issued as: 

1. Single entry – Maximum of 1 entry
2. Double entry – Maximum of 2 entries
3. Multiple entry – Unlimited entries

A type C Schengen visa is required for stays up to 90 days. If you are planning to go for over 90 days up to 6 months, you will need a type D National visa.

Type D National visas are for the following purposes:

1. Study/internship
2. Employment/Self-employment
3. Research/Professor/Artist/Scientific work
4. Au Pair
5. Religious activities
6. Seasonal workers

National visas are usually issued as: 

1. Single entry – Maximum of 1 entry
2. Multiple entry – Unlimited entries

Please note, if you are planning to visit Austria to live, to undertake employment or study etc., for longer than 6 months, you may require a residence permit.

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Austrian Consulate in NYC, New York

As mentioned above make sure you apply for the correct visa. Once you have done that, you need to begin the application process. It’s relatively simple, but it’s advisable to look at the consulate’s requirements before you begin.

In addition, you must apply in time for your application to be processed before your departure date. The Austrian consulate in New York has a turnaround time of 21 days and they advise applicants to submit their application 3-4 weeks before their trip. If applications are received less than 15 days before, they will not guarantee that the visa will be issued on time. You can apply between 90 days and 15 days beforehand, so bear that in mind.

Step 1: Schedule an appointment

The first thing you need to do is to schedule an appointment in order to submit your application. You can do this on the consulate’s booking system.  Go to their website, scroll down, and click on: “Make an appointment online”:

On the next screen, choose “New York: Visa and Residence Permit” from the drop-down box and click: “Next”:

Next, choose the number of persons from the drop-down box:

On the next screen, you will be presented with information for visa and residence permits. If you are satisfied with this, click on: “Next”:

Then, you will be able to schedule a convenient appointment:

After this, you can download the application form from the consulate’s website and completely fill this in.

Making appointments with the embassy or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Step 2: Get your paperwork ready

Ahead of your appointment, you need to take time to understand what documents are required for your visa application. First, have a look at these requirements before you start to prepare your paperwork.

The consulate will ONLY accept complete applications. In addition, any foreign documents must be officially translated into English or German.

Please also be aware that you need to submit original documents as well as photocopies of everything. Documents for your visa application include:

1) Valid and signed passport – issued within the last 10 years and valid for 3 months beyond trip, and with 2 free pages. Plus, notarized signature of parent/guardian if not present at an interview for minors (if applicable)

2) Schengen or National visa application form – fully completed and signed

3) 2 recent passport-sized photos

4) Airline reservation of itinerary

5) Proof of travel medical insurance – must cover at least €30,000 for sickness, accident, medical evacuation, repatriation of human remains. And be valid in all Schengen countries.

6) Green card or US visa – valid for at least 3 months past date of return to the US

7) Proof of financial means – scholarship, letter of grants, last 2 bank statements or other proof of income

8) Letter of financial guarantee if you cannot prove your own financial means

9) Proof of travel reason – confirmed hotel and/or tour booking, an invitation letter from the host, proof of participation in event etc., registration of educational course

10) Proof of accommodation – hotel reservation, lease, host declaration and host’s ID/passport/rental agreement or proof of ownership

11) FedEx envelope

12) Proof of US address – driver’s license or utility bill

13) Letter from employer confirming the reason for trip, position, and length of employment or business registration if self-employed

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2. Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 3: Attend the interview and hand over your application 

You must appear in person to the consulate of Austria in New York on the day of your appointment to hand over your application for processing. Make sure you arrive early. Everyone has been given a date and time and, not only, will it not look good if you are late, but also you may have to reschedule and this could delay things for you.

Another thing to consider is how you appear to the visa official. Don’t turn up looking too casual – dressing appropriately is key.

The last thing is, do not forget anything. The consulate cannot process applications with missing information.

So, once you are sitting in front of the staff, try to relax and if they ask you further questions, answer them as best you can and be honest. They are simply trying to establish whether they should agree to the visa. Typical visa interview questions are:

1. Is this your first time to a Schengen country?
2. Are you traveling alone?
3. What is your salary?
4. Are you meeting friends there?
5. How will you pay for this trip?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You must also pay the fee for the type of visa you are applying for. You can pay by cash or money order payable to the Austrian Consulate General, New York. This is a non-refundable fee, even if your application is denied.

Schengen Visa Fee

Since 2014, fingerprint scans are required for visa applications which is why you need to attend your interview in person. These are then scanned onto the Visa Information Service (VIS) for future use. If you have applied within the last 5 years, this data can be re-used.

Step 4: Receive your visa

When the consulate has made a decision about your visa, you will receive notification that you can either collect your passport from the consulate during their opening hours or have it mailed back to you. If you opt for it to be mailed, you must provide a pre-paid and labeled FedEx envelope. For security purposes, the consulate ONLY recommends using FedEx. In addition, the consulate is not responsible for lost or damaged passports that are mailed.

With any luck, your Austrian visa will be attached to the blank pages of your passport. There are times, though, when applications are rejected. Some reasons why this may be are:

1. Missing documents
2. Applying for the wrong type of visa
3. Lack of financial means
4. Passport invalid
5. Travel insurance not suitable
6. Active Schengen visa

First, make sure you don’t already have a valid Schengen visa in your passport. Next, apply for the correct type of visa by checking the consulate’s website before applying. If your passport is not valid, you’ll need to apply for a new one before starting the visa application process. Remember to have the correct travel insurance cover and provide all the necessary documents to the consulate. In addition, make sure you prove that you can afford the trip.

Contact detail for the Consulate General of Austria in NYC, New York

Address: 31 East 69^th Street (between Park and Madison Avenue), New York, NY 10021

Email: info@austria-ny.org

Tel: +1 212 737 6400

Fax: +1 212 772 8926

Hours:

Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 12.00 pm (Public)

Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 5.00 pm (Office)

Important: Status inquiries will not be answered earlier than 21 days after receipt of visa application.

Conclusion

All you need to do to apply for your Austrian visa is make an appointment, download your application form, get all your paperwork ready, and submit your file. Once you’ve done that, it’s only a short wait before you, hopefully, have your Austrian visa. Then you can get ready for your dream trip!

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.