Housing, Insurance and Visa

Housing

Finding the right kind of accommodation is important – it will be your home for the next semester(s). Basically, you can choose between on-campus and off-campus accommodation. At both campuses of Salzburg University of Applied Sciences on-site student dorms are available, all of which include bathroom and kitchen. Most of our incoming students decide to live on Campus Urstein simply because it is the closest to university.

If you wish to live off-campus, you can apply for accommodation in the city of Salzburg. Closest to Campus Urstein is the Urstein accomodation and other student residences in the south of Salzburg, for example the Europa Kolleg, Franz-von-Sales Kolleg or Internationales Kolleg.

Student housing organizations in Salzburg as well as for platforms for rentals on the private market:

Please note that these links are listed for your convenience but the organizations and rental marketplaces are not FH Salzburg affiliates. Be aware that scams may appear among legitimate offers. Some students have lost significant amounts of money. Use caution, as FH Salzburg is not responsible for any losses incurred from scams:

Campus Urstein 

• Studentenheim

Campus Kuchl 

• Studentenheim

Salzburg City or elsewhere in the region 

• Accommodation - OeAD student housing
• https://www.oejab.at/studierende-jugend/studierendenwohnheime/strubergasse  
• https://www.akademikerhilfe.at/de/schwarzes-roessl/19  
• https://www.home4students.at/wohnheime-ubersicht/wohnheime-salzburg/glockengasse/  
• https://www.egger-lienzheim.at/  
• https://www.studentenheimesalzburg.at/
• https://studentenheim.techno-z.at/startseite/  
• https://www.tritos.at/  
• https://boersen.oeh-salzburg.at/boersen/wohnungsboerse  

kurzzeitmiete.at & Guesthouse – Salzburger Studentenwerk

For these options, please have a look here: Staff Mobility/Accommodation

SCAMS

Here are some tips from ChatGPT about hos to spot scams: 

🚩Common Red Flags

• Too Good to Be True
  • Rent is significantly below market value for the area.
  • Gorgeous photos of a fully furnished place at a suspiciously low price.
• Landlord Is “Out of Town”
  • Claims they can’t meet you because they’re abroad, sick, or away for work.
  • Offers to mail you the keys after receiving a deposit.
• Pressure to Act Quickly
  • Pushes you to send money immediately.
  • Says other renters are ready to pay so you should act fast.
• No In-Person Viewing
  • Refuses or avoids scheduling a tour.
  • Sends pre-recorded video tours only, often with excuses.
• Asks for Money Before Anything Else
  • Requests deposit, first month’s rent, or application fee before you’ve signed a lease or seen the place.
• Weird Payment Methods
  • Asks for wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or apps like Zelle or Cash App with no formal agreement.
• Suspicious Listings
  • Poor grammar or spelling in the listing.
• No address or vague location.
  • Copy-pasted content or stock images (reverse image search can help).

✅ How to Protect Yourself

• Always view the apartment in person (or through a live virtual tour).
• Verify ownership or management:
  • Look up the landlord’s name in public property records.
  • Search for the unit on multiple platforms—if it’s listed with a different agent, ask why.
• Use legitimate rental platforms with tenant protections (e.g., Zillow, Apartments.com, etc.).
• Trust your instincts—if something feels off, it probably is.

When travelling to Austria, it is important to make sure to have a valid health insurance.

The European Health Insurance Card is available for everyone from EU- or EEA-countries. There are also some countries that have specific insurance agreements with Austria and students coming from these countries should bring an A3-form from their national insurance institution. At the moment these countries are as follows: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Students who are not from any of these countries are highly recommended to take out health insurance in their home countries, or to take out the self-insurance for students from the Salzburger Gebietskrankenkasse upon arrival. There is also the possibility of taking out an insurance provided by the insurance company FeelSafe. Furthermore, every incoming student is obliged to pay the Austrian Student Union membership fee of around € 20 which includes a basic liability and accident insurance.

For further information concerning insurance in Austria, the European Health Insurance Card and self-insurance have a look at the links below*:

• General information about insurance in Austria: www.oead.at
• Information and form on self-insurance: www.gesundheitskasse.at
• Insurance provided by FeelSafe – “Insurance for Students & Guest Academics - 100% accepted for your visa”: www.feelsafe.at/
• European Health Insurance Card: www.ec.europa.eu
• Liability and accident insurance provided by the Austrian Student Union: https://www.oeh.ac.at/en/services

* Salzburg University of Applied Sciences is not liable for content presented by external providers.