Students Info

This page contains useful information for students applying to the DK CIM, as well as for new students. Please use of the (blue) links on this page for more information. 

Application 

Why join the DK CIM

• You are given the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary way.
• You have the opportunity to collaborate with several faculty members, as well as with other students within the DK CIM.
• You are supervised by a thesis committee, consisting of your main supervisor and up to two additional supervisors.
• The DK CIM is committed to increasing the percentage of female employees in science. Therefore the DK CIM explicitly invites women to apply.
• About 40% of the PhD students at the University of Innsbruck are from abroad.
• As a Ph.D. student of the DK CIM you are employed at the University of Innsbruck (30 hours/week), which means full social security coverage under the Austrian national law. The gross salary for these positions will be about 2.684,10 €/month (14x, year: 2024).

Please, only apply for open positions!

What you need

• a complete CV
• grades and transcript of your master certificate and your undergraduate level certificates including a diploma supplement
• a list of previous scientific experiences and skills
• a synopsis of your diploma/master thesis
• a list of publications, talks and poster presentations at conferences

Passport & visa requirements

Students from EU/EEA member states and Switzerland coming to Austria need a valid passport to enter the country, as well as to study and to work here (see next section, if you stay longer than 3 months).
Students from other countries staying for a maximum of 6 months (see next section, if you stay longer than 6 months) need either:

• a travel visa C (Reisevisum C) for entry to and residence in Austria for a stay of a maximum of 90 days
• a residence visa D (Aufenthaltsvisum D) for entry to and residence in Austria for a stay of at least 91 days and a maximum of 6 months

For more information click on the following link: OEAD

Reminder: Always keep an official ID with you!

Obligatory registration as a resident

In many European countries there is the legal requirement to register your current place of residence at the local authorities or the police. In Austria, a registration (Meldebestätigung) form called Meldezettel is needed. You must register as a resident in Innsbruck within 3 workdays after arrival. A new form has to be filled in, or amended, each time residence is changed. The residents' registration office is located in Maria-Theresien-Strasse 18, Rathaus, 1st floor (Monday-Thursday 8am - 3pm; Friday 8am - 12pm). 
Detailed information and the Meldezettel-form can be found on the webpage of the city of Innsbruck.

For more information click on the following link: Meldebestätigung

EU/EFTA and Swiss citizens staying for more than 3 months must apply for a residence permit at the Rathaus (Niederlassungsnachweis for settling in Austria, Aufenthaltserlaubnis for working or studying, but not settling in Austria).

 You need:

• a valid passport
• a confirmation of a valid health insurance (see the health insurance section);
• a confirmation of adequate financial resources = a grant confirmation or bank statement that at least € 400/month are paid into your account
• a registration confirmation of the University of Innsbruck

The costs for obtaining residence permits range from € 75-150 and are mandatory.

Reminder: Before your departure from Austria you must deregister.

Health insurance

Even with a health insurance from your home country that is valid in Austria, an additional Austrian health insurance is mandatory. If you are employed at the  University of Innsbruck, a part of your wage is automatically  deducted for your Austrian health insurance.

Only in case of having a scholarship and a health insurance from your home country that covers studying abroad, an Austrian health insurance is not required. This is the case for:

• EU citizens with a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This card is issued by the health insurance carrier. Employees sent to Austria also need the E102-form from their health insurance in their home country.
• anyone, who has a valid national health insurance in a country that has enacted a health insurance agreement with Austria (at the moment these countries are: Bosnia, Croatia, Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey). In addition, the A3-form is required, which is available from the national health insurance carrier.

If you do not fall into the above-mentioned categories, you should take out a health insurance policy, for instance the  Austrian Insurance for Students (Freiwillige Selbstversicherung für Studenten) from the Tiroler Gebietskrankenkasse (TGKK, Klara-Pölt-Weg 2, Innsbruck). This insurance is available to all foreign students independent of their nationality. A confirmation of registration as a resident of Innsbruck and as a student of the University of Innsbruck (available from LFU-online) is needed for that.

For more information click on the following link: Tiroler Gebietskrankenkasse

In the case of being far away from your place of duty during normal office hours without exemption, holiday or time compensation, or getting ill or having an accident, the health insurance will not cover any expenses, as your are expected to be at your place of work. In such cases, the insurance of the University of Innsbruck will not pay either. You have to cover all resulting costs on your own.

• Reasons for exemptions at other places are: conferences, cooperations with other institutes, etc. Applications for exemptions (Freistellung) can be obtained at VIS:online. The respective form has to be submitted 2-3 weeks in advance.
• Applications for a vacation have to be submitted electronically also at VIS:online 

Legal information

Accidents at the university or on your direct way to/from home are covered by the university's insurance. Typically, this insurance pays better than the health insurance. However, such events must be reported to the secretary at your institute immediately.

Illnesses must be reported to the secretary at your institute instantly. In case you are getting ill during a vacation, the days on which you are ill do not count as a holiday. If the duration of your illness is longer than 3 days, a medical certificate must be handed in on the morning of the fourth day of illness at the latest.

Employment laws: Austrian legislation requires that your job is carried out at your place of duty (university). Your are not allowed to work more than 10 hours per day. However, you are allowed to take some compensation. The total amount of compensation per month must not exceed 2 days. A student is entitled to 25 days of vacation per year. In the database VIS:online your find the respective information. Login with your e-mail-ID: cXXXXXX and your password. You have to consume your holidays within the following year (ultimately before the end of the contract), otherwise you lose your vacation entitelment. 

Opening a bank account

One of the first things that should be done after your arrival in Innsbruck is to open a bank account. A bank account is not only required  for receiving your payment from the University of Innsbruck, but it is also useful for many other reasons, e.g. your health insurance. Some banks (e.g. Hypo Tirol Bank) offer free or cheaper accounts for students. To open a bank account you need the following documents:

• a valid passport
• a vaild postal address (you can also use your institute's address)
• Sometimes banks ask for a proof of residence in Austria (Meldezettel).
• Certain banks ask for a proof of studies (e.g. Studienbestätigung) or the job contract with the University of Innsbruck.

Following the opening of the account, a bank card, a PIN and detailed information are sent by mail.

Accommodation

Searching for accommodation is not always easy and usually requires some time. The website of the Students Union ÖH Innsbruck provides information about accommodation. One other main source of information is the local newspaper: Tiroler Tageszeitung (TT)  with advertisements in its Saturday issue. It is important to react quickly: usually in the afternoon of the same day on which the advertisements appeared in the newspaper, the best flats are already taken. Therefore it is advisable to get the newspaper early in the morning and start calling right away. Another option is to search the internet:

immo.tt

OEAD

There are two types of flats which are ideally suited for students: either a room in a shared flat, which in German is called Wohngemeinschaft (WG), or a flat of your own, which is usually more expensive. 

Language

German is the dominant and prevalent language spoken in Austria. However, you should be aware of the fact that German is not exactly the same everywhere! Even though the written language and the grammar is uniform across the whole country, there is a wide range of regional accents and dialects. Some dialects spoken in Tirol for example, are so strong that even Austrians have difficulties understanding them. Don’t be surprised if you feel completely lost at the beginning when visiting these regions. This variety of languages reflects the multitude of regional cultures and habits in Austria.

During each semester the course "Deutsch als Fremdsprache" is held on 3 levels (from beginners to advanced) for all foreign students at the International Language Centre of the University of Innsbruck. As a registered student the course (8 hours a week) costs € 160 for each level. For details please click on the following link:

International Language Centre (ISI)  

Help service

Useful information for people living and working in Austria is available from HELP, the Austrian government help service or the Business Service Portal USP. The service center team informs interested citizens about eGovernment topics such as the Austrian citizen card and provides competent assistance on a variety of electronic public services. For Detailed information click on the follwoing link:

HELP.gv.at

International Relation Office

The role of the Office for International Relations is to promote the internationalisation of the University of Innsbruck, to set up and maintain international partnerships and cooperation programmes and to support members of the University in all their international activities.

For more information click on the following links:

International Relations Office

International Student Guide

The Austrain Foreign Mininistry

The Foreign Minister of Austria is responsible for handling Austria’s foreign policy. For more information click on the following link:

Europe Integration Foreign Affairs

Sports

The Austrian Alpine Club also offers a full programme for ski touring, climbing, mountain biking, hiking, etc. For more inromation click on the following link:

alpenverein.österreich

Cost of living

Life in Innsbruck is expensive. For accommodation, meals and leisure activities, spending € 800 to € 1000 per month is considered normal. However, this estimate obviously depends strongly on your personal lifestyle. A lunch menu at the Mensa costs € 4 to 6, a cinema ticket € 5.50 to € 16, a one-day ski pass approx. € 45. A season ski pass for the Innsbruck area costs approx. € 375.

Everyday life

Shopping

Shops are usually open from 9am - 6pm Mondays to Fridays. Grocery shops like M-Preis, Merkur, Hofer, Spar, Billa, etc. often open earlier. Most shops also open on Saturdays until 5pm - 6pm. There is a supermarket at the main train station, which is open every day from 6am - 9pm. Innsbruck offers some larger shopping centers, namely Sillpark (near the train station), Rathaus Galerien (Maria-Theresienstrasse), DEZ (eastern city) and Cyta (in Völs west of Innsbruck).

Public Transport:

Bus and tram: https://www.ivb.at/en/passenger/tickets/overview-of-tickets.html

From 8pm to 2am the Women’s Night Taxi (phone: 55 1711) can be ordered (at least 20 minutes before the journey) for € 4.90 per person. This taxi will wait outside until the lights in your home are turned on. For further information click on the following link:

IVB

Train: The Austrian Federal Railways (German: Österreichische Bundesbahnen, ÖBB) offer the Vorteilscard (discount pass) with which train tickets can be obtained at half price for destinations within Austria. This card costs € 19.90 for students under 26 and is valid for 12 months. It is available at the main station with confirmation of registration and a photo. (Vorteilscard Service Tel. 0810- 966 200) 
For further information on timetables, prices, etc. click on the following link:

OBB  

Travel arrangements and reimbursement

Log in VIS-Online

1. Persönliche Daten
2. Dienstreisen / Freistellung
3. Neue Freistellung
4. Begründung: 
   - Tagungen for Conferences and Meetings
   - Forschungsleistungen for Scientific Stays
5. Fill in the destination
6. Fill in the duration (Dauer)
7. Genehmigung:
   - If you are hired by the institute (Wiss. MA), select Abteilung/Institut.
   - If you are hired by a project, select Projekt and name the project leader (Projektleiter), as well as the name of the project.
   - If you do not know to which category you belong to and/or which project you are hired for, please ask your supervisor.
8. Give general remarks in the section Allgemeine Anmerkungen zur Freistellung, e.g. the reason of your travel
9. Upload the program, invitation letter, etc.

Usually all the expenses are accounted after your journey. Please fill in the form Abrechnung von Reisekostenzuschuss and attach all invoices in the original. For bills paid by credit card a bank statement needs to be added. This form has to give to your administrative assistent of your institute.