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Austria

Study Law in Austria 2024

Study in Austria

Earning a Law Degree in Austria

Austrian universities and law schools offer a comprehensive range of Bachelor of Law (LLB) and Masters of Law (LLM) programs that facilitate specializing in a certain area of law. Entrance into an LLM program requires students first obtain an undergraduate degree in law (LLB) and achieve high grades while earning that degree.

All practicing lawyers in Austria must be members of the ABA (Austrian Bar Association), an organization that oversees any disciplinary matters concerning civil or criminal lawyers. Students will need to graduate from a recognized Austrian law school and fulfill an internship or clerkship training program consisting of at least five years of legal work before they can take the bar exam and gain membership to the ABA.

How much does it cost to study law in Austria?

Austria's public universities charge a per-semester tuition fee. The amount of that fee depends on whether the student is Austrian or from another European Union country. For example, EU students are considered exchange students (ordentliche studierendes) who are often exempt from paying semester fees but are required to pay around 20 euros to the university's student union.

Non-EU students are charged more per semester. Additionally, Austria also provides scholarship opportunities for students from less developed countries that include most African countries, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Once again, the fees vary from one university to the other. Read more about Universities in Austria here and contact the law schools directly on Lawstudies.

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Basic monthly living cost

  • Rent in a shared flat

    496
  • Share of utilities

    106
  • Internet subscription

    33
  • Local transportation

    50

Sample lifestyle cost

  • Fast food combo

    9
  • Cinema ticket

    12
  • Pint of local beer

    4

About Austria

Located in Central Europe and bordered by several countries that include Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic and Switzerland, the federal republic of Austria is a parliamentary, semi-presidential representative democracy consisting of nine federal states. Currently one of the richest countries in Europe and the world, Austria has an excellent standard of living rating on the Human Development Index.

The Bundespräsident (Federal President) is the "head of state" and elected according to the results of a popular vote. The Federal Chancellor (chairman of the Federal Government) is appointed by the Bundespräsident and holds power similar to a Vice President.

Austria's Legal System

Private and criminal law are primarily practiced by lawyers employed individually or with a firm in Austria. Private law concerns civil, commercial and employment legal matters and is regulated by the Allgemeine Buergerliche Gesetzbuch, a comprehensive law code that, although decisive, is not always legally binding in certain litigations.

Many of Austria's private law principles come from Roman Law, such as the principle of individual freedom, or Privatautonomie and Konsensprinzip, the principal of consensus. Other facets of Austrian private law include legal capacity, contracts, torts and business partnerships.

Criminal lawyers in Austria must work under certain fundamental principles that guide cases led by state prosecutors and involve juries, judges and magistrates. This includes the "Fair Trial" tenet which promotes the acquittal of anyone accused of a crime if doubts about the accused's guilt exists at the end of a trial.

Findings and verdicts are always proclaimed in the name of the Austrian Republic, with distinctions made between courts of ordinary jurisdictions and courts/tribunals dealing with legal matters concerning public law.

Verfassungsgerichtshof (Austria's Constitutional Court) protects the civil rights of Austrian citizens and guarantees that trials and rulings conform to the guidelines set by the Austrian Constitution. However, the Oberster Gerichtshof (Supreme Court) is the most powerful Austrian court that hears criminal and civil cases which have exhausted all other routes.

Visa Requirements

  1. Travel Visa C (""Schengenvisa""): entitles you to stay in Austria and in all other Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days.
  2. Visa D (Austrian National visa, Aufenthaltsvisum D) - for stays of at least 91 days up to a maximum of 6 months; not necessary if you are a Japanese national.
  3. Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierende (temporary residence permit for students) - for stays longer than 6 months.

What type of Visa do you need?

Visa name

Travel Visa C; Visa D; Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierende

Price and currency

EUR 71

  • For Visa C: 71 EUR
  • For Visa D: 176 EUR
  • For Residence Permit: 141 EUR

The prices can be subject to change.

Who can apply for the visa?

Nationals of EU and EEA member countries, as well as Swiss nationals, do not need visas for Austria. When staying in Austria for longer than 3 months they, however, have to apply for a ""Lichtbildausweis für EWR-Bürger/innen"" which is a confirmation of registration at the immigration office within 3 months of entry to Austria.

Other foreigners have to apply for a residence permit for study purposes (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierende) at the Austrian representative authority before entry to Austria after receipt of the notification of admission.

Where can you make the application?

Austrian representative authority (embassy, consulate-general)

You have to apply for a student visa in person at the Austrian representative authority (embassy, consulate-general) before traveling to Austria.

Website:

How to make the application?

All visa applicants must appear in person at the Austrian embassy/consulate. Documents to be submitted for registration include:

  1. A fully completed and signed application form (available from the representative authority; can also be downloaded from the Internet)
  2. Valid passport (should be valid for the whole duration of your stay in Austria)
  3. Passport-sized colour photograph (between 3.5 x 4.5 cm and 4.0 x 5.0 cm)
  4. Birth certificate
  5. Certificate of good conduct (where available)
  6. Health insurance
  7. Notification of admission of the Austrian educational institution
  8. Proof of sufficient financial means to cover one’s living costs for 12 months in advance (for students up to 24 years of age: 426.57 EUR/month; for students over 24 years of age: 772.40 EUR/month (these amounts include the rent for the accommodation of up to 239.15 EUR in 2009), e.g.: savings bank book/account in Austria / declaration of guarantee of a person living in Austria/Travellers Cheques
  9. Proof of accommodation (rental agreement, accommodation agreement with a student hall of residence).

In Austria, it is compulsory to register with the municipal authorities (Meldeamt: Gemeindeamt, Magistratisches Bezirksamt) within three working days of entering the country.

When should you apply?

For short-term visas (visa D): Allow 15 days for processing. Visa applications should ideally be submitted at least 3-4 weeks prior to departure but no more than 3 months prior to departure.

For long-term visas: Your visa application will be sent to Austria and the decision has to be awaited in one’s home country - therefore the application should be submitted at least 3 months before the intended arrival in Austria. The general processing period for a Residence Permit is three to six months until you will receive a decision from the Austrian authority.

Only residence titles (residence permits (Aufenthaltsbewilligung) and settlement permits (Niederlassungsbewilligung) can be renewed in Austria. You have to apply for a renewal before the expiry of the original permit. Until a decision about the renewal has been taken you may – even after the expiry of your original permit – stay in Austria.

Processing time

3 Months

Work opportunities

Nationals of the EU states, as well as Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland, do not need a work permit for working in Austria. If the work permit is granted these students are not restricted as regards the extent of their work, i.e. their permitted work is not limited to seasonal work or minimum income work (geringfügige Beschäftigung). One of the requirements for the work permit is that the vacancy cannot be filled by unemployed people registered with the employment service.

Students from Non-EU countries and Croatia are subject to the Act Governing the Employment of Foreign Nationals and require an employment permit (Beschäftigungsbewilligung). Students who are nationals of third countries get a work permit for up to 10 hours weekly if they are studying in Bachelor degree programs, students in Master degree programs are allowed to work with work permit up to 20 hours weekly. Full-time employment is possible for the periods during which no lectures take place. The work permit has to be applied for at the employment service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS) by the employer at least 6 weeks before the beginning of the employment and is only valid for a specific job with the specific employer.

Hours per week

10

Why do you need this type of visa?

Your visa application may be rejected if you are not able to show proof of the required funds, or if you provide incorrect or incomplete documents.