Remission and reimbursement

If you study at the University of Vienna you have to pay the tuition fee/Students' Union fee each semester in due time. If certain grounds are at hand, you can submit an application for remission. If you have already paid, you can apply for a reimbursement of the tuition fee provided you fulfil the applicable reasons. 

Remission of the tuition fee

If one of the reasons mentioned below applies to you, you submit your application for remission of the tuition fee within the application period. 

We recommend: Submit your application for remission no later than one month before the deadline. The processing of your application may take several weeks. We will inform you about the outcome of your application as well as any further steps that may be required via e-mail to your u:account e-mail address.

 Application period

  • winter semester 2024/25: 
    from 11 July to 31 October 2024 
  • summer semester 2025:
    from 7 January to 31 March 2025

Please note:

  • We only accept the reasons for remission and proofs listed below. 
  • The reasons for remission apply only to degree programme students, with few exceptions. If they also apply for non-degree students it is explicitly stated. 
  • You also have to pay the Students' Union fee in due time even if the remission is granted. 
  • You can only apply for remission in the semester in which the reason for remission occurs. A remission in retrospect, e.g. for an illness in the past, is not possible. 
  • You have to add the required proofs for the remission to each application. 

Reasons for remission

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  • Reasons for remission for EU/EEA/CH citizens and persons with equal status
    • Pregnancy: at least two months during the semester 
      Proof: confirmation by a medical specialist (PDF)
    • Illness: at least two months during the semester
      Proof: confirmation by a medical specialist (PDF)
    • Childcare: care for children up to seven years/school entry age who live in the same household as you
      Proof: "Meldezettel" of you plus "Meldezettel" and birth certificate of the child
    • Care for relatives 
      Proof: roof of kinship (birth/marriage certificate) and notification of care level or confirmation by a medical specialist regarding the need for care (no diagnosis required) as well as a statutory declaration of the applicant that the person is cared for by the applicant  
  • Reasons for remission for all students
    • Students (including non-degree programmes) who receive or have received federal aid for students in the current or last semester 
      Proof: official notification from the Austrian Study Grant Authority ("Studienbeihilfenbehörde") 
    • Students (including non-degree programmes) with disabilities: degree of disability of at least 50 %
      Proof: disabled person card issued by the Federal Social Welfare Office ("Sozialministeriumservice")
    • Participation in a mobility programme in Austria or abroad 
      Proof: confirmation of participation in a mobility programme
    • Stay abroad due to mandatory requirements in the curriculum 
      Proof: confirmation from the directorate of studies
    • Holders of a victim pass ("Opferausweis")
      Proof: victim pass or confirmation from the administrative office according to § 4 Opferfürsorgegesetz, BGBl. Nr. 183/1947 idgF
    • Research grant holders at the University of Vienna 
      Proof: award letter
  • ÖH-Funktion

    If you perform a function in the Austrian Students' Union, you can apply for remission of the tution fee. Only use the provided from for remission for students working in the Students' Union (PDF, only available in German). You can only apply for remission for four semesters. 

  • Employees

    If you work and study at the University of Vienna at the same time, the tuition fee will be automatically remitted (regardless of citizenship). 

    Prerequisites 

    • You were employed at the University of Vienna for at least 90 days during the previous semesters.
    • Your Austrian insurance number is entered in your student data in u:space. 
    • You are not studying at another Austrian University. 

    Please note, that the full fee will be prescribed at the beginning of the payment period. This changes automatically after a few days. Only pay the Students' Union fee then. 

    You can find further information in the Intranet of the University of Vienna (login required).

  • Students with Ukrainian citizenship

    The tuition fee for winter semester 2024/25 is automatically remitted for students with Ukrainian citizenship who are admitted to a degree or non-degree programme. You do not have to submit a separate application for remission. 

Reimbursement of the tuition fee/Students' Union fee

You can apply for reimbursement if you have already paid the tuition fee. We only accept the reasons for reimbursement listed below. 

Submit your application for reimbursement in due time. The processing of your application may take several weeks. We will inform you about the outcome of your application as well as any further steps that may be required via e-mail to your u:account e-mail address.

 Application period

  • for the summer semester:
    until the following 30 September
  • for the winter semester:
    until the following 28/29 February

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  • Reasons for reimbursement
    • Closing the degree programme before the beginning of the semester (withdrawing from a degree programme)
      You have closed your degree programme before the beginning of the semester? If you are not admitted to any other degree programme where the tuition fee is prescribed at another university, the tuition fee can be reimbursed. 
    • Completing a degree programme before the end of the admission period (graduating)
      You have completed your degree programme or stage of the degree programme at the University of Vienna before the end of the admission period (date of the last examination)? If you are neither admitted to another degree programme where the tuition fee is prescribed at the University of Vienna nor any other Austrian university, the tuition fee can be reimbursed. 
    • Closing the degree programme before the end of the admission period 
      You have closed your degree programme before the end of the admission period of the current semester and you are not admitted to another degree programme where the tuition fee is prescribed at any other Austrian University? A reimbursement in this case is only possible if you:
      • were admitted at the University of Vienna in the previous semester or 
      • have not participated in any examinations and have not submitted any academic papers for grading in the current semester. 
    • Application for leave of absence granted 
      After paying the tuition fee your application for leave of absence was granted? A reimbursement is only possible if you have submitted your application for leave of absence before 30 November (for the winter semester) and 30 April (for the summer semester).  
    • Application for remission granted  
      Your application for remission of the tuition fee was granted after paying the tuition fee? The tuition fee that you have paid can be reimbursed. 
    • The fee paid was too high 
      You have paid a too high fee? The difference to the prescribed fee can be reimbursed. 
    • The fee paid was too little
      You have paid too little and are therefore no longer admitted at the University of Vienna? The fee that you have paid can be reimbursed. 
  • Reimbursement of the Students' Union fee

    The Students' Union fee does not remain at the University of Vienna. It is forwarded to the Students' Union.  

    Therefore you have to submit your application for reimbursement directly at the Students' Union. The application is possible if a reasons for reimbursement applies and 

    • if you have completed or closed your degree programme and are also not admitted at any other Austrian university or 
    • if you have paid the Students' Union fee at the University of Vienna and also at another Austrian university/university of applied sciences for the same semester. 

    You have accidently paid the Students' Union fee twice at the University of Vienna? 
    If you have accidentally paid the Students' Union fee twice at the University of Vienna it only transferred once to the Austrian Students' Union. In this case you have to apply for reimbursement not at the Students' Union but directly at the University of Vienna. 

This is how you apply for remission and/or reimbursement

  1. Scan the required proofs for remission and/or reimbursement. Save them in a good quality that is easy to read. Merge all documents into one PDF file using an online tool of your choice. The proofs have to be issued in German or English or translated into German/English by an official court appointed translation agency. 
  2. Complete the online form in the Servicedesk and add the required proofs as attachment. If you want to apply for remission as well as reimbursement choose the option "I want to submit an application for remission AND reimbursement of the tuition fee/Students’ Union fee" in the online form. 
  3. If you apply for reimbursement: Add or update your bank data in u:space > Personal matters > Personal data. The transfer is only possible with correct and current bank data.  

 Submit your application in due time!

If you miss the application period, your application will be rejected without any exceptions. A reimbursement is no longer possible in this case. 

 FAQ about the remission

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  • Remission due to illness: What qualifies als illness?

    Reasons for illness may be, among other things, major operations, chronic illness or also mental impairments. You need a confirmation by a medical specialist (fachärztliche Bestätigung), that you are thereby impaired from your studies for at least two months during the semester. The diagnosis does not need to be stated.

  • What shall I do if I do not have all proofs for applying for remission until the application deadline?

    In this case you must pay the tuition fee. Afterwards, you will be able to apply for remission and reimbursement at the same time. These two applications can be submitted for the winter semester until the following 28/29 February and for the summer semester until 30 September. 

  • My application for remission of the tuition fee was granted, but I have already paid the tuition fee. What can I do?

    If your application for remission was granted, you can apply for the reimbursement of the tuition fee in order to get the money transferred back to your bank account. The application for reimbursement can also be submitted at the same time as the application for remission of the tuition fee.

  • What happens after I have applied for remission/reimbursement?

    The processing of your application takes approximately four weeks. You will receive information about the outcome via e-mail to your u:account e-mail address.

 FAQ about the reimbursement

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  • I have paid a too high tuition fee. Will it be reimbursed automatically?

    If you have paid a too high tuition fee you have to apply for reimbursement yourself. The remaining difference to the prescribed fee can be reimbursed. 

  • I have closed my degree programme before the end of the admission period. Will the tuition fee be reimbursed?

    You have closed your degree programme before the end of the admission period of the current semester and you are not admitted to another degree programme where the tuition fee is prescribed at any other Austrian University? A reimbursement in this case is only possible if you:

    • were admitted at the University of Vienna in the previous semester or 
    • have not participated in any examinations and have not submitted any academic papers for grading in the current semester. 
  • I have completed my degree programme. Will my tuition fee be reimbursed?

    If you complete your degree programme until 31 October in winter semester and are also not admitted to any other programme where you have to pay the tuition fee, the fee can be reimbursed. This also the case if you have already taken the last examination but the grade is only entered after 31 October. The important thing is that the date of the last examination is 31 October at the latest. The same is applies if you complete your degree programme until 31 March in summer semester.