Leave of absence
Source: https://studieren.univie.ac.at/en/admission/leave-of-absence/ Parent: https://studieren.univie.ac.at/en/admission-procedure/
A leave of absence is only possible for precisely defined reasons. You cannot apply for a leave of absence for an individual programme. It affects all your studies at the University of Vienna.
Please read the consequences of a leave of absence on your studies carefully. Afterwards you can decide whether you want to apply for a leave of absence or not.
Submit the application before the start of the semester within the relevant deadline. During the semester, a leave of absence is only possible for specific reasons. You will also need additional confirmation.
If you are attending a university course, please contact the ServiceCenter of the Postgraduate Center. Doctoral/PhD students should contact doktorat.beurlaubung@univie.ac.at;).
Deadlines
Leave of absence before the beginning of the semester
- Summer semester 2026: from 7 January to 28 February 2026
- Winter semester 2026/27: from 13 July to 30 September 2026
- Summer semester 2027: from 11 January to 28 February 2027
Leave of absence during of the semester
- Winter semester 2025/26: from 1 October 2025 to 28 February 2026
- Summer semester 2026: from 1 March to 30 September 2026
- Winter semester 2026/27: from 1 October 2026 to 28 February 2027
- Summer semester 2027: from 1 March to 30 September 2027
Student's Union fee
The leave of absence exempts you from the tuition fee, but not from the Student's Union fee. Please pay this fee in due time. Otherwise, your studies at the University of Vienna will be automatically closed.
Page content
- Leave of absence before the start of the semester
- Leave of absence during the semester
- Application
- What do you need to consider?
- A leave of absence is not an option for you?
- FAQ
Leave of absence before the start of the semester
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- Pregnancy
Proof:
- parent-child pass with calculated date of birth or medical confirmation
- Childcare
Proof:
- confirmation of registration ("Meldebestätigung") of the applicant and
- confirmation of registration ("Meldebestätigung") of the child and
- birth certificate of the child
Please note:
- If you are raising your own children, a leave of absence is possible until the children reach the age of legal majority. Both parents can be on leave at the same time.
- Care for relatives
Proof:
- proof of kinship (birth/marriage certificate) and
- notification of care level or medical confirmation regarding the need for care (no diagnosis required) and
- statutory declaration from the applicant stating that the relative is being cared for by the applicant
- Medical condition that verifiably prevents progress in the degree programme
Proof:
- medical confirmation (PDF) confirming that you have been or will be unable to study for at least four weeks due to illness/injury (no diagnosis required). Medical, psychotherapeutic or clinical psychological confirmations are admissible.
Please note:
- Medical findings/reports are not accepted as evidence, as the extent of the prevention from studying is not clearly evident from them.
- Military service, training service or civilian service
Proof:
- confirmation by the military or civil service agency
- Voluntary year of environmental protection, memorial, peace or social service abroad
Proof:
- confirmation by the agency or mediating authority
- Temporary impairment in relation to a disability
Proof:
- disability card and
- medical or comparable confirmation
- Professional activities
This refers to at least four weeks of significant impairment of the pursuit of the degree programme due to professional activity or further training and qualification measures due to professional activity.
Proof:
- confirmation of the employer (PDF) of a significant interference with your studies during at least four weeks due to your employment which exceeds the marginal earnings threshold ("Geringfügigkeitsgrenze")
- in case of training and qualification measures: additionally, a confirmation of participation/registration by the training institute including number of lessons and course duration
Please note:
- Educational measures that are not related to a professional activity are not considered as reasons for a leave of absence.
- Pay slips cannot be accepted as proof. Employment contracts are accepted in exceptional cases, provided they are not older than 12 weeks.
- As proof of self-employment, a corresponding confirmation (tax book extract, cash register contract, etc.) in conjunction with a statutory declaration on the extent of the impairment can be accepted.
- Settlement of issues with authorities abroad
This concerns a significant interference with your studies for at least four weeks due to the settlement of issues with authorities abroad.
Proof:
- summons, official order or other confirmation letter by an authority
- Current situation in Ukraine
Due to the current situation in Ukraine, students from Ukraine and the Russian Federation can apply for leave of absence in summer semester 2025 until 28 February.
Write a short explanation for your prevention from studying in the online form in the Servicedesk.
Leave of absence during the semester
A leave of absence during the semester is only possible if you can prove that one of the following reasons occurred and only became relevant after the start of the semester:
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- Pregnancy
Proof:
- parent-child pass with calculated date of birth or medical confirmation and
- proof or statutory declaration of the extent to which it is an unforeseeable and inevitable event.
- Childcare
Proof:
- confirmation of registration ("Meldebestätigung") of the applicant and
- confirmation of registration ("Meldebestätigung") of the child and
- birth certificate of the child and
- proof or statutory declaration of the extent to which it is an unforeseeable and inevitable event.
Please note:
- If you raise your own children, a leave of absence is possible until the children reach the age of legal majority. Both parents can be on leave at the same time.
- Care for relatives
Proof:
- proof of kinship (birth/marriage certificate) and
- notification of care level or medical confirmation regarding the need for care (no diagnosis required) and
- statutory declaration from the applicant stating that the relative is being cared for by the applicant and
- proof or statutory declaration of the extent to which it is an unforeseeable and inevitable event.
- Medical condition that verifiably prevents progress in the degree programme
Proof:
- medical confirmation (PDF) confirming that you have been or will be unable to study for at least four weeks due to illness/injury (no diagnosis required). Medical, psychotherapeutic or clinical psychological confirmations are admissible.
- proof or statutory declaration of the extent to which it is an unforeseeable and inevitable event
- Temporary impairment in relation to a disability
Proof:
- disability card and
- medical or comparable confirmation and
- proof or statutory declaration of the extent to which it is an unforeseeable and inevitable event
Application
How to apply for a leave of absence:
- Scan the required documents. Merge them into a PDF file using an online tool of your choice.
- Complete the online form in the Service Desk within the deadline and add the required documents as attachments (at the top of the online form).
After your application has been processed, you will receive an e-mail to your u:account e-mail address. As soon as the Student's Union fee has been received in u:space > Financial matters > Tuition fee/Student's Union fee, you can print out your study sheet under Personal matters > My documents.
Depending on the semester and the reason for your application, you must meet different deadlines:
What do you need to consider?
If you apply for a leave of absence, this may have the following consequences:
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Effects on your studies
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The admission to the degree programme remains valid. You can continue to use the u:account services and the library.
- The semester count is suspended (including the minimum number of credits).
- You will only receive the student record sheet and no confirmation of enrolment.
- The u:card cannot be validated as a student ID for the semester on leave.
- A leave of absence does not stop an automatic transfer to a new curriculum.
- A leave of absence before the start of the semester can be granted for one or two semesters. In the case of a leave of absence during the semester, the application can only be approved for the current semester. The leave of absence ends automatically. Submit a new application for the following semester within the application deadline to continue your leave of absence.
- Depending on the reason for leave of absence and the documents submitted, the application will be approved for one or two semesters. If the reason for your leave of absence continues to exist after this (e.g. due to caring for your own children), you can submit a new application.
- Effects on examinations and courses
Taking examinations, submitting an application for recognition, submitting academic work for assessment and attending courses is
- possible until the end of the admission period if you apply for a leave of absence during the admission period and were already admitted in the previous semester.
- possible until the date of application if you apply for leave of absence after the end of the admission period.
You may take examinations (including those from the semester in which you took a leave of absence) after the leave of absence has ended. - Effects on the tuition fee/ Students' Union fee
- You are exempt from paying the tuition fee during your leave of absence. However, the leave of absence does not exempt you from paying the Student's Union fee. Make sure you pay this fee on time, otherwise your studies will be automatically closed.
- You have already paid the tuition fee and are now on a leave of absence? A reimbursement of the tuition fee is only possible if you apply for a leave of absence in the first half of the semester by a certain deadline. For a leave of absence in the winter semester this is 30 November, for the summer semester it is 30 April.
- If the application for a leave of absence is not granted, you must pay the tuition fee/Students' Union fee as prescribed. The same applies if you withdraw an approved application.
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Effects on other parties
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Studying at another university: If you wish to take a leave of absence at another university, you must also submit an application there.
- Residence permit: The approval of a leave of absence does not automatically lead to the issue or extension of a residence permit. Clarify the possible consequences of the leave of absence in terms of immigration and residence law with the relevant authority before submitting your application. If you live in Vienna, Municipal Department 35 is responsible for your residence permit. If you live in another province, your district administration is the competent authority. There you can ask about all aspects of this topic.
- University Preparation Programme of the Vienna Universities (VWU): A leave of absence during the VWU is possible. Make sure you clarify the effects on your residence permit with the relevant authority before submitting your application!
- Semester pass: You may not receive a Wiener Linien semester pass for students.
- Financial aid: Clarify with the relevant authority whether you can receive family or student financial aid.
- Insurance: Co-insurance with relatives or student self-insurance may not be possible. Please enquire directly with your insurance company.
A leave of absence is not an option for you?
Closing and resuming your studies
You have the option of closing your studies and resuming them at a later date. Consider this option especially if it is likely that your studies will be interrupted for a long time. Please inform yourself in advance about possible conditions for resuming your studies. For master programmes with an admission procedure and the bachelor programme in Psychology, you must successfully complete the entrance exam/selection procedure again. For the bachelor programme in Sport Science and the teaching subject in Sports and Physical Education, you may have to take the sporting aptitude admission test again. Please contact the SSC Sport Science for more information.
Remission of the tuition fee
As an alternative to a leave of absence, you may apply for a remission of the tuition fee. Please note the respective application deadlines and reasons for remission.
Legal basis
FAQ
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- Is there a limit to how often I can apply for a leave of absence?
There is no limit to how often you can apply for a leave of absence. Please note that you will have to resubmit the application once your leave of absence has ended and provide the required documents again. - Do semesters on leave of absence count towards the minimum number of credits?
No, semesters on leave of absence are not included in the semester count.
Please Note: Only leaves of absence taken during the first four semesters for which you have enrolled will be taken into account.
Example: You have to achieve your minimum number of credits by the summer semester of 2026. The deadline for this is 31 October 2026. If you take a leave of absence in the winter semester of 2026, it will be too late. You will lose your admission to the program if you do not achieve the minimum number of credits by the deadline. - Can I take a leave of absence from a semester that is already over?
No, that is not possible. You can only apply before the start of the semester within the respective deadlines for one or two semesters. After the start of the semester, the application can only be approved for the current semester. - I am attending the VWU and would like to take a leave of absence. Is that possible?
Yes, you can also take a leave of absence at the VWU. To do so, submit an application for a leave of absence within the relevant deadline. The above-mentioned reasons for a leave of absence apply. - Does the leave of absence end at the end of the semesters I applied for or is it automatically extended?
The leave of absence ends automatically. If you wish to extend your leave of absence, you must submit a new application within the respective deadline and provide the necessary documents. - When can I take examinations again after my leave of absence has ended?
From the start of the next semester, you can take examinations again, attend courses, submit academic work for assessment and submit applications for recognition. You may also take examinations from the semester in which you were on a leave after the leave of absence has ended. - What information must be included on the confirmation letter from my place of employment?
Your place of employment must confirm that your employment exceeds the marginal earnings threshold ("Geringfügikeitsgrenze") and lasts more than four weeks in the semester you applied for.
In the case of training/qualification programmes, you also need a confirmation of participation/registration from the training/qualification institute stating the extent and duration of the course. - What documentation can I provide to prove that I am self-employed?
You can provide a corresponding confirmation (such as a tax book extract, health insurance contract etc.) in combination with a statutory declaration on the extent of the impairment. - I applied for a leave of absence shortly before the payment deadline for the tuition fee/ Students' Union fee. Should I still pay the fee?
Yes, otherwise your studies will be closed automatically. If your application is approved, you can apply for a reimbursement of the tuition fee. You must pay the Students' Union fee in any case. It cannot be refunded.