Austria Visa Appointment in India: Booking Step by Step

The Austrian Embassy New Delhi has outsourced the visa application and the return of passports to VFS Global, but every application is assessed by the Embassy only. Your appointment is therefore a submission slot, not an interview or a decision. What follows draws on the VFS Global one-pager for Austria and the Embassy's how-to-apply page, with fees and processing times as published on those official sources, checked on 10 October 2026. For the wider picture, from visa types to processing, see our Austria visa guide for Indian citizens.

VFS or the Embassy: who takes your booking

Most Indian travellers book with VFS. The short-term Schengen (C) list there covers business, film crew, student, research and internship, tourist, visitor, work, cultural, sports or religious, official visit and incentive group visas. VFS also takes long-term national (D) visas for stays of 91 days to 6 months in the student, visitor and work categories.

A VFS slot is no use for these, which are applied for in person at the Embassy:

• residence permits exceeding 6 months;
• job seeker visas;
• Working Holiday Programme visas;
• Au-Pair visas.

For those, write to the Embassy at NEW-DELHI-KA@bmeia.gv.at. One more category trap: the transit visa on the VFS list is for citizens of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh only, so it is not an option on an Indian passport.

Picking a date inside the booking window

Short-stay applications can be submitted no earlier than 6 months and at least 15 days before travel; VFS counts that minimum as 15 working days, and that stricter figure is the one to plan around. Fifteen working days is roughly three calendar weeks, longer when public holidays fall in between.

The minimum is not a comfortable target. Processing is usually 15 working days from receipt by the Embassy, and the tourism checklist warns that it may be extended up to 45 calendar days when further scrutiny is needed. If your dates are fixed, aim for a slot well before the last permitted day, so an extended review still finishes before your flight.

Booking your slot, step by step

1. Confirm the category. Match your purpose to one VFS category; it decides which checklist you follow and what the counter expects.
2. Open the VFS Austria page for India. Start from the VFS Global Austria one-pager, which covers applicants in India and Nepal, and go to appointment booking.
3. Choose the centre. The pages we could read do not list the Indian centre cities, so check the current list on the VFS site when you book rather than relying on older posts.
4. Add every applicant. Include each family member who is applying, children too, with names and passport numbers exactly as printed in the passports.
5. Pick a date inside your window and keep the booking confirmation.
6. Prepare the file against the checklist for your category before the day.

What to carry on appointment day

Category papers come on top of this: an invitation or EVE for visitors, AMS permission for work, admission and fee proof for students. The flight reservation should be a verifiable booking, not a purchased ticket; embassies generally advise against buying non-refundable flights before the visa decision. If you need one, see our flight reservation service, and check the official checklist, since requirements vary by category.

At the counter: biometrics and fees

Biometrics, meaning ten fingerprints and a photograph, are collected in person unless they were collected within the last 59 months. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprints.

Fees are paid at the centre by cash, Visa, MasterCard or RuPay; UPI is listed only for short-stay C visas:

• Short-term (C) visa: EUR 90 / INR 9810 for adults, EUR 45 / INR 4905 for children aged 6 to 12, and nothing for children below 6.
• Long-term (D) visa: EUR 195 / INR 21260 for adults and for children aged 6 to 12, and EUR 97 / INR 10580 for children below 6.
• VFS service charge: INR 2479, inclusive of GST.

The rupee amounts follow the exchange rate and can change at every month end, so a slot booked in one month and attended in the next may cost a little more or less. The visa fee is non-refundable if the visa is refused, and so is the service charge.

Booking errors that cost you a second visit

• The wrong category. Visiting relatives is a Visitor Visa, not a Tourist Visa, and it needs the host's invitation and proof of their legal residence.
• A slot too close to travel. Anything under 15 working days falls outside the VFS window.
• An Embassy-only visa booked at VFS. Long residence, job seeker, Working Holiday and Au-Pair applications belong at the Embassy.
• Bank statements without the bank's stamp and signature. VFS marks the stamped and signed originals as mandatory.
• Insurance bought before checking the approved list. From 01 January 2026, a policy from an unlisted insurer is not accepted for applications lodged in India.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us through our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does VFS Global decide my Austria visa?

No. VFS Global handles the appointment, the submission and the return of your passport. Every application is assessed by the Austrian Embassy New Delhi only.

In which language should the Austria application form be filled?

In English or German, completed in full and signed by the applicant. Use the Schengen application form for a short-stay C visa and the National Visa Category (D) form for a long-term visa.

How long after my appointment will I get a decision?

Short-stay visas usually take 15 working days from receipt by the Embassy, and this can be extended up to 45 calendar days if further scrutiny is needed. Long-term D visas usually take 15 working days, according to the VFS page.

Which payment methods are accepted at the Austria visa centre?

VFS lists cash, Visa, MasterCard and RuPay, plus UPI for short-stay C visas only. The rupee amount follows the euro fee at the current exchange rate and can change at each month end.