Contact us
Exchange students
Contact persons of the mobility programmes
International degree seeking students, international staff and guests
Welcome Center
welcomecenter@tugraz.at
Address for visitors:
Mandellstraße 15/II
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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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 (last updated: 28.07.2020)
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 embassy in your home country
- Ministry of the Exterior of your home country
- Austrian Ministry of the Interior
- Border control measures at Austria's borders, (German)
- Travelling to Austria (scroll down the website for the English version)
- Austria.info: Up-to-date information on the Coronavirus situation (English)
- 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 to provide you with food and all other necessary supply, answer open questions and support you in necessary registration matters.
- 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. 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.
Arrival in Austria/at TU Graz
Arrival
- Follow entry regulations and organize in advance if you need to undergo a self-quarantine (see Support in case of obligatory self-quarantine)
- Upon arrival:
- Exchange students: get in touch with your exchange coordinator at TU Graz and follow the instructions given out by e-mail (exchange students)
- International degree seeking students, staff and guests: get in touch with the Welcome Center
- Info Events for International degree seeking students: International Welcome Days
- Info Events for Exchange students: Orientation Events
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)
COVID-19 Updates from the Austrian Government
Austria.info: Up-to-date information on the Coronavirus situation (English)
COVID-19 Information from TU Graz
Currently, access to most 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.
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
- Psychological student counselling service
