Application

Therefore, please contact your International Office about the selection and nomination process at your home university first. Keep in mind that you can only take courses at one of the four campuses at the FH Upper Austria. The cooperation agreement with your home university needs to be valid for the according campus.

Application Deadlines

• Winter Semester (Sept/Oct - Jan/Feb) - 1 June
• Summer Semester (Feb/March - June/July) - 15 November

Students must be officially nominated by their home institutions (e-mail to the according International Office) at the latest 2 weeks before above application deadlines.

Online Application

Upon nomination by the home university, prospective exchange students will receive a registration link to the FH Upper Austria online application portal for incoming exchange students.

Prospective exchange students have to submit their application online. In addition to personal data, the following documents will be required to submit your online exchange semester application:

• Transcript of Records (official document from your home university showing all courses you have already passed and your grades)
• Learning Agreement for Erasmus+ students or Learning Agreement for NON-Erasmus students
• Recent photo
• Certificate of English Proficiency B2 level (if you would like to attend any courses taught in English)
  Certificate of German Proficiency B2 level (if you would like to attend any courses taught in German)
• Scan of your passport (photo page only)
• Current CV
• Motivation letter
• Proof of Health Insurance valid in Austria (may be handed in after acceptance; or in case you are planning to register with the public health insurance provider in Austria, it can be handed in after arrival)
• Certification of Finances (will be needed for registration upon arrival, only for Steyr Campus)
• Accommodation Form (if you would like us to arrange accommodation for you, only for Wels Campus)

After submitting your online application, the International Office of the according school will review your documents. Acceptance decisions are communicated within 2 weeks after the application deadline. You will be able to track your status in the online portal.

Selection Criteria

The FH Upper Austria admits exchange students on the basis of bilateral agreement with partner universities. Exchange students are generally expected to have shown a good academic performance and completed at least three semesters of relevant studies at their home universities before coming on exchange to Upper Austria. For FH Upper Austria Campus Wels, exchange students need to have completed at least four semesters of studies due to the fact that most of the courses offered in English are at an advanced technical level.

Language Requirements

For participating in courses taught in English, a B2 level of English is required. From exchange students, we generally expect English proficiency equivalent to TOEFL IBT 78, IELTS 6.0 or Cambridge FCE. If you take a TOEFL test, you can use our university's TOEFL code (9775) to send us the results automatically.
Depending on the campus you are applying for, we might be able to accept a testimonial by your home university confirming your language proficiency, if English is not your mother tongue.

For attending any courses taught in German, a B2 level of German is required. German language skills may be confirmed either with an official certificate (e.g. by Goethe Institute, or ÖSD) or by a testimonial by your home university's German teacher, if German is not your mother tongue.

Visa Application

It is your responsibility as a student to take care of visa arrangements! Please find out about entry requirements to Austria according to your home country and your citizenship. This is especially important for non-EU citizens.

As soon as you receive your Letter of Acceptance from the International Office, please get an appointment at the Austrian embassy in your home country. If you intend to stay for one semester only, it is sufficient to apply for a Visa D (for stays up to 6 month), but if there is the slightest chance that you could want to extend your stay in Austria, we advise you to apply for a Residence Permit (for stays of more than 6 months) right from the beginning. Usually embassies require you to bring additional documents such as proof of health insurance, proof of accommodation and a financial statement. It is impossible to extend a Visa in Austria!