Contact us
Exchange students
international@tugraz.at
Contact persons of the mobility programmes
International degree seeking students, international staff and guests
Welcome Center
welcomecenter@tugraz.at
Quarantine Support Service for Internationals at TU Graz
International Office - Welcome Center Emergency Hotline
0043 664 60 873 6427
Address for visitors:
Lessingstraße 32/first floor
A-8010 Graz
Map
Office Hours:
Due to COVID-19 regulations visits to our office are currently only possible by appointment. We kindly ask you to arrange an appointment with your contact person in advance (Contacts).
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PLEASE NOTE
We are constantly updating this page and, despite thorough research, we would like to point out that this information page does not replace legally valid information provided by the Austrian representation. Instead, it should be seen as an additional support for better understanding.
Prior to arrival
Travel Restrictions and Entry Regulations
Summary of current travel restrictions and entry regulations (OeAD, update from 19 October 2020)
It is important that you closely monitor the entry requirements (e.g. COVID-19 test, self-quarantine) and follow the regulations from the Austrian government.
- Check the travel restrictions and entry regulations regularly before your arrival to Austria. Following websites could provide you with up to date information:
- Website of the Austrian representative authority in your home country
- Ministry of the Exterior of your home country
- Austrian Ministry of the Interior
- If you arrive by plane please note that there might be additional regulations required by your airline
- Check if you have to undergo a self-quarantine upon arrival
- Please inform yourself in advance if a self-quarantine might be necessary in your case.
- If you need to undergo a self-quarantine upon arrival in Austria, the International Office – Welcome Center will offer a self-quarantine service
- You can sign up on our website
Visa/Residence Permit
Due to COVID-19 Austrian embassies might not be open yet or only offer some services. Please regularly check their websites. It is of high importance to start early enough to request your residence permit/visa, because it might take longer than normal. If you have open questions please get in touch with your contact person in the International Office – Welcome Center.
Health Insurance
It is important that you have sufficient health insurance coverage at any given moment during your travels to/from Austria and your stay in Austria. It is advisable to have a travel health insurance for your travels to Graz/Austria and the first 2-3 weeks in Austria. Afterwards you should have a regular health insurance in case you need medical treatment:
- If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss National: Please check if you have a valid health insurance coverage in Austria with your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)
- If you are not an EU/EEA/Swiss National or don`t have a sufficient coverage from your home country: Depending if you are an international exchange student/international degree seeking student or staff different options for a regular health insurance in Austria for the duration of your stay are available.
- All exchange students need to have either coverage with the EHIC or have to obtain the National Health Insurance ÖGK upon arrival. Exchange students will receive further information about health insurance coverage from their contact person at the International Office from TU Graz.
- International degree seeking students/staff are responsible to inform themselves and obtain a health insurance on their own but they can get in touch with the Welcome Center at TU Graz if they have open questions.
Preparing your Stay
Keep in mind that if you need to undergo a self-quarantine, you are not allowed to leave your accommodation. We therefore recommend that you bring the following from your country of origin to Graz in addition to the documents and objects that you would take with you anyway:
- Medication that you take regularly (if necessary, observe import regulations - if you have any questions, please contact the Austrian representative authority)
- If possible: clinical thermometer
- Mouth-nose protection
- If possible: hand and surface disinfectant
- SIM card/phone card with Austrian/international phone plan, if you are arriving from outside the EU
- Some cash money (currency Euro €)
General Information how to prepare your stay at TU Graz can be found on the following pages:
- Exchange students: Your stay at TU Graz - preparation
- International staff, guests and degree seeking students: Welcome Center
Housing Information
When signing a housing contract please also check the cancellation policy of the housing provider, to be aware about the cancellation dates/policy in case you cannot come to Austria or arrive later or have to go home earlier. Some dormitories might offer the possibility to defer your contract to a later date, some others might ask for a cancellation fee or keep (part of) your deposit.
Please also check with your housing provider what equipment is available in your room (blankets, pillows).
It might be very convenient to get some essential equipment delivered to your accommodation at a requested delivery date in order to make sure that you have all essentials once you arrive. Unistarter, an Austrian company, offers a variety of items/sets for the start in your new home. Also check the website of ESN Austria who has a cooperation with Unistarter.
If you need to undergo a self-quarantine you have to make sure that the accommodation is quarantine suitable. Please check with your housing provider if it is possible to have a separate space/room and also separate bathroom/kitchen area in your accommodation during the quarantine time. In case this is not possible, please organize an accommodation that is suitable for this purpose. Information about the Quarantine Support Service provided by the International Office - Welcome Center can be found here.
Arrival in Austria/at TU Graz
Steps upon arrival
- Follow the entry regulations and organize in advance if you need to undergo a self-quarantine (see support in case of obligatory self-quarantine)
- Get in touch with our International Office - Welcome Center
- Exchange students: follow the instructions given out by e-mail and contact your exchange coordinatr at TU Graz if there are any open questions
- International degree seeking students, staff and guests: contact the Welcome Center
- Participate in the information events for international students
- Info Events for International degree seeking students: International Welcome Days
- Info Events for Exchange students: Orientation Events
- Inform yourself about the current rules and regulations in Austria
COVID-19 test upon arrival in Austria
In case you have to or want to do a COVID-19 test (PCR test) upon arrival in Austria more information can be found here:
- COVID-19 test possibility at Vienna Airport:
If you enter Austria via Vienna Airport, you can also do a COVID-19 test (PCR-test) directly at the airport (have a look at their website for more information) - Early termination of quarantine by negative COVID-19 test (PCR test):
Depending which citizen you are and from what destination you started your journey you might have the option to choose if you either undergo a self-quarantine or show a negative molecular-biological COVID-19 test (PRC-test) result. If that is the case you can also do such a test in Austria. Please have a look at the section Travel Restrictions and Entry Regulations to check what entry regulations/requirements apply in your case. If you want to get more information about where to do such a test, please write an email to quarantine-support@tugraz.at - COVID-19 test if you have symptoms of illness or suspected of having contracted COVID-19
please check the section Health-related COVID-19 Information for more information
Living in Austria/Studying at TU Graz
Health-related COVID-19 Information
- Information from the Austrian Federal Ministry
- Patient information from the city of Graz (in German)
You have symptoms of illness or suspected of having contracted COVID-19?
- Don`t visit a doctor but call the health hotline 1450.
- Follow further instructions that you receive from the health hotline.
- Stay in self-isolation, i.e. avoid contact with other people. If such contact cannot be avoided, e.g. in the family, flatmates, pay particular attention to the rules of conduct to avoid infecting other people: the greatest possible distance from other people, increased hand hygiene, sneezing and coughing in the crook of your arm, use of face masks.
- Inform your contact person at TU Graz
- Exchange students: please inform your contact person in the International Office – Welcome Center at TU Graz (Contacts)
- International degree seeking students/staff: please inform the Welcome Center at TU Graz (Contact)
- Obligation to report (suspected) COVID-19 cases to TU Graz.
Every student at TU Graz who has contracted COVID-19 or who is suspected of having contracted the virus, must inform the central reporting office of TU Graz immediately via the email address coronameldung@tugraz.at adding the filled in Case Report Form (can be downloaded from TU4U). More information about the reporting process can be found in TU4U.
COVID-19 Updates from the Austrian Government
Updates on a glance:
- Update from the 19 October 2020
- Update from the 17 September 2020
- Úpdate from the 14 September 2020
- Update from the 4 September 2020
- Update from the 24 July 2020
Further links and Information:
- COVID-19 Traffic Light System in Austria is active since 4. September 2020. Explanation of the colours and measures (in German).
- Austria.info: Up-to-date information on the Coronavirus situation (English)
COVID-19 Information from TU Graz
PLEASE NOTE: Students are obligated to report (suspected) COVID-19 cases to TU Graz - more info in the section Health-related COVID-19 Information
Currently, access to service departments is possible by appointment only.
Information for international degree seeking students: Please visit the Registrar’s Office only with an arranged appointment (new registrations directly through the online application, other students have to contact studienservice@tugraz.at) and wearing a face mask!
Support Services
Quarantine Support Service
The International Office – Welcome Center of TU Graz is happy to assist and support international students and staff from TU Graz during the period they have to undergo a self-quarantine. The quarantine support service is free of charge. A local TU Graz student is going to provide you with food, other essential items and, if necessary, medication and complete the required registration with the City of Graz for you in case you go into quarantine immediately upon your arrival.
Please sign up here if you want to use this service. If it is a required home-quarantine upon arrival, we kindly ask you to sign up as soon possible, latest 4 working days prior to arrival.
After we have received your request we will get in touch with you and provide you with further information.
We know that staying in quarantine can also be emotionally challenging. Therefore we will also organize some online activities where you can ask open questions and also connect with others. Information about those activities will be sent out by e-mail.
Please check with your housing provider if your booked accommodation is suitable to undergo quarantine and if it is possible to have a separate space/room and also separate bathroom/kitchen area in your accommodation during the quarantine time. In case this is not possible, please organize an accommodation that is suitable for this purpose.
If you have open questions regarding this service, please contact quarantine-support@tugraz.at
Health & Wellbeing
Especially in challenging times it is important to take care of your psychological and physical health. Even if physical distancing is important, we should keep socially close to each other, make new friends, talk about the challenges we all face, and stay active. Please find below some useful resources:
- Activities and (online) events organized by the International Office – Welcome Center (TBA)
- Erasmus Student Network (ESN Graz):
student organization that takes care of exchange students and organizes activities, pick-up service, buddy programme etc. - Sports courses and activities from the student union
- Psychosocial counseling for TU Graz students (in German, please use Google Translate)
- Psychological student counselling service
Emergency Phone Hotline
In case of an emergency, Internationals can also contact our International Office - Welcome Center outside our business hours. Please note that general enquiries will only be answered during business hours. This hotline is for emergencies only.
International Office - Welcome Center Emergency Hotline
0043 664 60 873 6427
In case of a real emergency please contact the correct emergency hotline: the emergency phone numbers can be found at the Website oesterreich.gv.at
