To get an Austria work visa, most non-EEA professionals apply for a Red-White-Red Card through the Austrian embassy in their home country, meeting a points threshold based on qualifications, work experience, age, language skills, and a concrete job offer. The application fee is €218 as of January 1, 2026, and the settlement authority in Austria has eight weeks to decide once your file is complete.1Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. Settlement and Residence Which track you apply under depends on your profession, salary, and whether you already have an employer lined up.
Which Permit Fits Your Situation
Austria doesn’t have a single work visa. It has several tracks under the Red-White-Red Card umbrella, and picking the right one determines what you need to prove.2Migration.gv.at. Permanent Immigration
- Very Highly Qualified Workers. A points-based track for top-tier professionals, scored out of 100 with a 70-point minimum. If you don’t yet have a job offer, you can apply for a six-month Jobseeker Visa first and convert once you find work.3Austrian Migration Portal. Very Highly Qualified Workers
- Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations. For workers whose profession appears on Austria’s annual shortage list. Requires 55 out of 90 points and a job offer in the listed occupation. This is usually the fastest route because the labor market test is effectively built in.4Migration.gv.at. Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations
- Other Key Workers. For qualified professionals whose occupation isn’t on the shortage list. Requires 55 points, a job offer meeting minimum salary thresholds, and a separate labor market test confirming no qualified domestic worker can fill the role.5Migration Austria. Other Key Workers
- EU Blue Card. A standardized European permit for university graduates or equivalent professionals earning at least €55,678 gross per year in 2026, including special payments. Valid for up to two years, or three months beyond a shorter contract.6Migration.gv.at. EU Blue Card
All of these tie you to a specific employer for up to 24 months. After that, you can move to the Red-White-Red Card Plus, which removes the employer restriction and grants full labor market access, including self-employment. The Plus is also the permit issued to family members joining a card holder.7Migration.gv.at. Red-White-Red Card Plus
How the Points Are Scored
The Public Employment Service (AMS) scores your application against a fixed rubric. Categories are similar across tracks but weighted differently.
For Very Highly Qualified Workers, special qualifications like patents, publications, or field awards can earn heavy points. Age favors younger applicants: up to 20 points if you’re under 35, tapering as you approach 45. German or English at A1 earns 5 points; A2 earns 10.3Austrian Migration Portal. Very Highly Qualified Workers
For Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations, vocational training in the shortage occupation alone is worth 30 points, the single largest factor. Language points are more generous: German at B1 earns 15, and you can pick up to 25 total language points by combining German with English, French, Spanish, or Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.4Migration.gv.at. Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations
For Other Key Workers, a three-year university degree is worth 30 points. Relevant work experience accrues at 1 point per six months, or 2 points per six months if the experience was gained in Austria. Age and language brackets match the shortage occupation track.5Migration Austria. Other Key Workers
The 2026 Shortage Occupation List
Austria republishes its shortage list annually. Getting on it matters because the threshold is lower and the process is quicker. For 2026, the Austria-wide list is short:8Migration.gv.at. Austria-wide Shortage Occupations
- Physicians, including general practitioners, surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists
- Graduate nurses, including psychiatric, pediatric, and geriatric nursing
- Power engineering technicians and graduates, including electrical technicians, installation and construction engineers, and renewable energy planning specialists
- Agricultural machinery engineers
- Train drivers
- Motor vehicle mechanics
- Roofers
- Cost accountants
If your occupation isn’t listed, Other Key Workers is still open to you; you’ll just need to clear the separate labor market test.
The Minimum Income You Have to Show
Austria ties the income floor to the equalization supplement reference rate under the General Social Insurance Act. From January 1, 2026, your net monthly income, calculated after housing costs, must meet:9oesterreich.gv.at. General Conditions for the Issue of Residence Permits
- Single person: €1,308.39 per month
- Couple: €2,064.12 per month
- Each child: additional €201.88 per month
Watch the rent calculation. Regular monthly housing costs exceeding €386.43 are deducted from your income before the comparison. So if your rent is €800, €413.57 comes off your income before authorities check whether you clear the threshold. This catches applicants in Vienna especially, where rents run higher. Social benefits you’d only receive after getting the permit don’t count toward income.
Documents You Need
Most delays trace back to paperwork. The Federal Ministry of the Interior requires:10Federal Ministry of the Interior. Documents Required When Applying for a Residence Permit
- A valid passport showing your current legal name
- A passport photograph, 45mm × 35mm, no older than six months at the time of the decision
- Proof of accommodation: a rental agreement, sublease, or evidence of ownership. A free-of-charge arrangement revocable without notice does not qualify.2Migration.gv.at. Permanent Immigration
- Health insurance covering all risks in Austria. Enrollment in the Austrian public social insurance system through your employer satisfies this automatically.
- Proof of income: pay slips, employment contracts, pension confirmations, or evidence of sufficient personal assets
- An employer declaration (Arbeitgebererklärung) from your Austrian employer, specifying the job description, salary, and working hours
A birth certificate may be required depending on your situation but isn’t universally mandatory. Application forms are available on the Ministry’s website; using the official form isn’t strictly required, but it speeds up processing.
How and Where to Apply
You generally file in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate in your country of residence before entering Austria. The consulate checks completeness and forwards the file to the settlement authority in Austria, which then involves the AMS for the labor market assessment.11oesterreich.gv.at. General Information on the First Application for Residence Permits for Austria
There are narrow exceptions. If you’re a national of a country whose citizens don’t need a visa to enter Austria, you can file directly with the local residence authority (a Magistrat or Bezirkshauptmannschaft) inside Austria. Family members of Austrian or EU citizens, researchers, and students have similar in-country routes.1Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. Settlement and Residence
The €218 fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome. Biometric data including fingerprints is collected. Once your file is complete, the settlement authority has eight weeks to decide, though missing paperwork can extend that considerably. The consulate cannot predict or influence timing.
If Your Application Is Refused
You can appeal in writing within four weeks of receiving the refusal. The appeal goes to the embassy that processed your file and is then forwarded to the Federal Administrative Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) for independent review.
Common grounds for refusal include falling short on points, insufficient proof of income, incomplete documentation, or a negative AMS labor market test. Before appealing, identify which requirement you missed. If it was a document gap or an income calculation that didn’t account for the rent deduction, reapplying with corrected paperwork is often faster than the court route.
After You Arrive: Integration and Renewal
Two things start running the day your permit is issued.
First, the Integration Agreement. Module 1 requires passing an integration exam at A2-level German plus questions on Austrian values and civic knowledge. You have two years from the date of your first residence permit to complete it, with a 12-month extension available where personal circumstances justify it.12oesterreich.gv.at. Integration Agreement Module 2, at B1 level, comes later if you apply for permanent EU residence or citizenship; completing Module 2 automatically covers Module 1. Module 1 certificates must be no more than two years old when submitted, so passing well in advance and not using the certificate in time can backfire.13OeAD. Proof of Knowledge of German and Integration Agreement
Some applicants who declare they won’t stay longer than 24 months can waive Module 1, but that declaration is irrevocable and permanently bars extending the permit afterward. Skipping Module 1 without waiving it narrows your renewal options dramatically.
Second, the renewal. To move from a Red-White-Red Card to the Plus version, you must have been employed under your original card’s conditions for at least 21 of the preceding 24 months. That gives a three-month buffer for gaps between jobs, and not much more. File the renewal no earlier than three months before expiry, and file before your current permit lapses; letting it expire first creates a serious problem that can reset your immigration timeline.7Migration.gv.at. Red-White-Red Card Plus The Plus is issued for up to three years, provided you’ve completed Integration Agreement Module 1 and have been continuously and legally resident for the two years before the new permit.14oesterreich.gv.at. Third-Country Nationals – General Information on Residence in Austria