Austrian Embassy Washington DC – 5 Easy Steps to Apply for Austria Schengen Visa

Austria is a popular Schengen destination for many visitors and it doesn’t matter what time of year you go. The winter is good for skiing and winter sports and there are lots of opportunities for exploring the cities and the countryside in the summer. There really is so much to see and the Imperial palaces, Gothic cathedrals, and Baroque architecture will leave you wanting more. With UNESCO World Heritage sites, picturesque towns, and beautiful lakes and rivers, you will be amazed at everything you see! In this article learn more about how to apply for Austria visa at the Austrian embassy in Washington DC, Austria visa appointment booking, Processing time at the Austrian visa application center, flight itinerary for Austria visa, hotel bookings for Austria visa, Schengen travel insurance for Austria visa application, and Austria Visa Application Process at the Washington DC embassy.

Applying for Austria Schengen Visa from the United States

Nationals of the following countries do NOT need a visa to enter Austria:

1. Albania*
2. Andorra
3. Antigua and Barbuda
4. Argentina
5. Australia
6. Bahamas
7. Barbados
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina*
9. Brazil
10. Brunei
11. Canada
12. Chile
13. Colombia
14. Costa Rica
15. Dominica
16. El Salvador
17. Georgia
18. Grenada
19. Guatemala
20. Holy See
21. Honduras
22. Hong Kong
23. Israel
24. Japan
25. Kiribati
26. Macao
27. Macedonia*
28. Malaysia
29. Marshall Islands
30. Mauritius
31. Mexico
32. Micronesia
33. Moldova*
34. Monaco
35. Montenegro*
36. New Zealand
37. Nicaragua
38. Palau
39. Panama
40. Paraguay
41. Peru
42. Saint Kitts and Nevis
43. Saint Lucia
44. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
45. Samoa
46. San Marino
47. Serbia
48. Seychelles
49. Singapore
50. Solomon Islands
51. South Korea
52. Taiwan
53. Timor-Leste
54. Tonga
55. Trinidad and Tobago
56. Tuvalu
57. Ukraine*
58. United Arab Emirates
59. United States (USA)
60. Uruguay
61. Vanuatu
62. Venezuela

*The visa exemption applies only to holders of biometric passports

If you are a national of any other country but are currently living in the US, you will need a visa to be able to enter Austria.

You have to make sure you apply at the right Austrian embassy and consulate. You are able to apply for your Austria visa at the Austrian Embassy in Washington as long as you reside within their jurisdiction:

1. Alabama
2. Arkansas
3. Delaware
4. District of Columbia
5. Florida
6. Georgia
7. Kansas
8. Louisiana
9. Maryland
10. Mississippi
11. Missouri
12. North Carolina
13. Oklahoma
14. Puerto Rico
15. South Carolina
16. Tennessee
17. Texas
18. Virginia
19. West Virginia
20. US Virgin Islands
21. Bahamas

If you don’t see your location here, you can check the Austrian Embassy’s website for details of the consulates in the US:

If you happen to hold a B1/B2 type visa, you are unable to apply for a visa at the Austrian Embassy in Washington, or any other consulate in the US – you must apply in your home country.

Austria Schengen Visa

In 2017, a total of 304,556 Schengen visa applications were received around the world. 4.67% of these were not issued which is relatively high when compared with other Schengen countries. 495 applications were received by the Austrian Embassy in Washington and only 2 were rejected.

Types of Schengen Visas Offered at the Austrian Embassy in Washington

There are 3 types of visa you can apply for from the Austrian Embassy in Washington and the one you choose will depend on your reason for traveling and how long you wish to go for:

1. Airport Transit visa (Visa A) – required for certain nationalities transiting through Schengen airports
2. Travel/Schengen visa (Visa C) – if you intend to visit Austria as a tourist, to visit friends or a business trip for a maximum of 90 days
3. Austrian National visa (Visa D) – if you intend to visit Austria for the purpose of study or work etc., for more than 90 days up to a maximum of 6 months

Visas are usually issued as: 

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

Schengen Visa Application Process at the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC

The Austrian Embassy in Washington aims to process visa applications within 15 days. You can apply anytime from 15 days up to 90 days before your trip. Applications received less than 15 days may not be processed in time and applications received more than 90 days before will NOT be accepted. The embassy recommends you apply at least 3-4 weeks ahead of your departure date. That way, there should be sufficient time for you to receive your Austria visa.

To help you apply for your Austria visa, follow these steps and you should find the process relatively simple.

Just so you know, with effect from 15^th January 2019, visa applications have been outsourced to VFS Global, so this is where you will apply for your Austria visa. However, the Austrian Embassy will still make the decision as to whether to grant your visa or not.

Step 1: Make your appointment online

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!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment at the visa application center yourself. The first step is to make an appointment in order to submit your file, so go to VFS Global’s website and click on: “Schedule an appointment”:

On the next page, click on the link and you will be directed to the appointment booking system:

You’ll need to log on if you have these details:

Or, register as a new user:

You will then be able to make a suitable date and time for your appointment.

Step 2: Complete your application form

You can find the application form on VFS Global’s website. Click on: “How to apply”:

Scroll down, and click on the “Visa type” link:

Then, you’ll find the list of available visas you can apply for. Click on the one that you are applying for:

Click on the “Documents” tab and you will find the link for the application form:

Step 3: Get your paperwork ready

Before you start to get your paperwork ready for submission to VFS Global, spend time looking at their website for a list of everything that is required. Alternatively, you can find this information on the website of the Embassy of Austria in Washington DC. There is a handy document checklist which you could refer to:

Please note, you must submit this document checklist along with your application form and other supporting documents. In addition, you need to provide original documents as well as photocopies, so please don’t forget to do this.

Required documents for your visa application include:

1. Completed visa application form – for type A or C signed on page 3 and page 4, for type D signed on page 3. Signatures must correspond with the signature in the passport. All boxes must be filled in. Write ‘NA’ in boxes that do not apply to you
2. Appointment confirmation letter – you can print this off after you have made your appointment on VFS Global’s website
3. Original and signed passport – valid for at least 3 months beyond trip with 2 empty pages. It cannot be older than 10 years
4. Copy of passport’s data page
5. Copy of previous Schengen visa with entry and exit points
6. Passport-sized photos – Also check VFS Global’s website for full photo requirements
7. Proof of status in the US – US residence permit or US visa valid for 3 months past trip to Austria
8. Itinerary and flight reservation
9. Proof of accommodation – hotel reservation and/or tour package; invitation letter including the host’s passport, residency permit, and rental agreement or proof of property ownership
10. Proof of Schengen Travel health insurance for the whole duration of your trip – Minimum of €30,000 or $50,000 valid in all Schengen countries
11. Proof of financial means – 3 x bank statements or declaration of host financial responsibility
12. Proof of employment – letter from employer, contract, payslip; proof of business registration; student enrollment letter and/or scholarship details
13. Employment contract and/or work authorization letter
14. Birth certificate and/or parent’s passports

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 4: Submit your application 

On the day of your appointment, you must appear in person to VFS Global in Washington DC to submit your visa application and supporting documents. You should aim to arrive at least 10 minutes before your allocated appointment time.

If you miss your appointment, the system will not let you reschedule or cancel and you must wait for 24 hours before making a new one.

Don’t forget any of your documents as VFS Global will not accept incomplete applications and you’re application cannot be processed unless all the required paperwork is submitted.

It’s also a good idea to dress smartly as this will help to make a good impression when you attend your interview.

When the staff begins to examine your application, they are within their rights to ask you additional questions if they feel this is necessary. The reason they do this is to obtain full information from you in order to make a decision about your application. If this happens, don’t be alarmed, just answer the questions precisely and with confidence. Interview questions that you could expect are:

1. Is this your first time to a Schengen country?
2. What do you know about Austria?
3. Are you meeting anyone there?
4. I don’t think you’ll return home. How will you answer that?
5. What do you do in the US?

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

When you are at VFSs office, you will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay by credit or debit card, money order or cashier’s check payable to VFS Service USA Inc. There is also a service fee payable to VFS Global. These fees won’t be refunded if your visa application is rejected.

Austria Schengen visa fee

If this is your first time applying for a Schengen visa, you will need to have your fingerprints scanned and a photograph taken. However, if you are a frequent visitor to the Schengen zone, this data can be re-used from the Visa Information Service (VIS) for up to 5 years.

Step 5: Receive your visa

After you have submitted your application, you can track the process of it on VFS Global’s website. Click on: “Track your application”:

Scroll down and click on the tracking link:

Enter the reference number, which you can find on your receipt, your last name, and input the Captcha code. Then, you will be able to get an update on your application.

If a decision has been made on your visa application, you can either collect your passport from VFS Global in Washington DC or you can arrange for them to return your passport via UPS courier. If you opt for the mailing service there is an additional charge of $30 per passport.

Hopefully, you’ll find your Austria visa in your passport, but you may not. If this is the case, it will mean that your visa application has been rejected. Typical visa rejection reasons are:

1. You have failed to provide a hotel booking
2. The travel insurance doesn’t cover ALL the Schengen zone
3. Invalid or damaged passport
4. It doesn’t look like you have sufficient funds for your trip
5. There are documents missing
6. You have applied too late

You must make sure you apply well in advance of your trip in order for your application to be processed in time. Your travel insurance must be valid for travel in all of the Schengen countries, even if you are only going to Austria. Your passport cannot be damaged in any way such as missing pages and it must be valid for 3 months past your return date to the US. And, you must provide ALL the required documents, including hotel bookings, as well as proving that you have enough money to support yourself while you are in Austria.

Contact details for the Austrian Embassy in Washington DC

Address: 3524 International Court, NW, Washington, DC 20008

Email: consularsection@austria.org

Tel: 202-895-6700

Fax: 202-895-6750

Hours: Monday to Friday, 10.30 am – 1.00 pm (Except Austrian and US holidays)

Important: General inquiries regarding visa issues will not be answered by phone/fax. You should contact the embassy by e-mail

Contact details of VFS Global in Washington DC

Address: 1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Floor 2, Washington, DC 20005

Tel: +1 202 821 4748 – Monday to Friday, 8.00 am – 6.00 pm

Email: info.austriaus@vfshelpline.com

Hours:

Monday to Friday, 9.00 am – 3.00 pm for application submissions

Monday to Friday, 4.00 pm – 5.00 pm for passport collections

Conclusion

There are just 5 simple steps to follow when you apply for your Austria Schengen visa:

1. Make an appointment
2. Complete your application form
3. Get your paperwork ready
4. Submit your application
5. Receive your visa

With any luck, you’ll have your Austria visa stamped in your passport and you’ll then be able to get ready for your wonderful trip to Austria.

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.

See Also

How To Apply for Austria Schengen Visa at Austrian Consulate in NYC, New York
How To Apply for Austria Schengen Visa at Austrian Consulate in Los Angeles, California

Worldwide Visa Requirements