Processing time
Embassy visa page: usually 15 calendar days, up to 45 if more checks. New Delhi tourism checklist (March 2026): up to 15 working days after the Embassy receives the file; files under 15 working days before travel are sent back to VFS — they advise at least 1 month.
Stay period
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period (tourism, business, or visit, no work)
Validity
As issued. Type C cannot be extended or renewed in Austria.
Visa Fees and Charges
Adult Schengen C — Embassy / BMEIA. Pay in INR at the rate of the day. Not a legal entitlement.
Child 6–12 — Embassy / BMEIA
Child under 6 — Embassy / BMEIA
VFS service — Hyderabad centre page (confirm at the centre they use)
| Entry | Label | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| — | Adult Schengen C — Embassy / BMEIA. Pay in INR at the rate of the day. Not a legal entitlement. | €90 |
| — | Child 6–12 — Embassy / BMEIA | €45 |
| — | Child under 6 — Embassy / BMEIA | €0 |
| — | VFS service — Hyderabad centre page (confirm at the centre they use) | ₹2,274 |
About This Visa
Indian ordinary-passport holders need a Schengen visa. India is on the EU visa-required list. Usual staff path: Type C through VFS. The Austrian Embassy decides; VFS only takes the file and returns the passport.
Apply where they legally live, and only if Austria is the sole or main destination (or the first Schengen entry if there is no main stop). File no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 calendar days before travel (Embassy how-to-apply / Visa Code). Tourism checklist also says do not file 6 months before departure, and files under 15 working days before travel go back to VFS. Book VFS as early as the Embassy allows (6 months at the earliest). No unofficial visa agencies.
Documents Required
Embassy New Delhi — tourism checklist (March 2026) plus how-to-apply
- C form in English or German, signed. Free on the Embassy how-to-apply page
- Passport: issued within 10 years, 2 blank pages, valid 3 months after leaving Schengen; no handwritten change on the data page
- ICAO photo, colour 35 × 45 mm
- Fingerprints unless stored in the last 59 months. Under 12: no fingerprints
- Cover letter: purpose, dates, companions, transport, lodging
- Round-trip flight reservation (paid ticket not required). Hotel or tour proof
- Travel medical insurance, min. EUR 30,000, whole Schengen, whole stay (first stay if multiple-entry)
- Occupation: employed — 3 months salary slips, contract, company NOC; self-employed — GST / incorporation papers; student — enrolment; retired — 3 months pension
- Original bank statements last 3 months. ITR with barcode, last 2 years
- Passport data-page copy, last page, old Schengen visas and stamps
- Working email and mobile. Business card if they have one
- Minor with one parent: original notarised NOC from the other parent plus ID copies. Alone: NOC from both parents
- Indian Identity Certificate (yellow): return visa valid 3 months after return, plus NORI stamp
