Entry Visas
Citizens of EU member states, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland do not need a visa for entering the Republic of Austria.
Nationals of other countries might require a visa in order to enter the Schengen Area or the Austrian territory.
Please check the information on whether you require a visa or not on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
If you live in an area that is not eligible for a VISA waiver/exemption or are unsure of whether or not you need to apply for a (VISA C) short-term VISA to enter Austria in order to attend VCSS, please click here or contact the Austrian Embassy in your home country to receive guidance on the application process and necessary documents.
As part of the visa application process, you may be required to submit a Letter of Invitation from the VCSS Conference Programme Committee.
Letters of Invitation
A Letter of Invitation is an official document that confirms payment of registration fees and extends an official invitation to the paid registrant to attend and participate in the upcoming conference. In other words, it provides the holder with an official reason to come to Austria. It may be required by your university for administrative purposes, and will likely form one of the documents required for visa application if you are from a country that does not have a visa exemption agreement with Austria.
In order to qualify for a Letter of Invitation, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- Be registered as an author of an accepted abstract and/or paper
- Have paid the conference registration fee in full
- A verifiable email address from an institution (.edu, .org, .ac) is required. We are unable to accept a personal address (gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc.).
IAFOR will not, under any circumstances, provide a Letter of Invitation or visa application paperwork to any interested party who does not meet the three criteria listed above.
If your application for a Letter of Invitation is successful, your Letter of Invitation will be sent to you by email as a PDF attachment. In addition, a hard copy will be mailed to your residence or place of work.
Please ensure you allow sufficient time for your application to be processed.
Letters of Guarantee
Please note that a Letter of Guarantee is different from a Letter of Invitation. Depending on your professional situation, background and nationality, you may be required to submit a Letter of Invitation and/or Letter of Guarantee.
A Letter of Guarantee is a letter in which an individual or body agrees to be legally and financially responsible for you during your stay in Austria. You may know an individual or institution in Austria willing to act as a guarantor, or, if you have no connection with the country, Austrian immigration authorities may find that it is acceptable to have your university act as the guarantor. IAFOR cannot provide Letters of Guarantee.
Further Visa Assistance
All questions/concerns regarding the status of your visa should be directed to the Austrian immigration authorities or Austrian Embassy in your home country.
If your visa application is denied, please note that IAFOR will not be able to change the decision of the Austrian immigration authorities, nor will IAFOR engage in discussion or correspondence with the Austrian immigration authorities or the Austrian Embassy on behalf of the applicant.
IAFOR is not authorised to assist with the visa process beyond providing a Letter of Invitation.
Letter of Invitation Application Process
After confirmation of conference registration we will send you instructions on how to apply for a Letter of Invitation. Providing all the information we receive is correct, the Letter of Invitation process will usually take between 7 and 21 days. Please allow ample time for the Letter of Invitation application process.
Letters of Invitation are sent as PDF attachments. A regular airmail option (free) and a trackable registered mail option (additional cost) are available.