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Austria

Europe

EASA pilot training at Graz Airport, taught in English, with the Alps on your doorstep.

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  • EUR 104k–109k Total budget, estimated
  • 24 Months of training
  • EASA CPL (frozen ATPL) License
  • Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student visa

01 Overview

Flight training in Austria.

Austria trains pilots to EASA standards, and an EASA licence is valid in every EASA member state: the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Our partner school in Graz, Austrian Aviation Training (AAT), flies from Graz Airport and takes you from your first lesson to a commercial licence with instrument rating and ATPL theory in about 24 months. The course also lists the Flight Instructor rating and offers an optional jet type rating on the Eclipse 550. Graz is Austria's second-largest city, a university town where living costs are lower than in Vienna.

Key facts

Primary license
EASA CPL with instrument rating and ATPL theory (frozen ATPL)
Typical duration
About 24 months; 24-27 months with the instructor rating
Course fee (Zero to ATPL)
from EUR 89,500 (about USD 100,500)
English requirement
ICAO Level 4 for the licence; around IELTS 6.0 to enrol
Medical requirement
EASA Class 1 medical, first exam at an aero-medical centre
Training city
Graz (Styria)
Visa for non-EU students
Residence permit for courses over 6 months, entry on a Visa D
After training
Flight Instructor route; optional Eclipse 550 type rating

02 Costs

What training in Austria costs.

A Zero to ATPL course at AAT costs from EUR 89,500 (about USD 100,500), or from EUR 105,750 (about USD 118,700) with the Flight Instructor rating. Add living costs in Graz, health insurance, your Class 1 medical and the residence permit: the table gives an estimate for each.

Proof of funds for the residence permit: separate from the course fee, you show that you can support yourself for 12 months. In 2026 the reference amounts are EUR 722.58 a month for students under 24 (EUR 8,671 a year) and EUR 1,308.39 a month from 24 (EUR 15,701 a year), plus more if your rent is above EUR 386.43 a month. The money stays yours: it is proof, not a fee.

Estimated costs · EUR

  • Course fee: Zero to ATPL at AAT, from From EUR 89,500 (about USD 100,500) for Zero to ATPL; from EUR 105,750 (about USD 118,700) with the Flight Instructor rating. The optional Eclipse 550 type rating is priced separately. Ask the school what the fee includes. Estimated range EUR 89,500–105,750
  • Living costs in Graz The University of Graz suggests budgeting EUR 1,000-1,300 a month including rent. Student dorm rooms start at around EUR 300 a month. Estimated range EUR 12,000–15,600 per year
  • Residence permit and Visa D EUR 218 for the residence permit application (2026), plus EUR 195 for the Visa D to enter and collect it if your passport needs a visa. Visa centres may add a service charge. Estimated range EUR 218–413
  • Proof of funds for the residence permit Proof, not a fee. 2026 amounts: EUR 722.58 a month for students under 24, EUR 1,308.39 a month from 24, plus more if your rent is above EUR 386.43 a month. Estimated range EUR 8,671–15,701 per year, depending on age
  • Health insurance Required for the residence permit. The ÖGK student self-insurance costs EUR 78.84 a month in 2026 but is meant for university and college students; flight school trainees may need private cover, which can cost more. Ask the school what its students use. Estimated range EUR 946 per year at the student rate
  • EASA Class 1 medical (initial) Estimate. The first Class 1 exam takes place at an aero-medical centre (AeMC) approved by Austro Control; ask the centre for its current price. Estimated range EUR 500–900
  • Austro Control exam and licence fees EUR 46 per ATPL theory exam (13 exams, first attempt), EUR 609 to issue the CPL with its ratings, and EUR 91 for each examiner assignment for the CPL and instrument rating skill tests (fees in force since February 2025). Examiners' own fees and any re-sits come on top; ask the school what its course fee already covers. Estimated range EUR 1,207–1,389
  • Books, headset and flight equipment Estimate. Ask the school which items its course fee already includes. Estimated range EUR 1,200–2,500

Estimates as of October 2026: verify every figure with the school before you commit. The estimated total budget adds the course fee, 12 months of living costs and the fixed costs in the table for the visa, the medical, exams and insurance; a longer course adds the living costs of the extra months. Check the permit requirements with the Austrian embassy or consulate before you apply. USD figures use the exchange rate on our site in October 2026.

Your own total for the route and the school you have in mind, living costs included: an honest range in about 30 seconds, no email needed.

Estimate your budget for Austria

03 Visa

Your student visa for Austria.

Austria has no separate student visa for long courses. Training that keeps you in Austria for more than six months needs a residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung). You apply before you travel, in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate for where you live. Once it is approved, the embassy issues a Visa D so you can enter Austria and collect the permit card from the residence authority in Graz.

The student permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student) covers degree studies at universities and other higher-education institutions. A licence course at a flight school is not a degree, so the permit category for your training has to be confirmed first. AAT offers visa support for students from outside Europe: ask the school which permit its students receive before you pay a deposit.

Passport holders from Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Taiwan, South Korea and Brunei may enter the Schengen area without a visa for short stays and may be able to apply for the permit in Austria during that stay. Nationals of India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam apply at the embassy before they travel. The authority has up to 90 days to decide, so apply three to four months before your start date.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa or permit: they register their address and, for stays over three months, apply for a registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) within four months.

Over 6 months

Residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung)

For training that keeps you in Austria longer than six months, which a full Zero to ATPL course does. You apply before you travel at the Austrian embassy or consulate for where you live. The student category covers universities and other higher-education institutions only, so confirm with your school which category applies to its course.

Duration

Usually issued for 12 months and renewed each year while you train. Each renewal needs proof of progress and of funds.

Who can apply

  • Confirmation of your place at the school
  • Proof of funds for 12 months: in 2026, EUR 722.58 a month for students under 24 or EUR 1,308.39 a month from 24, plus more if your rent is above EUR 386.43 a month
  • Health insurance that covers you fully in Austria
  • Proof of accommodation in Austria
  • A valid passport and a police clearance certificate
  • Documents legalised, with certified German translations where they are not in German
  • Application fee of EUR 218 (2026)

Pros

  • Covers a long course from start to finish, renewed year by year
  • No German needed to apply
  • Short trips to other Schengen countries while the permit is valid

Trade-offs

  • The student category does not cover flight school courses, so the right category has to be confirmed first
  • Renewal every year, with proof of progress and funds each time
  • Family members need permits of their own
  • Paid work needs an employment permit from the Public Employment Service (AMS)
Official information

91 days to 6 months

Visa D (national visa)

Austria's national visa for stays of 91 days to six months. It is also the visa the embassy issues so you can enter and collect an approved residence permit. It cannot be extended in Austria: a longer stay needs the residence permit.

Duration

91 days to six months, with one or more entries.

Who can apply

  • Confirmation of your place at the school, or your approved residence permit
  • Travel health insurance with at least EUR 30,000 cover
  • Proof of funds for your stay
  • Proof of accommodation in Austria
  • Visa fee of EUR 195

Pros

  • Enough on its own for a course or training phase of up to six months
  • Short trips to other Schengen countries while it is valid

Trade-offs

  • Not enough for a full Zero to ATPL course, which takes about 24 months
  • Cannot be extended in Austria
Official information

04 Requirements

English and medical: what you need.

English

Training at AAT is in English. What you need:

  • To enrol at AAT: good English, around IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, so you can follow ATPL theory and work with your instructors.
  • For the licence: ICAO English Language Proficiency at Level 4 or higher, endorsed on your licence. It is a formal speaking and listening assessment by an examiner approved by Austro Control, and AAT builds the test into its course. Level 4 is reassessed every four years and Level 5 every six; Level 6 does not expire.
  • For the residence permit: no German is required.

You do not need German to train. Some German makes daily life in Graz easier and matters if you want to stay in Austria after training.

Medical

You need an EASA Class 1 medical certificate, the standard for commercial pilots. Your first Class 1 examination must take place at an aero-medical centre (AeMC); later renewals can also be done by an authorised aero-medical examiner (AME). Austro Control, Austria's aviation authority, lists the approved centres and examiners.

Book the examination before you commit money to training. A Class 1 issued in another EASA state is recognised; when Austria issues your licence, your medical records move to Austro Control.

The examination checks eyesight (including colour vision), hearing, heart, lungs, and general and mental health. Glasses or contact lenses are fine within the EASA limits. If you have a known condition, ask the centre before you book.

05 Training there

Training and living in Austria.

Worth knowing

After your licence: instructor or jet

AAT's Zero to ATPL course lists the Flight Instructor rating among its modules, and graduates have the option to instruct at the school and build paid hours. The course also offers an optional Eclipse 550 jet transition or full type rating, priced separately. AAT belongs to Mali Air, a business jet charter operator at Graz Airport. Ask the school what openings exist when you finish: a job is not part of the course and is not guaranteed.

Why Graz

  1. Lower living costs

    The University of Graz suggests budgeting EUR 1,000-1,300 a month including rent, and student dorm rooms start at around EUR 300 a month. Vienna costs more.

  2. An international airport as your classroom

    AAT flies from Graz Airport (LOWG), a controlled airport with airline traffic but without the queues of a major hub. Training runs all year round.

  3. A university city

    Graz is Austria's second-largest city and home to the University of Graz, Graz University of Technology and the Medical University of Graz, so it is used to students arriving from abroad.

  4. A modern training fleet

    You start on the Aquila A210 and Diamond DA40, then move to the twin-engine Diamond DA42 and a DA42 FNPT II simulator for instrument training. Diamond builds its aircraft in Austria.

  5. Alpine flying

    Graz sits at the edge of the Alps, so cross-country flights bring mountain weather and terrain into your training: judgement that flat-country training rarely gives you.

Worth knowing

Airline cadet schemes are a different route

Austrian Airlines has recruited cadets through the Lufthansa Group's European Flight Academy, with a selection that asked for the right to work in Austria and very good German. That puts it out of reach for most students from Asia-Pacific. AAT is an independent school: you need neither German nor an EU passport to train there.

How the course runs: about 24 months

  1. Private Pilot Licence (PPL) Radio licence and your first flying on the Aquila A210 and Diamond DA40: handling, navigation and radio work, your first solo and the PPL skill test. The English proficiency test is part of the course.
  2. Night rating, time building and ATPL theory Cross-country flights across Austria and its neighbours to build hours, a night rating, and the 13 ATPL theory subjects, finished with the exams at Austro Control.
  3. Multi-engine and instrument rating The multi-engine class rating and the competency-based instrument rating on the twin-engine Diamond DA42 and its FNPT II simulator.
  4. Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) and UPRT Commercial flying standards, upset prevention and recovery training, and the CPL skill test. You finish with an EASA CPL with instrument rating and ATPL theory credit, the frozen ATPL.
  5. Then: instructor rating or jet The Flight Instructor rating is listed in AAT's course, and an Eclipse 550 jet transition or type rating is available as an option. Ask the school what each costs and what openings follow.

Worth knowing

Where an EASA licence takes you

An EASA licence is valid in every EASA member state: the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. European airlines fly on EASA licences, but most also ask for the right to work in the EU, which a training permit does not give you. For most students from Asia-Pacific, the EASA licence is the base for converting to their home authority's licence: see the FAQ below.

07 7 questions

Questions about training in Austria.

Why train in Graz?

Three reasons: living costs are lower than in Vienna, you fly from a controlled international airport without the queues of a major hub, and the Alps are on your doorstep. Our partner school in Graz, Austrian Aviation Training (AAT), is based at Graz Airport.

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Is a job with Mali Air part of the course?

No. AAT belongs to Mali Air, a business jet charter operator at Graz Airport, and offers an optional Eclipse 550 jet transition or type rating, priced separately. Whether a First Officer opening exists when you finish depends on Mali Air's needs at the time, so treat it as a possibility, not a promise.

The Flight Instructor rating gives you a second way to build paid hours.

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Do I need to speak German?

No. AAT trains in English, and the residence permit has no German requirement. Graz is a university city where you can manage in English, but some German makes daily life easier and matters if you want to stay in Austria after training.

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How long does the residence permit take?

The authority has up to 90 days to decide on a complete application, so apply three to four months before your start date.

You apply in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate for where you live; holders of a visa-free passport, such as Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, South Korea or Brunei, may be able to apply in Austria during their visa-free stay. Once it is approved, you collect the permit card in Graz.

Confirm the permit category with the school first: the student permit covers universities, not flight schools.

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Will my EASA licence be recognised in my home country?

An EASA licence is well respected, but every authority issues its own licence. Most aviation authorities in Asia-Pacific, including Hong Kong's CAD, India's DGCA and Vietnam's CAAV, convert a foreign licence through their own theory exams (air law at least) and a skill test.

Time and cost depend on the country and on your hours, so check your authority's current rules before you choose a school. Our school advisory is free, and your advisor can walk you through it.

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Can I work during training?

Only with an employment permit from the Public Employment Service (AMS), which your employer applies for, and only alongside your training, never instead of it. University students may work up to 20 hours a week; for a flight school trainee the rules depend on the permit category.

The workload of pilot training leaves little time for a job, so plan your budget without one.

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What does the proof of funds actually mean?

43 a month. It is proof, not a fee: the money stays yours. Accepted evidence includes a bank or savings account you can use from Austria, a scholarship award, or a guarantee declaration (Haftungserklärung) from a person living in Austria.

Ask the authority which amount applies to your permit.

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