The University of Vienna (Universität Wien) was founded in 1365, which makes it the oldest university in the German-speaking world, and with around 85,000 students it’s also Austria’s largest. In the QS World University Rankings 2027, published in June 2026, it was 140th in the world, up from 152nd the year before, and the highest-ranked university in Austria. It’s known for the humanities, social sciences, law, psychology, the natural sciences and mathematics.
The University of Vienna teaches mainly in German, but it offers a number of master’s programmes taught entirely in English. Here are 10 things you can do to give yourself the best chance, based on the University of Vienna’s own guidance and official Austrian information.
1. Choose your programme, and check its language
Almost all of the University of Vienna’s bachelor’s programmes are taught in German. The exceptions are Mathematical Foundations of Data Science, which is taught in English, and International Legal Studies, which is bilingual and still needs German. Its English-taught master’s programmes include fields such as economics, banking and finance, business analytics, astronomy, and cognition, behaviour and neurobiology. For each master’s, the university’s Master Access Guide (MAG) tells you which bachelor’s degrees are accepted, whether there are extra admission requirements, what language skills you need and which documents to upload. University of Vienna: Master Access Guide.
2. Plan your German for a German-taught programme
For German-taught bachelor’s and master’s programmes, you need German at level A2 when you apply and level C1 by the time you’re admitted. Accepted proofs include the ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, telc and TestDaF certificates. If you don’t yet have C1, your admission letter will require a supplementary German exam, which you can prepare for in the University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU). Once you’re in the VWU, only its own German exam counts, and dropping out can affect your residence permit. University of Vienna: German language proficiency.
3. Apply within the non-EU application period
Non-EU/EEA citizens have an earlier application period than EU students. For the winter semester 2026-27 it ran from 22 June to 3 August 2026, compared with 5 September for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, and for the summer semester 2027 non-EU applicants can apply from 16 November 2026 to 7 January 2027. Expect similar dates for winter 2027-28, and check the deadlines page when you apply. After you’ve applied, you complete your admission during the admission period, which runs to 31 October for the winter semester. University of Vienna: deadlines.
4. Register early for entrance exams and selection procedures
Some programmes, including psychology and several other popular bachelor’s programmes, have an entrance exam or aptitude test, and some master’s programmes have a selection procedure. These have a single, earlier application period each year, regardless of your citizenship: for 2026-27 it was 2 March to 4 May 2026 for bachelor’s programmes and 2 March to 7 April 2026 for master’s programmes with a selection procedure. Some programmes also require you to complete an Online Self-Assessment (OSA) first and enter its code in your application.
5. Prepare your documents for u:space
You apply online in the u:space portal by uploading your passport and your documents. For a bachelor’s, that means your secondary school leaving certificate with its translation and legalisation, any national university entrance exam results, your list of subjects and proof of German. If your certificate is from outside the EU/EEA and is significantly different from the Austrian one, you may have to pass supplementary exams in subjects such as maths, English or history and geography before you start. For a master’s, you upload your degree certificate and transcripts, translated into German or English and legalised if your country requires it.
6. Do the competence check if you studied in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan
If you completed your previous education in Bangladesh, India or Pakistan, you must take a competence check at VFS Education Services before you apply to the University of Vienna, and for German-taught programmes you also take the onSET online German placement test there. Both are in person at VFS centres, and they don’t replace the university’s own review of your documents or any entrance exam. The university also sets minimum grades for some countries’ qualifications, such as a CGPA of at least 3.75 out of 4 for bachelor’s degrees from Bangladesh, so check the country-specific requirements before you book. University of Vienna: country-specific requirements.
7. Prove your English
English-taught programmes ask you to prove your English, usually with IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or a Cambridge English qualification, although some applicants who studied in English may be exempt. Book your test early so your results are ready when you apply. Practise with our free IELTS and TOEFL practice tests. At the University of Vienna, most English-taught master’s programmes need English at level B2, for example TOEFL iBT 94 or IELTS Academic 6.5, with test results no more than three years old. A few programmes, such as Anglophone Literatures and Cultures and English Language and Linguistics, ask for C1.
8. Understand the fees and look for funding
At Austria’s public universities, students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland pay a tuition fee of €726.72 a semester, plus the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) fee, which is €26.20 a semester in 2026-27, so about €1,506 a year. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens pay only the ÖH fee for the standard length of their programme plus two extra semesters. Citizens of the least developed countries on the official list, such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Ethiopia, pay only the ÖH fee, and non-EU students with some other Austrian residence permits, such as permanent residence, are treated like EU students. Holders of a student residence permit don’t qualify for this. To look for scholarships, search the OeAD’s scholarship database, grants.at, and check what your own government and organisations in your home country offer. University of Vienna: tuition fee.
9. Apply for your residence permit early
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens don’t need a visa or residence permit to study in Austria, but they must register their address after they arrive. If you’re from outside the EU/EEA and will stay for more than six months, you need a “Residence Permit – Student” (Aufenthaltsbewilligung – Student). In most cases you apply for it in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate in your country once the University of Vienna has sent your letter of admission. For 2026 you must show €722.58 a month if you’re under 24, or €1,308.39 a month if you’re 24 or older, for twelve months in advance, plus extra if your rent is more than €386.43 a month. You’ll also need proof of accommodation, health insurance and a police clearance certificate, and the application fee is €218. The authorities have 90 days to decide, so Austria’s agency for education and internationalisation (OeAD) advises applying at least three months before you travel, and six months ahead if you can. Once your permit is approved, you get a D visa to enter Austria and collect it. It’s issued for 12 months, and to renew it you must show academic progress of at least 16 ECTS credits a year. OeAD: Residence Permit – Student.
10. Plan for work during and after your studies
With a student residence permit you can work up to 20 hours a week, but your employer must first get a work permit for you from the Public Employment Service (AMS), which is granted without a labour market test. Many part-time jobs need German, so don’t count on them to pay all your costs. After you graduate, you can extend your stay by twelve months to look for a job or set up a business, as long as you apply before your student residence permit expires, and if you find a job that matches your qualifications you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card. The University of Vienna’s career services can help you find internships and jobs. EU Immigration Portal: studying in Austria.
Applying for a PhD at the University of Vienna?
Doctoral and PhD study at the University of Vienna is organised by the Center for Doctoral Studies and the doctoral schools. You’ll usually need a supervisor who agrees to support your project, and many doctoral researchers in Austria are paid through advertised “prae doc” university positions or research projects. See our 50 sample SOPs and free GRE practice tests.
Be ambitious, but apply to a balanced list
Apply to more than one university to give yourself options. Read our guides to TU Wien, Central European University, the University of Innsbruck and TU Graz. Our guide to studying in Austria explains how the Austrian system works, and our free study abroad assessment can help you build a shortlist.
Information was taken from the University of Vienna’s official admissions, language and fee pages, the OeAD, the EU Immigration Portal and the QS World University Rankings 2027, and checked in October 2026. Admissions rules, deadlines, fees and immigration rules can change, so always confirm the details on the University of Vienna’s admissions website before you apply. StudyAbroadMarket is not affiliated with the University of Vienna.