Hallstatt in March

Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹12,289

1. Apply for a Schengen short-stay (type C) visa at a VFS Global Austria centre in India (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune or Ahmedabad), 4-8 weeks before you fly, and at least 6 weeks ahead for April to September (no earlier than 6 months). Apply to Austria if it is your only or longest stay in Schengen. The fee is €90 (₹9,810 at VFS; €45 for children 6-11) plus the VFS service charge of about ₹2,500, and neither is refunded if the visa is refused.
2. Buy travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover valid across Schengen before the appointment, and check on the VFS Austria India site that your insurer is one the Austrian Embassy accepts: reports say it has used an approved list since January 2026.
3. At the appointment give your fingerprints and photo (skipped if you gave them for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months). The Austrian Embassy in New Delhi decides within about 15 working days of receiving the complete application, longer in July and August.
4. If you have lawfully used two Schengen visas in the last three years, ask for a multiple-entry visa: under the EU's 2024 cascade rules for Indians you can be given a two-year visa, then a five-year one.
5. On your first arrival in the Schengen Area your fingerprints and face are scanned at passport control (the EU Entry/Exit System, in full use since April 2026) instead of a stamp: at Vienna, or at Frankfurt, Munich or Zurich if you change planes there.

Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area, with two blank pages; Completed visa application form and two recent photos (35 x 45 mm); Travel insurance with at least €30,000 medical cover, valid in every Schengen country for the whole trip; Return flight booking and a day-by-day itinerary, with the trains between cities; Hotel bookings for every night; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months, income-tax returns, and a leave letter from your employer (or business or college papers).

One Schengen visa covers Austria and every other Schengen country (Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Czechia, Hungary and more) for up to 90 days in any 180. ETIAS is only for visa-free travellers, so it does not affect you. Appointment waits, the VFS charge and the rupee fee change with the season and the exchange rate: check visa.vfsglobal.com for Austria before you book flights.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.