The ÖH-Beitrag, the student union membership fee, is EUR 26.20 per semester, and it is compulsory for all students in Austria. You pay it even if your tuition fee is waived: at public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition only within the standard duration of the programme plus two semesters, but the union fee still applies. It includes student accident insurance.
That EUR 26.20 is the one cost almost every student shares, no matter which of the 65 Austrian higher education institutions you end up at.
What the ÖH fee actually is
The ÖH is the Austrian Students' Union. Every enrolled student is a member, and the fee funds its work. It is not a tuition fee and not a deposit, it is a membership charge collected each semester alongside your admission or continuation.
In the Austrian national register, the open data fee line for universities lists the student union fee at EUR 26.20 per semester. As of October 2026, that is the figure our catalogue carries; confirm it with your institution when you enrol, in case it has changed.
Who pays it, and when it is still due
Everyone enrolled pays it. That includes:
- EU/EEA and Swiss students within the standard duration plus two semesters, who pay no tuition but still pay the ÖH-Beitrag.
- Most other students, who pay EUR 726.72 per semester in tuition plus the EUR 26.20 union fee.
- Students on programmes where tuition is waived for other reasons, the union fee is separate and remains payable.
If you are budgeting, treat the union fee as a fixed semester cost and the tuition fee as the variable one. Our tuition fees guide explains who pays what and when the standard duration plus two semesters rule kicks in.
Pay it with your tuition, or your admission lapses
The fee has to be paid together with the tuition fee, if any, within the admission and continuation period. If you miss that window, your admission lapses, not because of the amount, but because of the deadline. The ÖH-Beitrag is small, but the consequence of ignoring it is not.
At public universities the general application deadline for most bachelor's programmes is 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester. Other programmes, and applicants from outside the EU/EEA, can have different deadlines. Always check the dates on your institution's own pages, admission is organised by each institution, not centrally, and there is no central application portal.
What the EUR 26.20 covers
The fee includes student accident insurance, which is the most concrete benefit for most people. Beyond that, the ÖH provides information and counselling on health insurance, working and funding. Its website, oeh.ac.at, is one of the accommodation platforms named by the OeAD, so it is worth a look when you are sorting out where to live.
If you have a question about health cover, a part-time job or funding while you study, the ÖH is usually the first place to ask. It is a student organisation, so the advice is aimed at people in your position.
How it fits into the rest of your budget
For non-EU/EEA students, the union fee is the smallest line in a much bigger set of costs. You also need a Residence Permit, Student for a stay of more than six months. The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218 and the authority decides within 90 days. That is a government fee, separate from anything you pay the university.
Tuition, where it applies, is EUR 726.72 per semester for most non-EU/EEA students; EU/EEA students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters, as above. Add the EUR 26.20 ÖH-Beitrag on top.
Why the fee shows up in the national register
Programmes and fees on this site come from the Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and the study finder studienwahl.at) as of October 2026. We list 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction: 455 taught in English only and the rest in German and English. If you are comparing options, that count is a useful starting point, but the fee lines, including the EUR 26.20 union fee, should always be confirmed with the institution before you rely on them.
The register is a catalogue, not a contract. The institution decides on admission, and the residence authority decides on permits. Where the register and the institution disagree, the institution is right.
Sources
- OeAD, tuition fees (student union fee and tuition rules)
- TU Wien, Studienbeitrag (payment deadline and lapse of admission)
- migration.gv.at, Studieren in Österreich (ÖH services and accommodation platforms)
- Austrian national register, open data (fee line including the student union fee)
- OeAD, application and admission (no central portal; institution-led admission)
- oesterreich.gv.at, Zulassung ausländischer Studierender (application deadlines)
- oesterreich.gv.at, Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student (permit fee and decision time)
- Austrian national register, open data and studienwahl.at, as of October 2026
Frequently asked questions
How much is the ÖH student union fee in Austria?
It is EUR 26.20 per semester as listed in the Austrian national register. It is compulsory for all students and includes student accident insurance. Confirm the current figure with your institution when you enrol.
Do EU students pay the ÖH fee if they pay no tuition?
Yes. At public universities EU/EEA students pay no tuition only within the standard duration plus two semesters, but the ÖH-Beitrag of EUR 26.20 is still payable. The union fee is separate from tuition and applies to everyone enrolled.
What happens if I don't pay the ÖH fee on time?
The fee must be paid together with any tuition fee within the admission and continuation period. If you miss that window, your admission lapses. The amount is small, but the deadline matters.
What does the ÖH fee pay for?
It includes student accident insurance and funds the Austrian Students' Union (ÖH), which gives information and counselling on health insurance, working and funding. Its website oeh.ac.at is also one of the accommodation platforms named by the OeAD.