All incoming exchange students must have insurance coverage for their entire stay at WU and in Austria. However, WU does not have its own insurance plan for students. You are responsible for obtaining health insurance from a third party provider. Please read the information below about European insurance coverage and your possibilities as a non-European student carefully.

If you are an EEA-citizen and/or have a valid European Health Insurance Card ...

… you must bring the card in order to prove that you have health insurance coverage in your home country. A valid European Health Insurance Card means that all treatments deemed medically necessary by medical professionals during your stay in Austria are covered. However, please note that routine medical check-ups and/or screenings are not covered. Please check with your insurance provider in your home country which treatments are covered and how to proceed in case you need to see a doctor abroad. In case your Austrian doctor does not recognize your European Health Insurance Card, point out that you have a valid European insurance and are therefore eligible for free treatment as long as it is deemed medically necessary.

Please note: if you are an EEA citizen but do not have a European health insurance card, please read our recommendations for non-EEA citizens below carefully, even if you do not need a visa.

If you are a non-EEA citizen and need a visa to study in Austria ...

… you are required to have insurance coverage for your stay prior to your arrival in Vienna as a condition for your visa. This means that you have to purchase insurance in your own country. You are free to purchase additional insurance in Austria after your arrival. Some options are listed below.

If you are staying in Austria for more than six months, you also need to apply for a residence permit, which requires you to have Austrian health insurance. See below for some options with appropriate coverage.

If you want to sign up for (additional) insurance coverage in Austria, you can do so after your final admission to WU.

You must complete the following three steps to be eligible for public student health insurance and to open a free student bank account (a European bank account is necessary to purchase private insurance):

• Complete the admission process at WU during the mandatory welcome days

• Pay the students’ union dues which are approximately €24 to validate your student ID

• Register your residence with the Austrian authorities at one of Vienna’s registration offices (“Magistratische Bezirksämter”)

We recommend the following two options for your health insurance coverage:

Public insurance plan for students from the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK)

This plan covers medical care in cases of illness or accident, as well as any treatments deemed medically necessary at the cost of approximately €69 per month. In order to apply for this insurance plan, you have to submit the following documents:

• Application form (in German)

• Enrollment information sheet ("Studienblatt")

• Passport or ID (which may contain your visa for Austria)

• Confirmation of residence registration (“Meldezettel”)

You must submit the application to the headquarters or one of the district offices in Vienna in person:

Private health insurance

Alternatively, you may purchase private health insurance coverage through one of the following recommended providers: UNIQA, Generali, Wiener Städtische, Allianz, Care Concept AG, and DONAU-Versicherung. The residence permit authorities generally accept these insurance companies.

It is crucial that your insurance does not include waiting periods, cost caps or an exclusion of certain risks. Further, the insurance company must pay for any kind of treatment in Austria if deemed medically necessary. To be recognized by the residence authorities as a “health insurance covering all risks”, the respective insurance company must provide a written statement confirming that the insurance fulfils the above stated requirements. Note that this statement has to be signed in addition to the insurance policy. On this webpage, you can find a list of template statements (available in German only) sorted by accepted insurance providers.

For international students who do not speak German, we recommend the webpages of Care Concept and UNIQA feelsafe since both offer information in English. If you plan to close a contract with another provider, please note that insurance contracts and information may only be available in German. In this case, you should only sign the contract if you are advised by English-speaking staff.

During the admission process at WU, you will have to pay the mandatory students’ union dues of around €24. This fee is compulsory for all students studying at Austrian universities and by paying it, you become a member of the Austrian students’ union. As a member, you are automatically covered by the union’s collective accident and liability insurance. Please note, however, that you need to cover any gaps in insurance between your arrival in Vienna and your final admission to WU yourself. Detailed information about your insurance coverage is currently only available in German. Please contact WU’s ÖH branch directly if you would like more information about what is covered.

Class absence due to sickness

• If you are too sick to attend a class, it's recommended to see a general practitioner. They will provide a sicknote, which you need to give to your lecturer.

• For non-emergency medical issues, it is customary in Austria to see a general practitioner before seeking a specialist or hospital care.

• To search for a doctor in your area, use the official website of the Austrian Doctors Association: www.praxisplan.at. You can search for doctors based on field of expertise, language skills, location, and the types of insurance they accept.

Minor health problems and common conditions

• Staff at Austrian pharmacies are professionally trained and can provide helpful information for minor health problems and common conditions (e.g., colds, minor rashes).

• Medicines available without a prescription can be purchased at pharmacies.

• Austrian pharmacies are generally open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on weekdays and from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturdays.

• Emergency and night pharmacies can be found here, but they may charge an additional fee.

Emergency medical problems

If you would like to speak to a doctor about an urgent medical problem outside of consultation hours, you have the opportunity to call the “Ärztefunkdienst” by dialing 141. Please be prepared to answer the following questions: 

• Who is sick? If possible, the patient should speak to the doctor.

• Where are you calling from?

• Where can you be reached?

• Who is your general practitioner?

• Where does the ill person live?

• Since when was the person ill/having symptoms?

• Does the ill person regularly take medication(s)?

• Which medication(s) has the ill person taken within the past few hours?

The “Ärztefunkdienst” is available from 7:00pm until 7:00am during the week. During the weekend, they are available from Friday 7:00pm continuously until Monday 7:00am. On public holidays, they are available all day. They also have regular consultation hours (Pillergasse 20, 1150 Vienna): Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00am until 8:00pm.

However, in the event of a serious emergency, please go to the closest public hospital or call an ambulance. A list of hospitals is available here: https://www.wien.gv.at/english/health-socialservices/hospitals/.

Dentists

Dentists are not listed on praxisplan.at. On the websites below, you can find a list of dentists in Vienna and a city map displaying the exact locations of dentists in your area. Usually, you have to arrange an appointment in advance to see a dentist. In case of severe pain or an emergency, you can see any available dentist without prior appointment.

• Dentists in Vienna (in German, you can search for dentists with foreign language skills using the Fremdsprachen drop-down menu)

• After-hours and weekend dental services (see above, menu item Notdienste)

• City map displaying all dentists

Insurance

• Holders of a European Health Insurance Card need to choose "all health funds" (alle Kassen).

• Students with the voluntary self-insurance plan should select public health funds as their insurance option.

• People with private insurance coverage should consult their insurance company.

WU's Student Support

WU's Student Support offers a student counselling program as well as support for students with disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental disorders, and learning difficulties (see BeAble program). The offers are free of charge, confidential, and anonymous.

If you feel like you need support during your studies at WU, feel free to contact staff of the student support directly. You can find further information on the counselling program on the website of Student Engagement & Counselling.

Psychological Outpatient Clinic

This service is located next to Campus WU. Prices are based on your income and very reasonable:

Sigmund Freud University
Welthandelsplatz 3, ground floor, 1020 Vienna
Phone: +43 (01) 798 40 98 / 370
Email: psyambulanz@sfu.ac.at
https://ambulanz.sfu.ac.at/en/psychological-outpatient-clinic/

Please contact them beforehand to find out if you can get counseling in your first language.

The following services are offered by public institutions and are free of charge:

Psychological counseling for students

If you would like to speak to a professional about challenges you are facing during your studies, you can contact the Counseling Center for Students. Their offer is free of charge, confidential, and anonymous.

Further, this institution offers an interesting and useful online guide called "Coming to a new country", which is specifically adressing exchange students.

Lederergasse 35, 4th Floor, 1080 Vienna
Phone: +43 (0)1-402 30 91
Email: psychologische.studentenberatung@univie.ac.at
Web: http://www.studierendenberatung.at/en
Opening Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00am – 12:00noon, 1:00pm – 3:30pm
(On Tuesdays, only available in the afternoon)

Social services hotline for Vienna (FSW-KundInnentelefon der Stadt Wien)

If you would like to speak to a social worker about problems you are facing in your life, contact the social services hotline for Vienna.

Phone: +43 1 24 5 24
Email: post@fsw.at
Opening Hours: daily from 8:00am – 8:00pm

Social Psychiatric Emergency Service (Sozialpsychiatrischer Notdienst)

In cases of serious mental health problems, contact the social psychiatric emergency service. You will be able to speak with trained psychiatrists.

Gumpendorfer Straße 157, 1060 Vienna
Phone: +43 1 31330
Email: sndpost@psd-wien.at
Web: psd-wien.at
Opening Hours: daily from 0:00am – 12:00pm

If you lose your passport including a visa D, Austrian authorities will not provide a temporary replacement. Your exchange stay in Austria remains legal; however, you cannot travel to other countries in the Schengen area. If you are allowed to travel to another European country visa-free, you should try to apply for a visa C in an embassy of that very country. After your visa C has been issued successfully, you can use it to travel within the Schengen area.

To avoid troubles associated with the loss of visa, residence permit, and/or passport, we recommend to copy or scan all relevant documents. Please save them digitally on your phone or laptop, so that the files are accessible anytime.

• Copy or scan of all submitted documents

• Copy or scan of your passport, visa and/or residence permit

• Copy or scan of train, bus or plane tickets to proof your date of entry and departure (relevant for students who make use of a visa-free stay of 90 days or less).