Congress of the European Society of
Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
To assist in travel to Vienna, ESCMID Global can support attendees with letters of invitation and support in their application for travel visas. Travelers should consult the respective Austrian or Schengen-Partner representations regarding the current status of travel. Travelers possessing a valid visa can travel freely within the Schengen zone (depending on the days given on your visa), please inform yourself before traveling.
ESCMID can only offer support to registrants so it is necessary for applicants to have a valid and fully paid ESCMID Global 2025 registration before beginning the visa application process. You can register here.
An official letter of invitation can only be provided directly after completing the ESCMID Global registration. These are automated invitation letters that indicate you are a participant and traveling to join the event.
Invited speakers, faculty, grantees and accepted abstract presenters can request a specialised visa letter indicating the additional information and their active involvement in the programme of the congress and follow-up contact with the embassies. Please use the contact form at the bottom of this page to request a specialised visa letter.
Travelers who require a visa, kindly consult the respective Austrian or Schengen-Partner representations within your country to determine exactly what is needed to apply. Further information about visa regulations and Schengen visas can be found on Austria's website of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.
The processing time of an admissible Schengen visa application should not exceed 15 calendar days, however due to the influx of visa applications for ESCMID Global, please allow for a maximum processing time of 6 months prior to arrival, and at least 4 months prior to the congress. Any later dated submission may not be processed by the respective Austrian or Schengen-Partner representations in time.
In case there is no Austrian consulate/ embassy near you, please check the representative countries here.
The city of Vienna has been informed and will work with ESCMID Global to accommodate the influx of applications. However, please note that ESCMID has no direct control over individual visa applications and cannot guarantee acceptance for the event.
Citizens of all countries of the European Union, Switzerland, Croatia, Israel, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, members of the Schengen treaty and a number of other countries do not need a visa. You can see the official list of exempt countries here. A valid passport is required to enter Austria. In case of doubt please contact the Austrian Consulate or Embassy well in advance before departure.
Current member countries of the Schengen treaty are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria**, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland*, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein*, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway*, Poland, Portugal, Romania**, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland*.
* non-EU members
** Schengen Air & Sea agreement