Studying nursing in Austria (FH bachelor) and recognising a nursing degree

If you want to study nursing (Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege) in Austria, you apply for a bachelor's programme and go through an admission procedure. If you already hold a nursing qualification from abroad, you need to tell two routes apart: qualifications from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland go through professional recognition (Anerkennung); for a university degree from a third country, nostrification (Nostrifizierung) may apply 13.

Who needs this

• The bachelor route is for people who want to start a nursing degree. At Hochschule Campus Wien, a bachelor's programme requires the general university entrance qualification (allgemeine Universitätsreife) or a relevant professional qualification. Accepted proof of university entrance includes an equivalent foreign certificate or a completed course of study of at least three years with 180 ECTS credits. Each programme sets its exact requirements 2.
• Nostrification establishes the equivalence of a degree from a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. At Hochschule Campus Wien it is generally possible for nursing if you studied for at least three years at a recognised higher education institution in a third country. Foreign secondary school qualifications cannot be nostrified there 13.
• For nursing qualifications from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, professional recognition applies instead. A third-country diploma can also fall under this procedure if you are already authorised to practise in one of these states and can prove at least three years of lawful, relevant work there 1.

Step by step

1. For the bachelor's degree, check the entry requirements and admission procedure of the programme you want. German-taught programmes require German at level B2 or higher. At Hochschule Campus Wien you apply through a personal account on the application platform, where you enter your details and upload documents 2.
2. For professional recognition, submit a personally signed application to the federal ministry, in person, by post or electronically. If you cannot prove a residence in Austria, you must name an authorised recipient (Zustellungsbevollmächtigte or Zustellungsbevollmächtigter). The accelerated recognition procedure (One-Stop) for nursing professions requires an appointment and a qualification included in its list 1.
3. For nostrification at Hochschule Campus Wien, submit the application only through the electronic form, not by email. Documents are uploaded as PDF. An application with the same content may not be submitted to several institutions at the same time 3.

Documents

• For a bachelor's application at Hochschule Campus Wien with foreign prior education, upload scans of the original documents with all required certification marks. Documents in neither German nor English need translations by a generally sworn and court-certified interpreter 2.
• For nostrification at this university, the documents include a CV, passport or photo ID, the degree certificate, a transcript, the curriculum issued by the foreign university and a completed overview of practical training hours with supporting evidence. The degree certificate must be the original; other documents may be originals or certified copies. Documents in other languages need German or English translations by a generally sworn and court-certified translator 3.

Cost and time

• At Hochschule Campus Wien the tuition fee is currently €363.36 per semester, plus the student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) and, where applicable, up to €83 for study-related costs 2.
• The nostrification fee is €150. For the nostrification procedure the university also lists €363.36 tuition and about €25 student union fee per semester; the student union fee is waived while the application is being processed 3.
• In the accelerated recognition procedure (One-Stop), recognition is granted within one hour if you present the necessary documents. It takes place on Tuesdays, except public holidays, by appointment 1.

Deadlines

• Bachelor's applications at Hochschule Campus Wien must be submitted before the end of the application period shown on the application platform. You can apply for at most three programmes per semester 2.

City by city

• Wien: For the compensation measures after a nursing nostrification at Hochschule Campus Wien, German at B2 level generally applies. No proof of German is needed to submit the application. From winter semester 2023/2024 until the end of summer semester 2027, B1 proof together with proof of active enrolment in a B2 German course is enough to start the compensation measures 3.
• St. Pölten: According to its information sheet for the 2023 intake (start in winter semester 2023/24 and summer semester 2024), the nursing admission procedure included a computer-based test, an assessment of occupation-specific suitability with a five- to seven-minute presentation, and a structured admission interview with a motivation letter. These details describe that intake, not the current procedure 4.