Specific admission requirements
for international degree seeking students
You have acquired your university entrance qualification in a country other than Austria?
Then it is very important that you read the following information carefully to make sure that you are informed about which specific guidelines apply to you.
The official language of instruction in almost all degree programmes at FHV is German. In addition, individual courses are held in English.
Therefore, during the admission procedure, but at the latest at the beginning of the studies, you must provide proof of knowledge of German and English at a minimum level of B2 according to the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
Only the Master's programme International Management and Leadership is offered entirely in English. German language skills are not required for this degree programme.
For third-party states (outside of the EU and the EEA, with the exception of Switzerland), the following applies:
If you have submitted documents to FHV-Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences and there is any doubt about the authenticity of these or the documents are not sufficient for a decision to be made about whether the entrance requirements are met, FHV reserves the right to charge a deposit of EUR 250.
If the verification has shown the authenticity and accuracy of the documents and you meet the admission requirements, the deposit will be refunded to you. Bank charges and fees are at your expense. Please provide us with the bank details (bank, account owner, BIC, IBAN) to which the refund should be made, otherwise the transfer can be made back to the account from which the amount was transferred.
It may also be necessary for you to send the original documents (or certified copies of these) to FHV before you will be included in the admission procedure. It is therefore in your interests to apply early.
All documents required for application must be submitted in either German or English.
Unless there is an agreement concerning exemption between the country of origin and Austria, documents (certificates, records, confirmations etc.) from other countries must be legalised and certified if they are to be recognised in Austria. Legalisation can apply to either the original document or a certified copy. The purpose of legalisation is to confirm the authenticity of the signatures and seal. Documents from a higher education institution in another country have the full evidential value as domestic public documents if they have the required certification. Documents from countries with which Austria has concluded a bilateral agreement concerning exemption from legalisation are exempt.
- no legalisation (as long as there is a bilateral agreement in place);
- the apostille of the issuing country (Hague Convention);
- full diplomatic legalisation (no agreement).
The Legalisation List in Higher Education available from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (last update: April 2025) makes clear which groups are present for the issuing country and for the documents that need to be submitted.
Exemption from any legalisation
This rule applies to the following countries:
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden.
Legalisation in the form of the apostille
If an apostille must be affixed to a document, the competent authorities for the issuing state can be found at this link. The following countries signed the" Hague Legalisation Convention":
Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China (including Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, except Taiwan), Cape Verde, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Georgia, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea (Republic of), Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malta, Marshal Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Switzerland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Türkiye, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Venezuela, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay.
The apostille is only issued correctly if the signature of the person issuing the document in question (e.g. Rector, Director etc.) is confirmed. Certification of the signature of the translator or notary public is not sufficient.
Important information for applicants from the Peoples Republic of China who have passed the National College Entrance Examination ('Gaokao') in China but who have not yet completed their first semester: Please have your documents of your university entrance examination ('Gaokao') and the document of your admission's letter for a bachelor's degree programme to a state-recognised university in China verified by the "China Academic Degrees & Graduation Education Development Center" (CDGDC) www.cdgdc.edu.cn . Please attach the CDGDC verification to your application for admission to study in Austria.
In case you have already completed one semester of your degree at a "211"-university or at least three semesters at a state-recognised university in China at the time of your application for admission to study in Austria, you have to have your documents verified by the Academic Evaluation Beijing, as the CDGDC verification is not accepted by the Austrian institutions of higher education (www.aps.org.cn) in such cases.
Full diplomatic legalisation
If the documents require "full diplomatic legalisation", the provisions below for each certificate/diploma are mandatory:
- First step: Legalisation by the competent sectorial Ministry (e.g. Ministry of Education) of the country of origin;
- Second step: 'Overlegalisation' by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of origin;
- Third step: Legalisation by the Austrian diplomatic representation in the country of origin.
Please note that legalisation cannot be done by the diplomatic representation of the respective country in Austria or by the Legalisation Office of the Federal Ministry of European and International Affairs.
Translations
All documents required for a complete application must be submitted in either German or English. If the original document is not issued in one of these two languages, the document must be translated. The translation must be prepared by a sworn and officially accredited translator.
Please note that the original document must show all required stamps of legalisation prior to translation. All stamps, seals and legalisation notes must also be translated.
The translation must be attached to the original document by the translator.
Suspension of Legalisation
The execution of the legalisation of documents from certain countries can be suspended by the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs if reliable examination of the genuineness or correctness of contents of these documents cannot be guaranteed.
At present, this applies to:
Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo – Democratic Republic of (Kinshasa), Iraq, Korea (Democratic People's Republic of), Myanmar, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan.
Application deadline for applicants from third countries: 1st March
The reason for this is that it sometimes takes longer to check international documents or that lead times are required for applying for a visa or residence permit.
Exception: if you already have a ‘permanent residence - EU’ residence permit, the other application deadlines also apply here. The residence permit must be uploaded to the online application as an addition to the proof of citizenship in order for the application to be considered.
Top tips
This is how it works in Vorarlberg
Here you will find links with relevant information particularly useful if you are not from Vorarlberg.
If you still have any questions, please contact the administration of the study programme for which you would like to apply.