How Many Refugees Have Fled Ukraine to Austria?

According to the Interior Ministry, it is generally difficult to estimate how many refugees will come to Austria in the coming months.

According to the federal government, 11,000 border crossings have been recorded so far. 30 percent of them, i.e. 3,300 will remain in Austria, the others will travel on to other countries.

Several EU countries bordering Ukraine have already signaled their readiness to accept refugees from Ukraine and are preparing to receive thousands of migrants.

"The pressure on the Slovak border, but also on the Hungarian and Polish borders, is increasing.

We must now support these countries in solidarity," Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said.

"We are a European family, and families stand up for each other," he added. 

While Austria has long opposed accepting more refugees into the European Union and has repeatedly pushed for stricter border controls, Vienna has shown a willingness to take in refugees from Ukraine.

After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Austria was not among the host countries for Ukrainian refugees and has no significant Ukrainian community.

"We are ready to take in refugees from Ukraine if necessary," Nehammer said.

According to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR, some 1,000,000 Ukrainians are already on the run following the Russian invasion.

"We cannot confirm the exact numbers yet, but it is clear that there has been significant movement within the country and some movement across the borders," UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo said.

FAQs for Ukrainian nationals according to data from the Austrian Ministry of the Interior (BMI - Bundesministerium fuer Inneres)

As a Ukrainian citizen, do I need a visa to enter Austria?

If you have a biometric passport, you generally do not need a visa to enter Austria for short stays of up to 90 days (within 180 days). If you do not have a biometric passport or if you are planning a longer stay or work, a visa is required.

As a Ukrainian citizen, where can I get a visa for Austria if I need one?

Visas can be applied for at the Austrian Embassy in Ljubljana (Slovenia), the Austrian Embassy in Bratislava (Slovakia) or at the Consulate General in Munich. The Austrian Embassy in Kiev has limited operations. Further information: www.bmeia.gv.at.

I have relatives in Ukraine and would like to bring them to Austria. How does this work?

These persons can either enter without a visa for 90 days (within 180 days) or apply for a visa.

My legal stay will end soon. What should I do?

You can apply for a visa on humanitarian grounds at the relevant provincial police directorate. The state of war in Ukraine - as long as it lasts - counts as a reason.

My legal stay in Austria has come to an end and I am now staying in the country illegally, as I could not/cannot leave for Ukraine. What happens now?

As long as you cannot travel to Ukraine because it is impossible, you do not have to expect any penalty. However, as soon as it is possible again, you will have to leave Austria.

Does SARS-CoV-2/ COVID-19 affect whether I am allowed to enter Austria?

In this context, please note the currently valid COVID-19 entry regulation. Persons entering the country due to a military conflict are exempt from this regulation.

I was evacuated from Ukraine to a neighboring country, but I do not have a corresponding right of entry or residence for the Schengen area. In order to travel to my home country, I would have to depart from Vienna-Schwechat Airport. Is this possible?

Yes. The entry permit of a Schengen state bordering on Ukraine extends to the entire Schengen area, thus also to the Austrian territory, for the purpose of transit and immediate subsequent departure to the home country. Thus, you are legally staying in Austria as long as it is necessary for the purpose of your onward journey to your home country as soon as possible.

My legal stay in Austria has come to an end, but there is only a flight to my home country in a few days.

If there is no earlier possibility to travel home, you are legally staying in Austria until the earliest possible departure. You have to realize your possibility to return home independently, as soon as possible and immediately, otherwise you will be liable to prosecution.

I would like to work in Austria as a seasonal worker/harvester and need a visa for this purpose, but I am still in Ukraine. How do I get the visa?

If it is not possible to apply for a visa at the Embassy in Kiev, you can, in principle, enter the Schengen area without a visa if you have a biometric passport and submit your visa application at the Austrian Embassies in Ljubljana and Bratislava or at the Consulate General in Munich.

I am already staying in Austria without a visa and would now like to apply for a visa for the first time in order to work in Austria as a seasonal worker/harvester. What do I do?

If you are legally residing in Austria, you can submit your first application for a visa for seasonal workers/harvest workers at the Austrian Embassies in Ljubljana and Bratislava.

I am a Ukrainian citizen, had my previous center of life in Ukraine and have fled Ukraine due to the current situation. Therefore, I would like to enter or transit through Austria in order to reach a personal point of contact (e.g. family, friends, other reference persons) in Austria or another country. Unfortunately, I do not have the necessary documentation to do so, as I do not have a biometric passport or visa. Can I still enter or transit Austria?

You may be allowed to enter or transit Austria on humanitarian grounds after an individual case-by-case examination if you can prove your Ukrainian citizenship and identity during a border control, you are not subject to an entry ban or a residence ban, there is no reason to believe that you pose a threat to public order or internal security, and you can credibly prove the above-mentioned circumstances.

BMI - Ministry of the Interior - Bundesministerium fuer Inneres