Treatment in Austria: a practical route for patients and families

For which kinds of treatment do Georgian patients go to Austria?

Patients from Georgia choose Austria less often than Germany, although its healthcare rests on the same German-language medical tradition. Patients come here mainly for complex surgery, cancer treatment, orthopaedic and trauma procedures, neurological conditions and post-operative rehabilitation. The most complex cases are mostly taken on by the university hospitals in the large cities.

The country is small, and the infrastructure for working with foreign patients is not equally developed in every hospital: in some, an international office runs a full service, while in others a letter is answered by the general administration. That is why Austria is often considered in comparison with Germany, which we cover separately in our guide to Germany. Which country and which method suit your diagnosis is for your treating doctor to assess: we describe only the organisational side.

The practical reason for choosing Austria is often a specific department or method your Georgian doctor has pointed you to, or a family member who lives in the country and can help during treatment. Both are good starting points, but before choosing, still ask for a written assessment and cost estimate from at least two institutions. If the difference lies in the treatment plan and not only in the price, that is a question to discuss with your treating doctor.

What are the entry rules for a Georgian citizen travelling to Austria for treatment?

The common Schengen rule applies to Austria: a Georgian citizen with an ordinary biometric passport enters without a visa for a short-term visit and may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This time is counted across all Schengen countries together, so if you were in another European country before your treatment, you will have fewer days left for Austria.

When the doctor says in advance that a course of chemotherapy, surgery and rehabilitation will together exceed three months, you will need a category D visa. According to Austria's official state portal, a D visa generally allows a stay of 91 days up to six months and is issued by Austrian missions abroad. The same source notes that a visa can be extended inside the country only in strictly defined exceptional cases. In other words, a long treatment plan has to be prepared together with the visa in Tbilisi.

Entry rules can change as a result of political decisions, so check the European Commission's visa policy page before buying a ticket. If you do need a visa, our medical visa service prepares the required package: the hospital's letter, the cost estimate, the translated medical history and proof of funds.

How do you check an Austrian hospital?

Austria has a public network, most of whose hospitals are owned by the federal states, as well as university hospitals and private hospitals. Locally a hospital is often called a Spital, which is useful to know when searching. International accreditation is as rare here as it is in Germany, so its absence should not automatically be taken as a bad sign.

The official portal Kliniksuche.at

Austria's state portal oesterreich.gv.at refers patients to Kliniksuche.at, an information platform overseen by the Federal Ministry of Health. For frequently performed operations, such as hip replacement and cataract surgery, it shows how many cases a hospital has treated, compared with nationwide data. This is exactly the figure you should use to compare experience.

The portal does not cover every diagnosis: data on rare diseases and complex cancer procedures may not be there at all. In that case, ask the hospital the same question directly and request the answer in writing. Expect the answer to concern the specific department and procedure rather than the hospital as a whole.

What to ask the hospital in writing

• which department will review your case and who the responsible doctor is;
• whether additional tests are needed before arrival, and which tests done in Georgia will be accepted;
• what the cost estimate includes, how many bed-days are allowed for and what an extra day costs;
• whether the “special class” (Sonderklasse) is being offered, which means a choice of doctor and a better room and is paid for separately;
• who your contact person will be and in which language correspondence is conducted.

If you are considering several hospitals at once or the diagnosis is disputed, our service for finding a clinic and an independent second opinion will help you keep the comparison in one table and in one language.

The German language and court-certified interpreters

The main working language of an Austrian hospital is German. Many administrations will reply to a letter in English, but when reviewing medical documents doctors prefer German text, especially for histology reports and operation notes. So translate the discharge summary, imaging reports and laboratory test results into one consistent German terminology, done by one translator or one team.

A certified translation is rarely mandatory for the hospital. The official form becomes important when an Austrian state authority, a court or an insurance company asks for the document. In Austria such translations are often certified by a “generally sworn and court-certified interpreter” (allgemein beeideter und gerichtlich zertifizierter Dolmetscher). This title is protected by law; the list of these specialists is kept by the Ministry of Justice and can be searched by language and region on the justice portal JustizOnline.

A notarised translation made in Georgia may not be enough for some Austrian authorities, so ask the recipient in advance which option they accept and whether the Georgian document needs an apostille. This applies especially to civil status certificates, such as a birth certificate when a parent travels with a child and needs to prove the relationship. To work this out, use the “Apostille or legalisation?” tool, and you will find the volume and price of the translation in the translation calculator.

The document package: who needs what?

During treatment in Austria the same document reaches several recipients, and each asks for a different form. This table helps you decide from the outset what needs an ordinary translation and what an official one. How to assemble the full package is explained in the guide to documents for treatment abroad.

One practical tip: your first name and surname must be spelt identically in Latin letters in your passport, translations, ticket and invoice. Even a one-letter difference can prompt extra questions from the hospital or the bank.

Cost estimate, advance payment and the final bill

A foreign patient without Austrian social insurance pays for treatment themselves. The hospital usually first sends a written assessment and, on that basis, requests an advance payment; without it, a planned admission is rarely confirmed. After discharge the actual costs are calculated and the difference from the advance is settled.

The assessment is a guide, not a fixed price. If a complication or an additional test arises during treatment, the final amount will increase. So ask how you will be told about rising costs and whether your consent is needed for additional services when they are not urgent. Check separately whether the price includes Sonderklasse, the doctor's fee, rehabilitation and overnight stays for an accompanying person. Pay only into the hospital's official account, against an invoice, and keep proof of every payment.

If you are seeking part of the cost from a state programme or a municipality, you will need the assessment and invoices translated into Georgian. Where to apply and in what order is described in the guide to funding treatment abroad.

Travel, accommodation and daily life during treatment

Getting to Austria from Georgia usually takes one or two flights, sometimes via an airport in a neighbouring country. Buy your ticket only after the admission date has been confirmed in writing, and leave yourself flexibility on the return date. If the patient is frail, tell the airline in advance about the need for a wheelchair or other assistance; our flight booking service takes such requests into account too.

• Accommodation for the companion: close to the hospital, on a single public transport line, so that daily visits are not exhausting.
• Interpreting: signing informed consent and the discharge conversation are the moments when you must understand every word the doctor says. A Georgian interpreter can join in person or by video call.
• Medicines: take your regular medicines in their original packaging with a German translation of the prescription, in sufficient quantity for the whole period plus a few days' reserve.
• Money: a bank card works for everyday expenses, but tell your bank in advance that you will use the card abroad and check the daily limit.

In an Austrian hospital much happens according to set rules: visiting hours, mealtimes, the time for talking to the doctor. It is better for the family to have one contact person who deals with the staff and passes information on to the other relatives. That way the doctor does not have to answer the same question several times, and no information gets lost. Keep every document you receive during the hospital stay in one folder, and as a photo on your phone as well.

Returning home and follow-up care

On discharge the Austrian hospital gives you a discharge document in German that summarises the diagnosis, the procedure performed, test results and further prescriptions. If the histology result is not ready yet, ask when and how you will receive the final report, and leave an email address that you check regularly.

In Georgia your family doctor or oncologist will only read this document in a Georgian translation, and pharmacies often cannot identify a medicine written under its Austrian brand name. So in the translation of the discharge document each medicine should be listed by its international name, with the dose and how to take it. Follow-up test results will later be sent in translation to the Austrian department, so agree in advance who will review them and within what timeframe. To compare other destinations, also read the guide to Turkey.

Frequently asked questions about treatment in Austria