Information for Students and Researchers from Ukraine

This document provides a detailed overview of the Austrian education system in Ukrainian. 

This folder includes an overview of the Austrian higher education landscape, information on study programmes and scholarships in Ukrainian.

Watch the Webinar on "Studying and Researching in Austria" in Ukrainian for further information. 

On our websitestudyinaustria.at you will find information on the higher education system, information on higher education institutions and admission. 

Please note that the main language of instruction at Austrian higher education institutions is German. However, several study programmes are also offered in English.  If your selected study programme is mainly held in German, you have to prove sufficient knowledge of German in order to be admitted to the study programme. At www.studienwahl.at/en you can inform yourself about more than 2000 degree programmes at more than 70 higher education institutions. You can also search for English taught programmes.

First of all you should seek out and choose the degree programme options you might be interested in, either by visiting the database www.studienwahl.at/en or by checking out the individual institutions' websites. Detailed information on the programmes and their entry requirements is available on the institutions' own websites - the links in the database will direct you to the correct pages. If you have found a suitable study programme, please contact the institution of your choice for further details, e.g. deadlines, admission procedure, etc.  On our website you can find general information about the admission process at Austrian institutions of higher education.

These 4 public universities offer the study programme “Human Medicine” in Austria:

Medical University of Vienna

Medical University of Innsbruck

Medical University of Graz

Medical Faculty of Johannes Kepler University Linz

As part of the admission process, it is obligatory to take the admission test MedAT. The MedAT takes place once a year, usually at the beginning of July. It is the same exam for all universities, on the same day.

Please note that the test (instructions and questions) is solely available in German! Therefore, very good German skills are needed.

Follow this link to find out more about studying medicine at a public university and the MedAT admission test. According to our knowledge, there are no institutions in Austria which offer “Human Medicine” entirely in English.

Information on living costs (accommodation, food, studies and personal requirements) can be found here.

For general information on admission to Austrian higher education institutions please visit studyinaustria.at/en/study/admission.

Once you have decided which study programmes interest you you should check how and when to submit your application to those programmes. In general, students in a bachelor or diploma programme have to register by September 5th (for the winter semester) or February 5th (for the summer semester). The registration period starts on April 15th, please note that different deadlines apply for specific study programmes.

Detailed information can be found on the website www.studienbeginn.at (only in German!) or on the website of the higher education institution of your choice. Please bear in mind that some study programmes (e.g. medicine, etc.) have special entrance exams. It is very important that you inform yourself as early as possible about the admission requirements!

Students with Ukrainian citizenship are to have their tuition fees since the summer semester 2022. Accordingly, the Tuition fees decree (StuBeiV) is amended for the summer semester 2024. Ukrainian citizenship have to be proved by means of a certificate of citizenship of that country or a passport. See the Tuition fees decree and the decree of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) (amendment to the tuition fees decree, issued on 10 March 2022).

Please note that this information is currently only available in German and Ukrainian versions.

Erste Anlaufstelle für Unterkünfte für ukrainische Vertriebene in Österreich ist die Bundesagentur für Betreuung und Unterstützungsleistungen (BBU). Sie hat unter der Telefonnummer +43 1 2676 870 9460 eine eigene Hotline sowie einen eigenen Infopoint auf Englisch, Ukrainisch und Russisch auf ihrer Webseite eingerichtet.

Dort finden sich auch die Adressen und Kontaktdaten zu den Ankunftszentren in den einzelnen Bundesländern, die dann zu anderen, längerfristigen Unterkünften weitervermitteln.

Die BBU bzw. die jeweiligen Erstaufnahmestellen in den Bundesländern informieren auch darüber, wo und in welchem Umfang Unterkünfte von Privatpersonen und Institutionen zur Verfügung stehen, die diese Vertriebenen aus der Ukraine anbieten. Dazu zählen unter anderem auch Studierendenheime, von denen einige Heimplätze auch speziell für ukrainische Studierende zur Verfügung stellen.

Wenden Sie sich als betroffene/r ukrainische/r Studierende/r die bzw. der Unterstützung bei der Unterbringung benötigt, an die BBU oder an die jeweilige Koordinationsstelle jenes Bundeslandes, in dem Sie sich aufhalten. Das gilt auch, falls Sie selbst Unterbringungsmöglichkeiten für ukrainische Studierende, Forschende und ihre Angehörigen anbieten möchten.

Darüber hinaus kann auch die Österreichische Hochschüler/innenschaft (ÖH) Auskunft über Unterbringungsmöglichkeiten geben.

OeAD student housing hat im Zeitraum März bis Juni 2022 35-40 Plätze für geflüchtete Personen bereitgestellt (in Graz, Leoben, Wien und anderen Universitätsstädten). Bei allen Fragen steht Ihnen Anja Lörincz unter housing@oead.at zur Verfügung.

Quelle: BMBWF (Wichtige Fragen und Antworten für Studierende und Forschende)

The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) provides free German courses with a state-recognised certificate for Ukrainian displaced persons all over Austria at levels A1 - C1. You can book an appointment for German course counselling at the integration centres in all provincial capitals via the (mobile) service points and the ÖIF hotline (+43 1 715 10 51-120). You need to bring your residence card, your registration form, and a social security confirmation with you to the appointment. Important information: The German courses are for people who will receive a blue residence card for displaced persons. More information: https://www.integrationsfonds.at/ukraine

How can I get a free German Course? (in Ukrainian)

The University Preparation Programmes in Graz and Vienna prepare international students who have been admitted studying at an Austrian university for supplementary examinations.

International applicants for a place at university can attend intensive courses in

• German as a foreign language
• English, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography

Attention: You can only enrol in a University Preparation Programme German course if you have already been admitted by an Austrian university. If your selected study programme is mainly held in German, it is necessary to prove a German level of at least A2 (according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, CEFR) in order to be admitted to a University Preparation Programme German course. Meaning, you initially need a language certificate of at least A2 before you can apply for admission at the university of your choice (only if your study programme is mainly held in German).

The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) provides free German courses with a state-recognised certificate for Ukrainian displaced persons all over Austria at levels A1 - C1. Language courses that are completed as part of a preparatory programme are not offered free of charge. Cost for these preparatory programmes may vary. Please contact the preparatory programmes for further information.

Please also note that the tuition waiver for ukrainian students does not cover the costs associated with a preparatory course. 

Source: BMBWF (Wichtige Fragen und Antworten für Studierende und Forschende)

Without an ID card for displaced persons you cannot claim any benefits from the basic welfare support. Basic welfare support is a package for the destitute and needy, consisting of housing (supported (with meals) or individual (with rent subsidy)), cash benefits, various counselling services, health insurance, etc.
Basic welfare benefits are not granted automatically; you have to apply for them depending on where you are registered. Throughout Austria various players are involved in the management and processing of basic welfare support: Fonds Soziales Wien, Diakonie, Caritas, asylum departments of the respective provincial governments).
If you receive basic welfare support (this only applies to individual housing!) you are currently allowed to earn 110 euros per month (and an additional 80 euros per family member) (i.e. one person of the family may earn extra) without losing your basic welfare benefits.

Supported housing

• Accommodation, meals are included (scope of meals varies depending on the province and the specific provider; in the case of self-catering the amount is 150 euros per month)
• Pocket money: 40 euros per month
• Clothing allowance: 150 euros per year
• Health insurance
• Small leisure allowance
• Additionally possible: school supplies (up to 200 euros per semester), German courses for unaccompanied minor refugees, educational offers, travel costs, transport costs, counselling services, funerals, repatriation costs

Individual housing (maximum cost rates, rent subsidies are currently being negotiated)

• Rent subsidy (single person: 150 euros per month, family of 2 or more: 300 euros per month)
• Meal allowance (adults: 215 euros per month; minors: 100 euros per month)
• Pocket money: 40 euros per month
• Clothing allowance: 150 euros per year
• Health insurance

The centrally responsible Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services GmbH (BBU) has set up an information line: https://www.bbu.gv.at/ukraine.
The federal provinces are currently also setting up additional arrival centers that serve as first points of contact or for orientation – their addresses are the same as those for registration (see above). Since basic welfare support has so far been understood as a package you will lose your supported accommodation as soon as you no longer receive the cash benefit due to employment (principle of neediness and destitution). However, since displaced persons are allowed to work they can remain in their individually inhabited flats/apartments but without a subsidy if they work. For this, however, the situation still needs reform, see also the Diakonie’s 5-point plan for reception and integration.

Source: Aleksandra Panek, AST

• Health insurance is available as soon as you are registered: The health insurance provider can issue an e-card replacement voucher after an insurance number has been assigned after registration. Further information regarding insurance for Ukrainians from the Austrian Health Insurance Provider. Medical care and e.g. Covid vaccination are also available with a Ukrainian passport.
• Basic welfare support (“Grundversorgung”), see above, (currently) no right to (supplementary) means-tested minimum benefits (“Mindestsicherung”) (subsidiary protected persons, on the other hand, may receive means-tested minimum benefits in addition to basic welfare benefits).
• Employment and registration with the Public Employment Service (AMS) as unemployed person including attendance of AMS courses (without work training/internships) without support in the form of subsistence cover (approximately 600 euros per month, which is granted as soon as a course/internship is attended for more than 16 hours per week). German courses are also offered by the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF). The AMS is currently preparing educational and social counselling services specifically for Ukrainian nationals at several institutions.
• Gainful employment without a permit from the labour market authorities (since 21.04.2023).

Source: Aleksandra Panek, AST

The nationwide contact points for persons with qualifications acquired abroad (AST contact points) advise all those who have a qualification from abroad. Depending on the federal province additional counselling locations are available. Counselling is still available for all Ukrainians who wish to discuss professional and vocational recognition. However, AST funding for translation costs is only possible for those who have received an ID card for displaced persons.

Since the AST contact points only deal with professional and vocational recognition you have to clarify university recognition (recognition of the school leaving examination (Matura) for studying, recognition of academic achievements for continuing your studies) directly with the universities.
Regarding recognition and flight (topic: missing documents) please see in particular

• § 8 AuBG (professional and vocational recognition) as well as
• §60 UG (3) and HG § 50 (8) (academic recognition)

There are five AST contact points at 4 different organisations. These organisations also offer advice on residence, especially for persons registered with the AMS:

• ZEBRA in Graz
• ZEMIT in Innsbruck
• Migrare in Linz
• Counselling Centre for Migrants in Vienna and for Women

They might also advise on questions of residence law (e.g.: change of residence permit, acquisition of researcher residence status, acquisition of Red-White-Red Card). Depending on the case constellation a change of the residence status might be possible and useful.
When applying for any residence title you must observe the general conditions for the granting of a residence title and the special requirements for the specific residence title. The OeAD’s Entry and Residence Database provides information on possible residence titles.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) lists 4 different residence titles for researchers: settlement permit researcher, researcher mobility, researcher mobility programme, researcher job search, and family (with researcher mobility). All current residence types are pictured here.

Source: Aleksandra Panek, AST

The European Training Foundation (ETF) has set up it's own information website, which brings together all the information on the different education systems, education pathways and recognition of qualifications, as well as education and employment opportunities in the 27 EU Member States.

The following groups of persons can apply for an “ID card for displaced persons” according to the Displaced Persons Regulation:

• Ukrainian nationals and
• internationally recognised refugees in Ukraine and
• their family members (spouses, civil union partners, minor unmarried children and other close relatives who had lived in the same household and are dependent on the applicant (fully or mostly)) and who were displaced from Ukraine on 24 February 2022 as a result of the war

Furthermore,

• Ukrainian nationals who held a residence permit from Austria on 24 February 2022 that cannot be renewed because they do not fulfil the requirements for a renewal or that has been withdrawn (a voluntary change to an identity card for displaced persons is not possible) as well as
• Ukrainian nationals who stayed in Austria on 24 February 2022 with a visa or without requiring a visa

can also receive an ID card for displaced persons.

The ID card for displaced persons is valid until 4 March 2024 and will be extended until 4 March 2025. See information on the extension of the right of residence for displaced persons from Ukraine.
As soon as the ID card for displaced persons has been issued basic welfare benefits (“Grundversorgung”) can be claimed if you are in need of help and protection.

Gainful employment with a work permit issued by the labour market authorities (no labour market check) is also permitted with this ID card. Since 21.04.2023, it has also been permissible to pursue gainful employment with this ID without a permit from the labour market authorities.
As regards basic welfare benefits (“Grundversorgung”) please note that you are only allowed to additionally earn a maximum of 110 euros per month. If this amount is exceeded,  the basic welfare benefits may be reduced and, depending on how much you earn, you may even lose them completely. This may also apply to donations of more than 110 euros per month. The competent authorities will decide in each individual case, and they alone can provide binding information.

Displaced person status is not available for:

• persons who have recently been granted Austrian residence status for another, longer period of stay,
• third-country nationals who worked or studied in Ukraine or who were asylum seekers there. These persons can apply for asylum in Austria or seek a solution according to the Settlement and Residence Act (Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz – NAG)

The ID card for displaced persons is valid in the entire Schengen area and, in conjunction with a passport, generally allows for visa-free tourist travel for 90 days within a period of 180 days.

Without an ID card for displaced persons you cannot claim any benefits from the basic welfare support. Basic welfare support is a package for the destitute and needy, consisting of housing (supported (with meals) or individual (with rent subsidy)), cash benefits, various counselling services, health insurance, etc.
Basic welfare benefits are not granted automatically; you have to apply for them depending on where you are registered. Throughout Austria various players are involved in the management and processing of basic welfare support: Fonds Soziales Wien, Diakonie, Caritas, asylum departments of the respective provincial governments).
If you receive basic welfare support (this only applies to individual housing!) you are currently allowed to earn 110 euros per month (and an additional 80 euros per family member) (i.e. one person of the family may earn extra) without losing your basic welfare benefits.

Supported housing

• Accommodation, meals are included (scope of meals varies depending on the province and the specific provider; in the case of self-catering the amount is 150 euros per month)
• Pocket money: 40 euros per month
• Clothing allowance: 150 euros per year
• Health insurance
• Small leisure allowance
• Additionally possible: school supplies (up to 200 euros per semester), German courses for unaccompanied minor refugees, educational offers, travel costs, transport costs, counselling services, funerals, repatriation costs

Individual housing (maximum cost rates, rent subsidies are currently being negotiated)

• Rent subsidy (single person: 150 euros per month, family of 2 or more: 300 euros per month)
• Meal allowance (adults: 215 euros per month; minors: 100 euros per month)
• Pocket money: 40 euros per month
• Clothing allowance: 150 euros per year
• Health insurance

The centrally responsible Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services GmbH (BBU) has set up an information line: https://www.bbu.gv.at/ukraine.
The federal provinces are currently also setting up additional arrival centers that serve as first points of contact or for orientation – their addresses are the same as those for registration (see above). Since basic welfare support has so far been understood as a package you will lose your supported accommodation as soon as you no longer receive the cash benefit due to employment (principle of neediness and destitution). However, since displaced persons are allowed to work they can remain in their individually inhabited flats/apartments but without a subsidy if they work. For this, however, the situation still needs reform, see also the Diakonie’s 5-point plan for reception and integration.

Source: Aleksandra Panek, AST

• Health insurance is available as soon as you are registered: The health insurance provider can issue an e-card replacement voucher after an insurance number has been assigned after registration. Further information regarding insurance for Ukrainians from the Austrian Health Insurance Provider. Medical care and e.g. Covid vaccination are also available with a Ukrainian passport.
• Basic welfare support (“Grundversorgung”), see above, (currently) no right to (supplementary) means-tested minimum benefits (“Mindestsicherung”) (subsidiary protected persons, on the other hand, may receive means-tested minimum benefits in addition to basic welfare benefits).
• Employment and registration with the Public Employment Service (AMS) as unemployed person including attendance of AMS courses (without work training/internships) without support in the form of subsistence cover (approximately 600 euros per month, which is granted as soon as a course/internship is attended for more than 16 hours per week). German courses are also offered by the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF). The AMS is currently preparing educational and social counselling services specifically for Ukrainian nationals at several institutions.
• Gainful employment without a permit from the labour market authorities (since 21.04.2023).

Source: Aleksandra Panek, AST

The nationwide contact points for persons with qualifications acquired abroad (AST contact points) advise all those who have a qualification from abroad. Depending on the federal province additional counselling locations are available. Counselling is still available for all Ukrainians who wish to discuss professional and vocational recognition. However, AST funding for translation costs is only possible for those who have received an ID card for displaced persons.

Since the AST contact points only deal with professional and vocational recognition you have to clarify university recognition (recognition of the school leaving examination (Matura) for studying, recognition of academic achievements for continuing your studies) directly with the universities.
Regarding recognition and flight (topic: missing documents) please see in particular

• § 8 AuBG (professional and vocational recognition) as well as
• §60 UG (3) and HG § 50 (8) (academic recognition)

There are five AST contact points at 4 different organisations. These organisations also offer advice on residence, especially for persons registered with the AMS:

• ZEBRA in Graz
• ZEMIT in Innsbruck
• Migrare in Linz
• Counselling Centre for Migrants in Vienna and for Women

They might also advise on questions of residence law (e.g.: change of residence permit, acquisition of researcher residence status, acquisition of Red-White-Red Card). Depending on the case constellation a change of the residence status might be possible and useful.
When applying for any residence title you must observe the general conditions for the granting of a residence title and the special requirements for the specific residence title. The OeAD’s Entry and Residence Database provides information on possible residence titles.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) lists 4 different residence titles for researchers: settlement permit researcher, researcher mobility, researcher mobility programme, researcher job search, and family (with researcher mobility). All current residence types are pictured here.

The European Commission published Guidelines on fast-track recognition of Ukrainian academic qualifications providing concrete support to higher education institutions in the evaluation of Ukrainian qualifications.

Source: Aleksandra Panek, AST

On scienceforukraine.eu you can find support measures at the university, national, and international level for graduate students and researchers. We kindly ask Austrian higher educations to submit their support measures also through this plattform. scienceforukraine.eu/submit

The EUA publication Supporting the Ukrainian university sector - EUA recommendations (PDF, 15 pages) presents a couple of recommendations to support Ukrainian universities and enabling them to continue research and teaching.

For funding for students and scholars from Ukraine please consult the Austrian database for scholarships and research grants. 

The special scholarship program Ernst Mach-Ukraine supports Ukrainian students to continue their studies in Austria. The scholarship is aimed both at Ukrainian students who are already studying regularly at an Austrian university and at students, scientists and researchers from Ukraine who would like to continue their studies or projects here. To the announcement

For other funding for students and scholars from Ukraine please consult the Austrian database for scholarships and research grants. 

For possible Erasmus+ and ESC support measures in connection with the war in Ukraine please see here.

On scienceforukraine.eu you can find support measures at the university, national, and international level for graduate students and researchers.