Proof of impairment

Functional impairments relevant to studies are all limitations, illnesses, or disabilities that directly influence studies (study progress and graduation) and that are directly related to studies and can influence them.

A medical certificate is required if a request is made for a different examination mode or different performance of services (submission of seminar papers, excursions, and the like).

The documentation should include descriptions of how the illness/disability affects your studies so that the best possible support can be provided. This information should be as concise as possible and tailored to your studies and the organization of your studies. The Coordination Office for Equality, Diversity, and Disability provides a template for such documentation.

BOKU does not require detailed specialist medical diagnoses or medical histories.

A medical certificate is required if an application is made for a different examination mode or different performance of services (submission of seminar papers, excursions, and similar).

Disability card, inpatient stay confirmations, specialist medical certificates and attestations, expert opinions or specialist medical recommendations, psychological/psychotherapeutic confirmations. (See also “Download template” below)

In the case of obvious, temporary impairments/restrictions (plaster cast for a few weeks), no medical certificate is required. A different examination mode (e.g., oral instead of written examination with a plaster cast on the hand) must be agreed upon directly with the instructors. In addition, the Coordination Office for Equality, Diversity, and Disability is also available as a contact and counseling center.

The primary contact persons for submitting study-related evidence for claiming disadvantage compensation are the course instructors or examiners.

For questions and advice in this regard (e.g., review of documentation in advance), please contact the BOKU Disability Officer or the Coordination Office for Equality, Diversity, and Disability. Other points of contact for general questions are the ÖH BOKU, the psychological student counseling service, or the psychosocial counseling service for students offered by BOKU.

Information and applications for exemption/refund of tuition fees can be found on the Student Services website.

These notifications will NOT be forwarded to the Disability Officer. To apply for alternative examination arrangements, please contact the course instructors or examiners directly. For advice and support from the Coordination Office, students should visit or contact the office.

Taking an exam in a different exam mode has no effect on the grade and is not noted/documented/recorded.

Yes, teachers/examiners receive study-related information about their impairment/disability/illness directly from the students. Only information that is relevant to the respective performance should be shared (no medical histories or diagnoses).

The medical certificate can be submitted or sent directly or scanned (via email) to the course leaders/examiners; no original document is required. It is recommended that you speak to the disability officer in advance for general clarification. 

The evidence submitted may only be stored by the examiner until the expiry of the four-week examination appeal period specified in Section 79 (1) of the University Act 2002. No medical evidence is kept or stored at the coordination office. 

Students with a study-related impairment/disability/illness must actively notify the course instructors or examination administrators in writing, by telephone, or in person if they wish to make use of a different examination method (disadvantage compensation). Requests made at too short notice may lead to a delay in study progress.

It is also recommended that you contact the BOKU Disability Officer as early as possible. This will allow individual steps to be agreed upon for the planning and implementation of support during your studies.

The university does not compare databases and/or exchange information with social welfare offices, doctors, therapists, and similar professional groups.

Only information relating to the disability/health impairment (mental and physical) in relation to studies/work is relevant. Diagnoses, medical histories, and impairments that do not affect studies/work are not relevant. Exceptions are all data that the person concerned wishes to disclose themselves, documented with a signature.

Neither the administrative nor the academic staff of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) obtains information relating to disabilities from other institutions (such as government agencies/authorities, other universities, other institutions, parents or legal guardians, etc.) or passes on information relating to disabilities to third parties.