German in Austria is taught at university language centres, private schools and university preparation programmes (Vorstudienlehrgang) for admitted applicants. A 12-week semester course at the University of Vienna Language Center, with 15 lessons a week, costs $1,446 (€1,280), and a four-week intensive at the private DeutschAkademie in Vienna costs $473 (€419). Courses of up to 90 days need a Schengen visa if your nationality requires one, and courses of 91 days to six months a national D visa. A language-only course does not qualify for the "Student" residence permit, which is reserved for university study and university preparation programmes.
| At a glance | Rules and prices checked on 2 October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Course up to 90 days | Schengen visa C if required, $102 (€90) |
| Course of 91 days to 6 months | National visa D, $220 (€195) |
| Course over 6 months | Only a Vorstudienlehrgang with a university admission letter leads to a "Student" residence permit; private language courses do not |
| Processing at the embassy in Moscow | Visa C usually within 15 days, up to 45 with extra checks; visa D up to 6 months by law; apply at least 15 days before travel |
| Course prices | University of Vienna: $1,446 (€1,280) for 12 weeks of 15 lessons; DeutschAkademie: $473 (€419) for 4 weeks |
| Exam | ÖSD, the Austrian German language diploma; the University of Vienna Language Center is an ÖSD exam centre |
Where to learn German in Austria
| Option | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| University language centre (example: University of Vienna Sprachenzentrum) | Semester, trimester, February and summer intensives; groups of 10–16; end-of-phase exam, certificate and ECTS | Future students who want a clear level certificate |
| Private language school (example: DeutschAkademie Wien) | Four-week intensives, mornings or evenings, groups of up to 12 | Short stays, working adults, a quick start |
| Vorstudienlehrgang (VWU in Vienna and its equivalents elsewhere) | Preparation for the supplementary German exam set by the university | Applicants with conditional admission to an Austrian university |
| Summer courses | 3–4 weeks between July and September, often with housing | A study holiday; school pupils aged 16 and over |
The key difference is legal. The University of Vienna Language Center states plainly that attending its courses does not give student status, except for its courses for the university preparation programme. If you want to live in Austria for more than six months and learn German before a degree, the route runs through a university admission letter and a preparation programme, not a private school. Our guide to the Vorstudienlehrgang explains how it works.
For Austrian universities in general, see Study in Austria; Vienna's institutions are listed in universities in Vienna.
Austrian German and the ÖSD exam
Austria uses standard German with its own vocabulary and pronunciation: "Jänner" instead of "Januar", "Paradeiser" instead of "Tomate". Textbooks and exams are the same everywhere, but the first weeks on the street can take some adjusting. The Austrian language diploma ÖSD is accepted by universities and authorities, and the University of Vienna Language Center runs ÖSD exams itself. Its course certificates help too: according to the centre, Vienna's universities expect at least A2/2 for an application and C1/2 for full admission. Other German tests used by universities are compared in our guide to German tests for university admission.
How long it takes to reach B2 or C1
The University of Vienna Language Center splits A1 to C2 into phases: A1/1, A1/2, A2/1, A2/2, B1/1, B1/2, B1+, B2/1, B2/2, B2+, C1/1, C1/2, C1+ and C2. A semester course covers three phases, a daytime trimester two and an intensive one. From zero, B2/2 is nine phases, or three consecutive semesters; C1/2, needed for full admission to Vienna's universities, is twelve phases, or four semesters. Summer and February intensives add a phase between semesters and shorten the path.
If your goal is a degree, it is usually more efficient to obtain a university's admission letter with A2 or B1 first and then study German on a Vorstudienlehrgang with a "Student" permit than to spend six months on a visa D at a private school.
What courses cost: official 2026/27 prices
University of Vienna Language Center
Courses are open to everyone aged 16 and over; a lesson lasts 45 minutes and groups have 10–16 participants. The final exam is included, textbooks are not.
| Format | 2026/27 dates | Workload | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semester course, 12 weeks | 07.10.2026–22.01.2027 or 10.03–18.06.2027 | 15 lessons a week, 180 lessons, 3 phases, 12 ECTS | $1,446 (€1,280) |
| Trimester course, 9 weeks | from 13.10.2026, 18.01.2027 or 13.04.2027 | 12 lessons a week, 108 lessons | $994 (€880) |
| Evening trimester course, 9 weeks | same dates | 6 lessons a week, 54 lessons | $571 (€505) |
| February intensive, 3 weeks | 02–19.02.2027 | 20 lessons a week, 56 lessons | $633 (€560) |
Summer intensives run in July, August and September 2027, with prices published in 2027. New participants must take a placement test unless they start from zero or present an ÖSD or Goethe certificate no older than one year with at least 80% in every skill.
DeutschAkademie, Vienna
The four-week intensive runs three hours a day, Monday to Thursday, for 48 hours (64 lessons) in groups of up to 12, and costs $473 (€419). It suits people who already live in Vienna or come for a month: one full level, such as A1, takes four weeks.
A month in Vienna
Schools rarely bundle housing, so you rent separately. As a benchmark, Austria's 2026 rules for the "Student" permit assume rent of up to $437 (€386.43) a month, and real Vienna prices are often higher. OeAD student housing in Vienna is already full for the 2026 winter semester, so start looking 3–4 months ahead for an autumn course.
| Scenario | Course | Housing | Total before flights and insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Vienna February intensive, 3 weeks | $633 (€560) | a room, from $437 (€386) a month | from $1,070 |
| DeutschAkademie four-week intensive | $473 (€419) | one month of rent, $437 (€386) or more | from $910 |
Visa rules for German courses
Up to 90 days: Schengen visa C
Nationals who need a visa take a Schengen visa for a short course; the fee is $102 (€90). The embassy lists exemptions, including pupils and students travelling for study, and decides whether your course qualifies. You need the school's letter, proof of payment, housing, funds, travel health insurance of at least $33,894 (€30,000) including repatriation, and evidence of ties to your home country.
91 days to 6 months: visa D
A national visa D is issued for 91 days to six months and allows travel in other Schengen countries for up to 90 days in any 180. You apply in person no earlier than six months before travel; OeAD recommends applying at least four weeks ahead. The fee is $220 (€195). The file mirrors the visa C file, plus confirmation of the course for the whole stay and funds for the entire period. You may not work on this visa.
Over six months: only through a university
Austrian law grants the "Student" residence permit for degree study at a university, university of applied sciences, accredited private university or university college of teacher education; for certificate programmes of at least 40 ECTS that do not serve exclusively for language learning; and for university preparation programmes leading to supplementary exams. You need a letter of admission (Zulassungsbescheid), and for 2026 funds of $816 (€722.58) a month under age 24 or $1,478 (€1,308.39) from 24, for 12 months in advance. The application fee at the embassy is $246 (€218). The full procedure is in our guide to the Austrian student visa and residence permit.
Applying from Russia or Kazakhstan
Applications from Russian citizens are handled by the Austrian embassy in Moscow, whose website explains where to lodge documents from your city. According to the embassy, Schengen visas are usually decided within 15 calendar days, or up to 45 when further checks are needed, while the law allows up to six months for a visa D. Applications lodged less than 15 days before travel are not accepted. Kazakh citizens apply to the Austrian embassy in Astana. Russia-specific points are in studying in Austria for Russian citizens.
Paying the school
Austrian schools and university centres invoice in euros. Keep the invoice, payment and bank statements consistent for the visa file. If you pay from Russia, use only legal routes, as described in how to pay for studies abroad from Russia.
Timeline
- 6 months before. Decide whether you need only German (up to six months on a visa C or D) or German before a degree (admission, Vorstudienlehrgang, residence permit).
- 4–5 months before. Choose a course; registration for the University of Vienna's autumn 2026 semester opened on 15 September.
- 3 months before. Pay for the course, find housing, buy insurance and gather bank statements.
- At least 6–8 weeks before. Lodge the visa application: a Schengen visa can take up to 45 days and a visa D longer, so allow more time for it.
- On arrival. Unless you stay in a hotel or other tourist accommodation, register your address within three working days.
Common mistakes
- Planning a year at a private language school. Language-only courses do not lead to a residence permit; the maximum is six months on a visa D.
- Applying two weeks before travel. Even a Schengen visa can take up to 45 days when further checks are needed.
- Arriving in autumn without housing. Student rooms in Vienna are taken by September, so search early.
- Forgetting the placement test. New University of Vienna participants with some German must test before they can enrol.
- Skipping address registration. It is compulsory within three working days unless you stay in tourist accommodation.
FAQ
At the University of Vienna Language Center prices range from $633 (€560) for a three-week February intensive to $1,446 (€1,280) for a full semester course. DeutschAkademie charges $473 (€419) for a four-week intensive. Housing is paid separately.
Up to 90 days, a Schengen visa C if your nationality requires one; from 91 days to six months, a national visa D. The Austrian embassy decides on the visa, and the school only confirms enrolment and payment.
Not for an ordinary language course, because the law excludes programmes that serve only language learning. A "Student" permit is possible once a university has admitted you on condition of a supplementary German exam and you attend a Vorstudienlehrgang. Austria's immigration authorities decide on the permit.
ÖSD is the Austrian German language diploma, accepted by universities and authorities. You can take it, for example, at the University of Vienna Language Center, an accredited ÖSD exam centre; the exam centre issues the result under ÖSD rules.
The University of Vienna Language Center accepts participants from 16 with no formal education requirements. A minor applying for a visa needs parental consent and details of the responsible adult in Austria, and the embassy decides on the visa.
No. Neither visa C nor visa D allows employment. Part-time work is open only to university students holding a "Student" residence permit, under their own rules.
Course prices are similar, while Germany offers more schools and cities. Austria fits better if you plan to enter an Austrian university through a Vorstudienlehrgang. Compare prices and visas in our guide to German courses in Germany.
Sources
- OeAD: visa C or D for study stays up to 6 months and "Student" residence permit: eligible programmes and 2026 amounts — checked 02.10.2026
- Austrian embassy in Moscow: visas, €90 and €195 fees, processing times and residence permits, €218 fee — checked 02.10.2026
- University of Vienna Language Center: German courses, participation rules, ÖSD and 2026/27 programme and fees (PDF) — checked 02.10.2026
- DeutschAkademie Vienna: four-week intensive course — checked 02.10.2026
- OeAD Housing: Vienna occupancy for the 2026 winter semester — checked 02.10.2026
US dollar amounts use the ECB reference rate of 01.10.2026: €1 = $1.1298.
If you want to work through your route, send a request: document preparation and submission are provided under an agreement with StudyU, the school makes the enrolment decision and the Austrian embassy decides on the visa.
During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.
Next steps
- Modul University Vienna: Admission, Fees and the Foundation Semester for International Students
- Webster Vienna Private University: Two Degrees, 2026/27 Fees and Admission
- Vorstudienlehrgang (VWU): Austria's University Preparation Programme — Who Needs It, How to Enrol, What It Costs
- Studying in Austria for international applicants
- Universities in Vienna for International Students: Public Universities, Universities of Applied Sciences and Private Options
- German Language Tests for German Universities: TestDaF, DSH, Goethe and telc Compared (2026–2027)
