For admission, the university decides whether your foreign school leaving certificate has no essential difference from the Austrian one. For professional recognition of a foreign degree, the OeAD points you to ENIC NARIC. Those are two different processes, and mixing them up wastes time.
Two different jobs: admission vs. professional recognition
When you apply to study in Austria, the institution you apply to looks at your certificates and decides if they are equivalent to the Austrian school leaving certificate. The Federal Ministry or the university can tell you about recognition. This is about getting into a programme, not about using your degree for a job.
If you already have a higher education qualification and want it recognised for professional purposes, the OeAD directs you to ENIC NARIC. That is the body that deals with this kind of recognition. You can start by looking at the institutions on our list to see where you might apply, browse universities at /universities, and then check that institution's own recognition page.
What the university checks for admission
The university checks whether your foreign school leaving certificate is essentially the same as an Austrian one. If it is not, you may still be admitted with conditions, or you may need to take extra exams. The decision rests with the university, not with a central office. Admission is organised by each institution, not centrally; the OeAD does not handle study applications, and there is no central application portal. So you must apply directly to the university.
Documents must be presented in the original and as a photocopy. They may need legalisation. The Hague Convention abolishing the legalisation of foreign public documents is among the legal bases for admission, so check whether an apostille is enough for your country. If your documents are not in German or English, you need translations into one of those languages.
Nostrification: using an Austrian degree back home
If you earn a degree in Austria and want to use it in your home country, you may need recognition there, sometimes called nostrification. The OeAD suggests checking at enic-naric.net to find the right authority for your country. The process is run by the country where you want to use the degree, not by Austria.
Plan for this early. Ask the relevant authority what documents they need, how long it takes and whether they need a legalised copy of your Austrian certificate. The Austrian institution that awarded your degree can usually help with certified copies and with confirming that the degree was completed.
Deadlines and documents you should not miss
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, so check with the institution. Our catalogue lists 65 Austrian higher education institutions and 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction, imported from the Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at): 455 are taught in English only and the rest in German and English.
You can find programmes at /programs, then confirm the deadline and document rules on the university's own site. Do not rely on a central portal, there isn't one.
Fees and permits: what recognition does not cover
Recognition of your certificates does not remove tuition or permit fees. The student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester and compulsory for all students. At public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition only within the standard duration of the programme plus two semesters; most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester. Programmes and fees on this site come from the Austrian national register as of October 2026; confirm them with the institution.
Students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland 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. The residence authority decides on permits, and the institution decides on admission. You can compare institutions on our page for all universities in Austria at /universities before you commit.
Where to check the rules
For admission and document legalisation, ask the university directly, and use studyinaustria.at and oesterreich.gv.at as starting points. For professional recognition, use the ENIC NARIC network via enic-naric.net. For permits, check migration.gv.at and oesterreich.gv.at; for fees and programmes, confirm with the institution. If a number you need is not on this page, ask the institution or check the official sites, do not guess.
Sources
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission of foreign students
- studyinaustria.at, application and admission
- studyinaustria.at, find your programme
- studyinaustria.at, tuition fees
- oesterreich.gv.at, residence permit for students
- Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at), as of October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Do I need nostrification to study in Austria?
For admission, the university decides whether your foreign school leaving certificate has no essential difference from the Austrian one. That is an admission decision, not a separate nostrification procedure. Ask the institution you are applying to.
Who recognises my foreign degree for work in Austria?
The OeAD points to ENIC NARIC for recognition of higher education qualifications for professional purposes. Check enic-naric.net to find the right contact. The institution that awarded your degree can help with certified copies.
What documents do I need to submit?
Foreign documents have to be presented in the original and as a photocopy and be legalised; translations into German or English are needed for other languages. The Hague Convention on legalisation is among the legal bases, so check whether an apostille is enough for your country.
How much is the student union fee and tuition?
The student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester and compulsory for all students. At public universities EU/EEA students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters; most other students pay EUR 726.72 per semester, as listed in the Austrian national register, confirm with the institution.