A Vorstudienlehrgang is a university preparation programme in which international applicants prepare for the supplementary examinations (Ergänzungsprüfungen) that an Austrian university prescribes in their admission decision. The best known is the VWU, shared by six universities in Vienna; Graz has an equivalent, the VGUH. You can only join with a university admission decision and at least A2 German. In 2026/27 a semester at the VWU itself costs $696 (€612) and at its partner providers $2,103 (€1,850) plus $45 (€40) for materials; each exam costs $75 (€66) or $52 (€46). You may attend for at most four semesters, and you hold a student residence permit throughout.
What it is
It is not a separate admission route. You apply to a university; if the admission decision (Zulassungsbescheid) lists supplementary exams, the university enrols you as a non-degree student (außerordentlicher Studierender) to prepare for them. The VWU serves the University of Vienna, TU Wien, WU, the Medical University of Vienna, BOKU and the University of Veterinary Medicine. OeAD runs the Vienna and Graz programmes and notes that other institutions also offer preparation programmes. Courses cover German as a foreign language and school subjects taught in German: mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history and geography; the English exam is also taken there.
Who needs it
| Situation | Preparation programme? |
|---|---|
| German-taught programme, German below C1 | Yes — the German exam will be prescribed |
| 11-year school certificate, maths/physics/chemistry prescribed | Yes, to prepare (exams can also be taken without a course) |
| German C1 proven, no subjects prescribed | No — direct enrolment |
| English-taught programme with no German requirement | No, and you cannot join the German course |
| German below A2 | Not yet — reach A2 first; beginner courses are no longer offered |
Why 11-year certificates often trigger subject exams is explained in applying to universities in Austria. For the German counterpart see Studienkolleg in Germany.
Enrolment steps and dates for winter 2026/27
| Step | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| University application with A2 | Institution's non-EU window | No admission decision, no VWU place |
| Admission decision prescribing exams | After document review | Use it for the residence permit |
| Residence permit and visa D | Up to 90 days | Arrive in time for the German placement test |
| Online pre-registration | 31 Jul – 13 Aug 2026 | Do it once in Austria or the day before arrival |
| German placement test (OnSET, 40 min) | 6–17 Aug 2026, in person in Vienna | Date assigned by the VWU; missing it means losing your reserved place |
| Course allocation | 21 Aug 2026 | VWU or a partner |
| Complete university enrolment, pay ÖH fee | By 5 Sep | Otherwise the course registration cannot be completed |
| VWU courses start | 25 Sep 2026 | First day online |
The summer semester follows the same pattern with a 5 February enrolment limit. As of 24 September 2026 the VWU had not yet published pre-registration and placement-test dates for summer 2027; TU Wien warns that course registration must be completed by 19 January, or you cannot attend that semester. Late pre-registration remains possible, but without a reserved place. Special rules apply if your visa D expires before 26 August (early registration) or if your visa or admission decision arrives after 30 August (late registration, university enrolment by 30 October 2026).
Groups and fees
| VWU group | Who | Where | Fee per semester 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | No German exam; subjects only | VWU | $696 (€612) |
| e | German plus one or more subjects | VWU if placement score is high enough; otherwise partners | $696 (€612) or $2,103 (€1,850) + $45 (€40) |
| f | German only | Partner providers | $2,103 (€1,850) + $45 (€40) |
Group d (including Armenia, Georgia and Moldova) pays $696 (€612) at the VWU, with possible compensation grants if placed with a partner. Partner providers — die Berater, the University of Vienna Language Centre and ZIB Training — teach the same 320-hour curriculum. Exams cost $75 (€66) for German, English and maths and $52 (€46) for other subjects. While at the VWU, the University of Vienna charges only the ÖH fee of $30 (€26.20); full tuition of $826 (€726.72) starts with the degree programme. See cost of studying in Austria.
How study works
- 24 hours a week for German-only students; 10 hours of German plus at least 5 hours per subject for combined courses.
- Winter semester late September to late January; summer late February to late June.
- About 20 students per class; five German levels set by the placement test.
- Maximum four semesters; a fifth only on justified application.
- Once all prescribed exams are passed, course attendance ends.
The VWU does not label courses by CEFR level; its German exam tests study skills, and universities accept it as proof of C1.
Exams
Exams are held before a three-member panel. German, English and maths have written and oral parts; the oral requires a pass in the written. Other subjects are oral only.
| Session | Semester | Registration 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|
| September | Winter | 14–28 Aug 2026 |
| November | Winter | 16–29 Oct 2026 |
| January | Winter | 4–17 Dec 2026 |
| March | Summer | 5–18 Feb 2027 |
| April–May | Summer | 26 Mar – 8 Apr 2027 |
| June | Summer | 12–25 May 2027 |
Grades run from 1 to 5; each part may be retaken four times. Withdrawal is free up to one week before. You can sit exams without attending a course. The VWU advises course participants not to finish in the November or April sessions: non-degree status ends on the day of the last exam, and degree admission for that semester is already closed, leaving you without enrolment confirmations for that semester. If you pass everything by 31 October or 31 March and switch to the degree, the VWU (not its partners) refunds part of the course fee.
Residence permit, insurance and renewal
Preparing for prescribed supplementary exams is a listed basis for the "Residence Permit – Student". Participants can take out ÖGK student insurance at $90 (€78.84) per month; the course provider issues the confirmation. For renewal you need academic progress; the University of Vienna notes that Vienna's residence authority (MA 35) recognises VWU exams. See student visa and residence permit in Austria.
A constraint for medicine
The Medical University of Vienna states that once you are admitted to the preparation programme, only the VWU German exam is accepted as proof of German; you cannot leave and submit an external C1 certificate. See studying medicine in Austria.
VWU versus the German Studienkolleg
| VWU (Vienna) | Studienkolleg (Germany) | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Austrian university admission prescribing exams, German A2 | Entrance test, usually B1–B2 |
| What you sit | Separate exams in the prescribed subjects | One assessment exam (Feststellungsprüfung) for the course track |
| Status | Non-degree university student | Preparatory college student |
| Length | Up to 4 semesters | Usually 2 semesters |
Common mistakes
- Arriving without A2.
- Pre-registering from home and missing the assigned test date.
- Not completing university enrolment by 5 September.
- Finishing in November or April and losing status for the semester.
- Treating the course as open-ended.
- Waiting for the course to "deliver" C1 instead of registering for the exam on time.
FAQ
No. You need a valid admission decision from one of the six Vienna universities that prescribes supplementary exams.
One to four semesters, depending on your German level and the number of subjects; plan three to four from A2 with several subjects.
Yes, with an admission decision that prescribes them. Sample German and English exams are available from the VWU.
Yes. Preparing for the supplementary exams prescribed in your admission decision is a listed basis for the "Residence Permit – Student", so you apply with that decision and hold the permit for the whole programme, which lasts at most four semesters. To renew the permit you must show academic progress, and the University of Vienna notes that Vienna's residence authority (MA 35) recognises passed VWU exams. Register for exams on time rather than relying on course attendance alone.
Up to 20 hours a week once the employer has an AMS permit, though the course load is full-time. See working while studying in Austria.
OeAD runs two: the VWU in Vienna and the VGUH in Graz (for the University of Graz, TU Graz, the Medical University of Graz and the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz). According to OeAD's list, Montanuniversität Leoben, the universities of Innsbruck, Salzburg, Linz and Klagenfurt, FH Oberösterreich, FH Burgenland and FH Technikum Wien Academy run their own programmes with their own fees and dates. For Graz, see the University of Graz and TU Graz profiles.
Under a service agreement we choose programmes with the likely prescribed exams in mind, prepare documents and manage residence-permit and VWU timelines. The university decides on admission and the VWU allocates course places.
Sources
- VWU: overview and 2026/27 dates, first registration and groups, exams, courses, FAQ; VGUH Graz — checked 24 Sep 2026
- Study in Austria: preparation programmes — checked 24 Sep 2026
- University of Vienna: German proficiency, fees — checked 24 Sep 2026
- Medical University of Vienna: preparation programme; TU Wien: supplementary exams — checked 24 Sep 2026
- OeAD: Residence Permit – Student — checked 24 Sep 2026
- Conversion: ECB rate of 24 Sep 2026, €1 = $1.1367
Next steps
- Studying Medicine in Austria as an International Student: MedAT, the 5% Quota, German C1 and the Preparation Year
- Applying to Universities in Austria: Deadlines, Documents, Supplementary Exams and the Residence Permit
- Working While Studying in Austria: the 20-Hour Rule, the AMS Permit and What Needs No Permit
- Cost of Studying in Austria in 2026/27: Tuition, the Preparation Year and Living Costs
- Studienkolleg in Germany: Who Needs It, How to Get In and What the FSP Exam Gives You
- Austrian Student Visa and Residence Permit: Where to Apply, Proof of Funds, Timing and Renewal
