Practical Information

On the following pages we have collected some useful information regarding your stay at the ESI. If your are interested in participating in ESI activities, look at our page about doing research at the ESI. If you are organizing a programme or workshop, please find further details under info for organizers.

Planning your stay

Registration procedure: When you have received an invitation letter from ESI, please start your personal registration through the sign-up link you find in the email you have got.

You will be redirected directly to the sign-up website. Please complete there your personal data, set a new private password and save this information first. Afterwards log in on our website with your e-mail address and password on via the “Login” button. Please be aware that these entries are capital letter sensitive. If you already have a log-in password for the ESI website from a previous registration/visit just skip the step with the signup-link.

Please accept the invitation. If you have already decided about your dates of stay (arrival and departure date) also submit your stay(s), or do this via the login at a later stage, so that we can help you with the arrangement of a suitable accommodation in Vienna. Please choose if you want the ESI to book an accommodation on your behalf, if you need support for a visa application or want to conclude a travel health insurance contract for your stay in Austria.

In the hopefully unlikely event that you have to decline the invitation you can do this when you are logged in. In case you do not want to register just to decline the invitation, you can let us know via a reply e-mail.

If you are an invited speaker, please submit title and abstract of your contribution directly through the ESI website, too. You may change it also at a later stage. Please give your consent to video tape your talk and to make it available through the ESI YouTube channel.

Getting to Vienna: The nearest airport is the Vienna International Airport (VIE, Schwechat). There is also a regular bus connection to Bratislava Airport (about 1.5 hours). From central Europe, Vienna is easily accessible by train (train station: "Wien Hauptbahnhof").

Accommodation: For information about accommodation at special ESI rates, please visit our Accommodation page.

Upon arrival

For information on public transport in Vienna, getting to and from the Airport and directions to the Institute, please consult our detailed public transport page.

On your first day at the Institute you should register at the administration office (third door on the right when entering the ESI). The ESI staff will provide you with further information on the ESI facilities and show you where you can find your office. A list with the current office occupancy is also available on the pin-board left of the entrance to the Common Room. Please be aware that during busy periods only long-term visitors are guaranteed an own office space.

During your stay

Access to the ESI building: The main entrance door to the street is locked from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. and on weekends and public holidays. The entrance door to the ESI on the top floor is kept locked outside the ESI opening hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mo – Fr, except holidays). From inside the doors can always be opened with the handle bar. If you need access to the ESI outside the office hours please contact the ESI Administration team. Access cards for long-term visitors are available for a deposit payment and open both, main and ESI entrance door. Please be sure to re-lock the door properly behind you.

Computers and internet access at the ESI: There are computers with internet access available along the corridor that are free to use. If you bring your own laptop, you can connect to the internet via cable or wifi. For further information consult our page about the ESI computer system.

Copy machine and printer: The copy machine/printer (named "copynix") is located at the beginning of the corridor with the work stations. You do not need an access code, simply press the green button. If you print out something please be sure to use "A4" as paper size and not "letter"! If you have to scan a document please get in contact with the ESI staff. Here you find information on how to print from your own laptop.

Libraries: ESI visitors are welcome to use the libraries of the Faculty of Mathematics and the Faculty of Physics. At the ESI admin office you can get an application form to use the Mathematics Library ("Business, Economics and Mathematics Library") and the Physics Library ("Österreichische Zentralbibliothek für Physik") for free.

Office Supplies: Office Supplies are available at the ESI admin office.

Restaurants: There are many Viennese and international restaurants nearby ESI. A list with recommended restaurants is available from the ESI administration.

Phone and Mail: The telephone system of the ESI allows direct access to the visitors’ offices by dialing the phone extension (shown on the phone's display). To get an outside line from the guest offices please contact the Administration Office (28301), since direct calls from visitors' offices are only possible within the University of Vienna and to emergency numbers.

Outgoing business mail can be passed on to the Admin Office for postage.

Tourist Information: A map of Vienna is available at the ESI admin office. For sightseeing tips and other tourist information consult the official Information for visitors page of the city of Vienna.

After your stay

Per diem payment: The ESI's financial support (per diem), as granted in the letter of invitation, is submitted for payment by bank transfer after the guest's departure from Vienna and will take around four weeks. We would highly appreciate if you would acknowledge the support you received from the ESI in all of your preprints and papers that are connected to your stay at the ESI. Please inform us also beyond your actual visit to the ESI about such preprints and papers by e-mail to secr@esi.ac.at with CC to director@esi.ac.at.

The ESI kindly asks you to send information about preprints/publications where your stay at the institute is acknowledged to secr@esi.ac.at with a CC to director@esi.ac.at as follows:

  • Subject: ESI Research documentation / Short_title_of_the_ESI_activity_YEAR
  • Email content: Author(s) / title / arXiv number or journal reference / Short_title_of_the_ESI_activity_YEAR

After your visit you will receive a e-mail asking you to give us a feedback on your stay at the ESI. Your support in this matter would be highly appreciated.

Furthermore, assisting the organizers of a thematic programme or workshop you participated in to write their report on the ESI activity would be welcomed as well. If you would like to inform them about any new collaborations, outputs or personal benefits you gained during your participation please inform the organizers directly by email.