Frequently Asked Questions

Applications for a leave of absence should be sent to the Admissions Office at the University of Vienna. The application deadline is set by the university and ends at the latest at the beginning of the respective semester. In the event of the unforeseen and unavoidable occurrence of a legal reason for a leave of absence (exception: voluntary social year), the leave of absence can also be applied for during the respective semester. The application can be submitted via the online form via the Servicedesk of the University of Vienna.

The deadline for the 2024 winter semester is September 30, 2024.

The deadline for the summer semester 2025 is February 28, 2025.

The application form is only available online at the service desk of the University of Vienna. A leave of absence is also possible in the University Preparation Programme ("Vorstudienlehrgang"). Which document is necessary for the respective reason for the leave of absence appears on the screen as soon as the corresponding reason has been selected. If you cannot find a reason that suits you on the form, please also attach a statement of the facts.

Requirements

At the University of Vienna, a leave of absence can be granted for a maximum of 2 semesters per case for the following reasons:

Legal reasons:

• Pregnancy
• Care of your children
• Performance of the presence service
• Performance of civil service
• Illness, injury, disability
• Voluntary social year
• Obligations to care for a relative or another person close to me
• Impairment related to a disability

Reasons according to the statutes of the University of Vienna ("Satzung der Uni Wien"):

• Employment or professional training measures
• Dealing with authorities abroad
• Completion of voluntary environmental protection year, memorial service or peace and social service
• Other reasons worthy of consideration (informal statement of facts)

The leave of absence can be used repeatedly to look after a child up to the child's 18th birthday. It is not the child itself, but the need for care that is the cause. For some reasons, e.g. illness or employment, there must be at least a four-week impairment to your studies.

NOTICE: During the semester on leave, admission to the course remains valid, but participation in courses, taking exams and submitting and assessing scientific work is not permitted. Certificates from previous semesters can still be acquired until the end of the grace period. During the semester on leave there is no entitlement to family allowance ("Familienbeihilfe"), co-insurance ("Mitversicherung"), student self-insurance, study allowance ("Studienbeihilfe"), etc.

An application for leave of absence that has already been submitted can be withdrawn by the end of the respective application period.

Further information 

Department for social affairs

For courses with continuous assessment, the following legal situation applies according to § 10 (4) of the study law part of the statutes of the University of Vienna ("Satzung der Universität Wien"): "The head of the course with continuous assessment is entitled to allow the subsequent submission of a written contribution for courses in the winter semester by April 30^th, for courses in the summer semester by September 30^th. In the case of block courses that take place exclusively when there are no courses, this period is a maximum of three months, starting with the last course unit.

The leaders of a course with continuous assessment are therefore entitled (but not obliged) to accept a (pro)seminar paper even after the end of the course. These regulations apply not only to (pro)seminar papers, but also to all other written work that is required as a partial performance in courses with continuous assessment.

Office for education and politics

Recipients of study grants who attend a language course for studying abroad are partially reimbursed for the costs. 80% of the course costs will be reimbursed, but no more than € 365 will be supported. For a language course of at least two weeks completed abroad immediately prior to studying abroad, you will also receive a subsidy in the amount of one monthly rate of the subsidy for studying abroad. There is no legal entitlement to the language scholarship.

Department for social affairs

Recipients of a study grant who are studying abroad can be granted a subsidy for their travel expenses by the scholarship office("Stipendienstelle"). However, there is no legal entitlement to this. The amount of the travel allowance depends on the country in which the study abroad is completed. The exact amount is listed on the website of the Studienbeihilfenbehörde (german).

Department for social affairs

You are still entitled to study grants for a maximum of four semesters studying abroad. In addition, you can receive a monthly allowance for studying abroad for at least one month, the amount of which is based on the standard of living in your destination country. For students under 24, different amounts apply for external and non-external. The exact amount of this monthly foreign grant can be found on the website of the Studienbeihilfenbehörde (german).

After completing your studies abroad, you must provide proof of academic success for the time spent abroad no later than the application deadline for the following semester. To do this, you need a notice of recognition for at least 3 ECTS points per month spent abroad. Alternatively, confirmation of the progress of the bachelor's or scientific work is also possible.

Department for social affairs

Recipients of study grants who have taken out self-insurance for students (ÖGK) are entitled to an insurance contribution of € 19 per month or € 228 per year from the month following their 27^th birthday. The payment is made automatically but only afterwards.

Department for social affairs

Travel allowances for recipients of study grants are granted in three variants:

• General travel allowance for trips to the place of study using public transport,
• Commuter allowance for the daily commute to the place of study and
• Home travel allowance for students whose permanent place of residence is more than 200 km away from the place of study.

There is no legal entitlement to a travel allowance. Further details can be found on the information page of the Studienbeihilfenbehörde (german).

Department for social affairs

If you receive study grants, you can also receive travel allowances, a contribution to insurance costs, a grant for studying abroad including a travel allowance and a subsidy for a language course.

In addition, an exemption from the ORF-Beitrag, a subsidy for telephone charges and an exemption from Erneuerbaren Förderkosten („EAG-Kosten-Befreiung“) are possible.

Department for social affairs

Compulsory insurance according to GSVG applies here (obligation to register with the SVS - Sozialversicherungsanstalt der Selbständigen).

If the annual limit is not exceeded, an opting-in (voluntary health insurance in the SVS) is also possible.

Department for social affairs

The "Selbsterhalter*innen" scholarship is applied for like the "normal" study grant. Information and documents on parents and siblings are not required. However, the periods of "Selbsterhalt" must be documented with the appropriate documents (payslips, income tax assessments, confirmation of receipt of unemployment benefits, parental leave benefits, childcare benefits and the like).

Department for social affairs