Medical University of Vienna (MedUni Wien)

The Medical University of Vienna is a public university that grew out of the University of Vienna's medical faculty, founded in 1365, and has been independent since 2004. About 9,000 people study there, and its teaching hospital, the Vienna General Hospital (AKH), treated more than 64,000 inpatients in 2024. For a student from outside the EU there are three ways in: medicine or dentistry through the MedAT admission test with C1 German, an English-taught master's in medical informatics or molecular precision medicine, or a PhD tied to a specific research position. Fees in 2026/27 are $850 (€752.92) per semester including the student union fee, but non-EU applicants compete for no more than 5% of the 704 places in medicine.

Programmes and who they suit

MedUni Wien also runs 18 fee-paying postgraduate university courses for working professionals. It has no bachelor's degrees: for first-cycle biology or biomedical studies, look at the University of Vienna.

The difference between medicine and dentistry matters. Dentistry graduates obtain their licence to practise with the degree. Medicine graduates still need postgraduate hospital training, first a basic stage and then training as a general practitioner or specialist.

Medicine and dentistry for non-EU applicants

Selection is shared by all Austrian public medical universities. The MedAT is held once a year, on one day, in German only. In 2026, registration ran from 2 to 31 March, the test took place on 3 July, and results came out in calendar week 32. You choose Vienna as your study location when you register, and a result is valid only for the following academic year. The test sections and preparation are covered in our guide to studying medicine in Austria and the MedAT; this page focuses on Vienna.

Quota. At least 95% of medicine places go to EU citizens and those with equal status, and at least 75% to holders of an Austrian or equivalent school certificate. Applicants in the non-EU quota receive at most 5% of places, which in Vienna means roughly 35 of 704. Dentistry has no quota: its 80 places follow the overall test ranking.

C1 German. You need it at enrolment, not at the test. You may sit the MedAT with a lower level, but without a C1 certificate at enrolment the place is lost.

Latin. A supplementary Latin examination, covering about 80 medical terms, their grammar and translation, is required unless you completed 10 weekly hours of Latin at school. The law sets the deadline at the end of the first study phase; the university has extended it by decree to the end of the third semester, and a medical terminology seminar starting every winter semester prepares for it. No supplementary biology exam is needed for medicine or dentistry in Vienna, because the university treats the MedAT as covering that knowledge.

Enrolment. Medicine and dentistry start only in the winter semester, and enrolment is in person at the Department for Student Affairs. In 2026 these programmes had a separate admission period from 3 August to 5 September; the university asks students to enrol by 5 September to get places in first-semester small-group teaching.

Typical starting points

The preparatory programme

If your German is below C1, the university does not simply reject you: it sets a supplementary German exam, which can only be taken within a dedicated university course, in Vienna the VWU. To apply you need an A2 certificate (ÖSD, Goethe, telc, ÖIF or DSD I) no more than two years old. Applications go through MedCampus under "Vorstudienlehrgang": 1 April to 5 September for the winter semester and 1 November to 5 February for the summer semester.

The acceptance letter can be used to apply for a residence permit. One restriction matters: once admitted to the VWU, only its own German exam counts, so you cannot switch to an outside language school. The price depends on where you are placed. In winter semester 2026/27, a Russian or Kazakh citizen who only has to pass the German exam studies with a VWU partner school for $2,100 (€1,850) plus $45 (€40) for materials. If other subjects are required as well, the best performers in the placement test get a place directly at the VWU for $690 (€612) and the rest go to partner schools at their price. The VWU also charges $690 (€612) to specific groups, for example students who need no German exam but only other subjects. Any university fee for the preparatory semesters follows each university's own rules: MedUni Wien sets its terms for course participants on its tuition-fees page, whereas the University of Vienna bills its non-degree students $440 (€389.56) per semester, so confirm with MedUni's admissions office what you will pay. Besides German, the VWU prepares for biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics exams if the university sets them. More in our guide to the Vorstudienlehrgang preparatory programme.

English-taught master's programmes

Medical Informatics

Since 2026 this has been a joint English-taught programme of TU Wien and MedUni Wien. Specialisations include bioinformatics, neuroinformatics, public health informatics, mobile health and wearable technologies, and AI and analytics in clinical decision-making. Entry requirements are specific: at least 120 ECTS in a technical field, including at least 15 ECTS in mathematics and statistics, 25 ECTS in algorithms, data structures and programming, and 15 ECTS in computer science foundations. Significant gaps can be compensated by up to 30 ECTS of supplementary exams, completed by the end of the second semester.

English is proven by a certificate no older than two years, such as TOEFL iBT 87, IELTS Academic 6.5, or Cambridge First or Advanced with at least 160 points, or by a degree of at least three years taught in English in the EU/EEA, Switzerland, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. Some electives are taught in German, for which B1 is recommended. Applications follow the university's general admission periods.

Molecular Precision Medicine

Run jointly with the University of Vienna, this programme covers the molecular basis of disease and the path from targets to drug development and clinical testing. You need a bachelor's in biological sciences or medicine and B2 English. Selection has two stages: a written application in English, then a 30-minute online interview for shortlisted candidates. The university forbids the use of AI tools to write application content, and suspected use leads to disqualification. In 2026 the application window was 1 to 31 March; expect the next one in spring 2027.

PhD: you apply for a position

At MedUni Wien you apply for a specific research position rather than to a PhD in general. You need degrees totalling at least 240 ECTS (for example, a bachelor's plus a master's), English at B2 or above, and a confirmation of supervision from an accredited supervisor. There are two routes:

• PhD Call: a central competition in which you can apply for up to three advertised positions at once; shortlisted candidates are invited to Vienna at the university's expense, meet research groups, and are selected jointly by the supervisor and a selection board;
• direct application: if no advertised position fits, you contact an accredited supervisor yourself, who sets the selection steps.

Costs

Fees must be paid in full within the admission period; unpaid students are not admitted or are deregistered. Payment details appear in your MedCampus account. See our guides to the cost of studying in Austria and paying for studies abroad from Russia.

Residence permit timing for medicine

MedUni Wien is not responsible for visas; Vienna's immigration office (MA 35) decides, and Russian citizens file the first application in person at the Austrian Embassy in Moscow. The timing problem is obvious: MedAT results come out in August, teaching starts in October, and the authority has up to 90 days from a complete application to decide on the residence permit. One workable route is therefore to enter on a permit based on the preparatory programme and take the MedAT from inside Austria. Details are in our guide to student visas and residence in Austria.

Common mistakes

• Relying on outdated descriptions of an "EMS test"; Austria uses the MedAT.
• Assuming the MedAT is pointless without C1: you can take it earlier, but C1 is required at enrolment.
• Judging your chances by the total number of places, when non-EU applicants are capped at 5% in medicine.
• Looking for a human biology bachelor's at MedUni Wien, which does not offer one.
• Enrolling in the VWU and planning to take the German exam elsewhere: only the VWU exam counts afterwards.
• Using AI to draft a Molecular Precision Medicine application, which is grounds for disqualification.

FAQ

Can international students study medicine at MedUni Wien?

Yes. Non-EU applicants enter medicine and dentistry through the MedAT. In medicine they compete within a quota of at most 5% of places (roughly 35 of 704 in Vienna); dentistry has no quota. C1 German is required at enrolment.

Does the Medical University of Vienna teach in English?

Medicine and dentistry are taught only in German. English-taught options are the Medical Informatics master's with TU Wien, the Molecular Precision Medicine master's with the University of Vienna, and the PhD programmes.

How much does it cost to study at MedUni Wien?

In 2026/27, non-EU students pay $850 (€752.92) per semester: $830 (€726.72) in tuition and $30 (€26.20) for the ÖH student union. That is $1,710 (€1,505.84) per year, with living costs on top.

When do I take the MedAT for Vienna?

Once a year, usually in early July, with registration and payment in March. In 2026, registration ran from 2 to 31 March and the test was held on 3 July. The 2027 dates are published on the official MedAT website.

Do I need Latin to study medicine in Vienna?

Only if you did not take 10 weekly hours of Latin at school, and you can complete it during your studies: the deadline has been extended to the end of the third semester. The exam covers about 80 medical terms, and a preparatory seminar is offered.

Can a foreign medical degree be recognised at MedUni Wien?

Yes. The university runs nostrification procedures for medicine and dentistry degrees. After a successful procedure you may use the Austrian degree Dr. med. univ. or Dr. med. dent.; permission to practise is then governed by Austria's professional rules.

Can StudyU help with MedUni Wien?

A one- to two-year plan combining the preparatory programme and the MedAT, backup programme selection, documents for the university and the residence permit, and master's or PhD applications are provided under an agreement with StudyU. Places are allocated by MedAT results and university decisions, and residence permits are issued by Vienna's immigration office.

Sources

• MedUni Vienna: facts and figures and study programmes
• Medicine and dentistry
• Admission requirements for medicine and dentistry, supplementary examinations, Latin exam, preparation programme, admission process
• Admission periods 2026/27 and tuition fees
• Medical Informatics admission, Molecular Precision Medicine, PhD admission
• Nostrification
• MedAT: 2026 dates and places and quotas
• MedUni Vienna in the THE World University Rankings 2027
• VWU fees for winter semester 2026/27
• Study in Austria: living costs
• University of Vienna: tuition fee for non-degree students — checked 30 September 2026

We converted euros at the ECB rate for 29 September 2026, €1 = $1.1355; sources were checked on 30 September 2026, when no newer rate was available. Residence permit amounts are the 2026 figures published by Vienna's universities. For other Vienna universities see universities in Vienna; for general rules see studying in Austria.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.