Austria

Austria runs one of Europe’s clearest points based systems for skilled workers from outside the EU. If your qualifications, experience and language skills score enough points, and an Austrian employer offers you a real job at the required pay, the Red-White-Red Card gives you a structured route in, with a defined path to free labour market access and long term residence.

Austria hires internationally through the Red-White-Red Card, a combined residence and work permit issued for 24 months and tied to a named employer. There are several categories, each with its own points table: Very Highly Qualified Workers, Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations, Other Key Workers, graduates of Austrian universities, Self-Employed Key Workers and Start-up Founders. Alongside the card sits the EU Blue Card, which has no points system and turns on a salary threshold instead. Students come on a Residence Permit, Student, study at some of the lowest public university tuition fees in Europe, and can stay on for twelve months after graduating to find work.

It suits qualified professionals whose occupation and points score fit a category, and students who can show the required funds. The honest limitations matter: almost every work route needs a concrete job offer from an Austrian employer before you can apply, the card ties you to that employer for the first two years, German is scored in the points tables and becomes compulsory at set stages through the Integration Agreement, and there is no general route for unskilled work. Austria is in the EU and in Schengen, so an Austrian permit covers residence and work in Austria, not employment in other EU states.

Quick facts: Austria at a glance

• Flagship route: the Red-White-Red Card, a points based combined residence and work permit issued for 24 months and tied to one employer. Very Highly Qualified Workers need at least 70 of 100 points; Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations and Other Key Workers need at least 55 of 90 points.
• EU Blue Card: no points system. You need a degree of at least three years (or, for ICT professionals and service managers, three years of comparable professional experience gained in the last seven years), a binding job offer that matches your education, and gross pay of at least EUR 55,678 a year in 2026, including special payments.
• Other Key Workers salary floor: your employer must pay at least EUR 3,465 gross per month in 2026, and a labour market test applies.
• Shortage occupations: the 2026 Skilled Workers Regulation (Fachkräfteverordnung) lists 64 occupations Austria-wide, plus further regional lists for individual provinces. Nurses, doctors, engineers, data processing specialists and skilled trades such as roofers, welders and electricians feature on the federal list.
• Pay structure: Austria has no single statutory national minimum wage. Pay floors are set by sector collective agreements, and salaries are usually paid in 14 monthly instalments a year, which matters when you compare an Austrian offer with a salary quoted elsewhere.
• Long term timeline: after 21 months of qualifying employment in the previous 24 months you can move to the Red-White-Red Card plus, which gives unrestricted labour market access. Long-term Resident, EU (Daueraufenthalt, EU) is available after five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, with Module 2 of the Integration Agreement (German B1) completed.
• Study highlight: students under 24 must show funds of EUR 777.58 a month, and students aged 24 and over EUR 1,308.39 a month (2026 figures). Public university tuition for third country nationals is EUR 726.72 a semester. Students may work up to 20 hours a week, and graduates can extend their permit for twelve months to look for a job.

Why Austria: in plain terms

The rules are published and the points are countable. Each Red-White-Red Card category has an official points table on the federal migration portal, and there is an official points calculator, so you can test your position honestly before you spend money on an application.

The shortage list is real and updated every year. If your occupation is on the federal or a regional shortage list, there is no labour market test, and completed vocational training counts: you do not need a university degree for the shortage route.

The upgrade path is defined from day one. Twenty one months of qualifying work in your first two years converts the employer tied card into the Red-White-Red Card plus with free access to the whole labour market, and five years of lawful residence opens Long-term Resident, EU.

Study is genuinely affordable at public universities. Tuition of EUR 726.72 a semester for third country nationals is a fraction of UK, US or Australian fees, and graduates get a twelve month job seeking extension with a points free, test free switch into the Red-White-Red Card for graduates.

English counts, but German compounds. The points tables award points for English as well as German, so an English speaking professional can qualify; German then adds points, widens the job market, and is required in stages for renewals and long term status.

What living in Austria costs: indicative planning ranges, 2026

Figures below are indicative market ranges for 2026, drawn from Numbeo city price data, checked October 2026. They are planning estimates, not official statistics. Vienna is the most expensive city; Graz and Linz are noticeably cheaper, and smaller cities cheaper again.

Item	Indicative cost
1-bed flat, Vienna	Around EUR 850 to EUR 1,200 per month (Numbeo average about EUR 1,180 in the centre and about EUR 830 outside the centre)
1-bed flat, Graz	Around EUR 650 to EUR 850 per month
1-bed flat, Linz	Around EUR 650 to EUR 850 per month
Room in a shared flat (WG)	Commonly EUR 400 to EUR 650 per month in Vienna, less in Graz, Linz and smaller cities; most newcomers and students start in a shared flat
Monthly public transport pass, Vienna	Around EUR 51 per month
Food and local transport, single person	Roughly EUR 450 to EUR 650 per month if you cook mostly at home, higher in Vienna

Warning: never pay rent or deposits to unverified private adverts, and never pay for a flat you have not seen through an agent you cannot verify. Housing scams target newcomers, and offers of a cheap central flat in exchange for an advance transfer are a standard fraud pattern.

Note: expect to pay a deposit, usually up to three months of rent, plus possible agency fees. Many people book temporary accommodation for the first weeks and view properties in person after arrival.

Routes in

1. Very Highly Qualified Workers, and the Job Seeker Visa

Who it fits: senior professionals, managers and researchers with a strong combination of qualifications, experience and language skills, including people who do not yet have an Austrian job offer.

Key requirement: you must score at least 70 of 100 points. The table awards up to 40 points for special qualifications and skills (a degree of at least four years scores 20, a degree in mathematics, informatics, natural sciences or technology scores 30, a PhD or habilitation scores 40, with further points for senior management salary, research activity and recognised awards), up to 20 for work experience, up to 10 for German or English skills (A1 scores 5, A2 scores 10), up to 20 for age (under 35 scores 20, under 40 scores 15, under 45 scores 10) and up to 10 for studies in Austria. If you reach 70 points without a job offer, you can apply for a Job Seeker Visa (a category D visa) at the Austrian embassy or consulate; once the Public Employment Service (AMS) confirms your points, the visa is granted for six months so you can enter Austria and look for work. If you find a job that matches your qualification while the visa is valid, you apply for the Red-White-Red Card inside Austria. The card application fee is EUR 218.

Honest limitation: 70 points is a high bar, and most people only clear it with a degree, several years of experience and language points combined. The Job Seeker Visa does not allow you to work while you search, and if no matching job offer arrives within the six months, the route ends.

2. Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations

Who it fits: trained workers whose occupation appears on the official shortage list, including healthcare, engineering, IT and skilled trades, with or without a university degree.

Key requirement: completed training in a shortage occupation, a binding job offer from an Austrian employer paying at least the minimum set by law, regulation or the relevant collective agreement, and at least 55 of 90 points (qualification up to 30, work experience up to 20, language skills up to 25, age up to 15, with 5 extra points where English is the predominant language of the company). Shortage occupations are set each year in the Skilled Workers Regulation (Fachkräfteverordnung); for 2026 the federal list names 64 occupations Austria-wide, with additional regional lists that apply only in the named provinces. The AMS checks your points, your training and whether your pay is adequate; there is no labour market test in this category.

Honest limitation: your occupation must match the list as written, and the list changes every year, so an occupation that qualifies in 2026 may not qualify in 2027. Training must be completed and documented; experience alone, without the training the list entry assumes, is not enough.

3. Other Key Workers

Who it fits: skilled workers with a genuine Austrian job offer in an occupation that is not on the shortage list.

Key requirement: your prospective employer must pay a statutory minimum of EUR 3,465 gross per month in 2026, you must reach at least 55 of 90 points on the key worker table (qualification up to 30, work experience up to 20, language skills up to 25, age up to 15), and the AMS labour market test must show that no equally qualified person registered as a jobseeker can be placed in the job.

Honest limitation: this is the most conditional of the employed routes. The salary floor and the labour market test both have to be passed, and offers below EUR 3,465 a month do not qualify in this category whatever the job title.

4. EU Blue Card

Who it fits: graduates with a strong salary offer who prefer a route with no points table.

Key requirement: a completed course of study of at least three years at a university or other tertiary institution; for information and communications technology professionals and service managers, at least three years of relevant professional experience comparable to a degree, gained within the last seven years, is accepted instead. You need a binding job offer in Austria that corresponds to your education, and gross pay of at least the average gross annual income of full time employees: in 2026, at least EUR 55,678 a year, meaning the annual salary including special payments (in practice paid in 14 instalments, about EUR 3,977 per instalment). The AMS labour market test applies: no equally qualified worker registered as a jobseeker may be available for the job. There is no points system. The Blue Card is issued for 24 months, and after 21 months of qualifying employment in the previous 24 months you can apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus.

Honest limitation: the salary threshold is the whole test. An offer below EUR 55,678 a year fails, however senior the role sounds, and the labour market test applies here as well, which surprises people who expect the Blue Card to be test free.

5. Graduates of Austrian universities and universities of applied sciences

Who it fits: third country nationals who have completed a bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral or diploma programme at an Austrian university, university of applied sciences or accredited private university.

Key requirement: after graduating you may renew your Residence Permit, Student, once, for twelve months, to search for employment or start a business, provided you meet the general requirements such as sufficient means of subsistence and health insurance. If you receive a job offer that matches your level of qualification within those twelve months, you can apply for the Red-White-Red Card for graduates with no labour market test and no points system, provided you are paid the locally customary gross salary that comparable Austrian graduates in junior positions receive.

Honest limitation: the twelve months is a countdown. If no qualifying job offer arrives in time, the stay ends, and the graduate card is tied to the employer named in the application like every other Red-White-Red Card.

6. Study

Who it fits: students admitted to an Austrian university, university of applied sciences or other recognised institution, including students who want a low tuition route into the graduate job market afterwards.

Key requirement: admission to the institution, health insurance covering all risks, and proof of funds for your living costs. For 2026 the amounts to prove are EUR 777.58 a month if you are under 24 (proof of at least EUR 8,670.96) and EUR 1,308.39 a month if you are aged 24 or over (proof of at least EUR 15,700.68), held in an account in your name that is accessible from Austria, or covered by a scholarship or a formal declaration of guarantee. Some official checklists still show EUR 722.58 per month; the Interior Ministry portal lists EUR 777.58, so budget to the higher figure. Tuition at public universities for third country nationals is EUR 726.72 a semester, plus the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) fee. During your studies you may be granted an employment permit for up to 20 hours of work a week, with no labour market test; your prospective employer applies for that permit to the AMS.

Honest limitation: the funds must be proven up front and again at renewal, and the 20 hours a week of permitted work is a supplement, not a funding plan. Most degree programmes are taught in German; English taught programmes exist, mainly at master’s level, and admission to them is competitive.

7. Self-Employed Key Workers

Who it fits: founders and business owners whose activity in Austria creates a macroeconomic benefit that goes beyond their own business.

Key requirement: there is no points system. Your intended occupation must meet at least one of the official tests: a sustained transfer of investment capital to Austria of at least EUR 100,000; the creation of new jobs or the securing of existing jobs in Austria; the transfer of know-how or the introduction of new technologies; or a business of considerable significance for the entire region. You submit a business plan and evidence of the capital transfer and job effects, and the AMS issues an expert opinion on the macroeconomic benefit, normally within three weeks.

Honest limitation: ordinary freelancing for foreign clients does not meet this test. The category is built for capital, jobs or technology entering Austria, the AMS opinion is a judgement rather than a box tick, and the card covers the self-employed activity described in the application, not employment with an Austrian company.

8. Start-up Founders

Who it fits: founders setting up a company in Austria to develop and launch genuinely innovative products, services, processing methods or technologies.

Key requirement: a consistent business plan, personal controlling influence over the management of the new company, company capital of at least EUR 30,000 with an equity share of at least 50 percent held by you, and at least 50 of 85 points (qualification up to 30, work experience up to 10, language skills up to 15, and bonus points up to 30, including 10 points for additional investment capital of at least EUR 50,000, 10 for admission to a business incubator or funding by a start-up funding agency in Austria, and 10 for being aged up to 35). Older guides still quote EUR 50,000 as the capital requirement; the official figure since the 2022 reform is EUR 30,000.

Honest limitation: the innovation test is real. A standard agency, shop or consultancy with a new name does not qualify, and after two years the move to the Red-White-Red Card plus is checked against what the company has actually done.

Your journey, step by step

1. Check your category and count your points honestly: use the official points tables and calculator on the federal migration portal, and check whether your occupation is on the current federal or regional shortage list. If no category fits, fix the gap first (language certificate, recognition of a regulated profession, a stronger offer), rather than applying and hoping.
2. Secure the anchor for your route: a binding job offer from an Austrian employer for the work routes, a confirmed university place for study, or the capital and business plan for the founder routes. Very Highly Qualified Workers are the only group who may enter first and job hunt afterwards, on the six month Job Seeker Visa.
3. Apply: you file in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate in your country of residence, or your employer files with the residence authority in Austria. The AMS assesses your points, training, salary or business case, and the residence authority decides. The Red-White-Red Card application fee is EUR 218.
4. Enter and formalise your stay: if you need one, you receive a category D visa to enter and collect your card. Register your address (Meldezettel) within three days of moving in, and complete Module 1 of the Integration Agreement (German A2) within two years of your permit being granted.
5. Build towards long term status: after 21 months of qualifying employment in the previous 24 months, apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus and free access to the labour market. After five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, with Module 2 (German B1) completed, apply for Long-term Resident, EU.

Who this is NOT for

• Anyone looking for a guaranteed permit. No route in Austria is guaranteed, and anyone who promises you one is not telling the truth.
• Anyone hoping to arrive as a visitor and job hunt into a work permit. Outside the Job Seeker Visa for Very Highly Qualified Workers, the job offer comes first and the application follows it; working on a visitor stay is not permitted.
• Anyone looking for unskilled or general labour routes. The Red-White-Red Card is a skilled system: every employed category needs completed training or a degree, enough points, and pay at or above the official floor. Agents advertising warehouse, cleaning, kitchen helper or factory helper jobs in Austria for a fee are running a scam pattern.
• Anyone whose offer sits below the floor for their category: below EUR 3,465 gross a month for Other Key Workers, or below EUR 55,678 a year for the EU Blue Card. The thresholds are hard cut offs.
• Anyone who cannot show the required funds. Between the student proof of funds, the general income requirement for settlement titles (from 1 January 2026: EUR 1,308.39 a month for a single person, EUR 2,064.12 for a couple, plus EUR 201.88 per child) and Vienna level rents, Austria needs real money in place before you apply.

FAQ

1. How many points do I need for a Red-White-Red Card in 2026?

It depends on the category. Very Highly Qualified Workers need at least 70 of 100 points. Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations and Other Key Workers need at least 55 of 90 points. Start-up Founders need at least 50 of 85 points. Graduates of Austrian universities and Self-Employed Key Workers have no points system at all, and neither does the EU Blue Card.

2. What salary do I need for an EU Blue Card in Austria in 2026?

At least EUR 55,678 gross a year, including special payments. That is the average gross annual income of full time employees, and the figure is updated annually. You also need a degree of at least three years (or three years of comparable professional experience in the last seven years if you are an ICT professional or service manager), a binding job offer that matches your education, and the AMS labour market test must show no equally qualified registered jobseeker is available.

3. Can I come to Austria to look for a job first?

Only through the Job Seeker Visa, and only if you are a Very Highly Qualified Worker who scores at least 70 of 100 points. The visa is a category D visa valid for six months, granted once the AMS confirms your points. You may not work on it. If you find a job matching your qualification in time, you apply for the Red-White-Red Card inside Austria; if not, you have to leave when it expires.

4. Is my occupation on the shortage list?

Shortage occupations are set every year in the Skilled Workers Regulation (Fachkräfteverordnung), split into a federal list that applies Austria-wide and regional lists that apply only in named provinces. For 2026 the federal list names 64 occupations, including graduate nurses, physicians, power engineering and mechanical engineering technicians, data processing engineers, roofers, welders, electricians and train drivers. Always check the current list on the federal migration portal, because it changes annually and the exact job titles matter.

5. Do I need German to work in Austria?

Not always at the start: the points tables award points for English as well as German, and some categories can be met on English points alone. But German is built into the system. Points for German A1 to B1 are available in every table, family members usually need A1 German before they arrive, Module 1 of the Integration Agreement requires German A2 within two years of your permit being granted, and Long-term Resident, EU requires Module 2, German B1. In practice, German also decides how much of the job market is open to you.

6. Can students work in Austria, and what does study cost?

Yes. On a Residence Permit, Student, you may be granted an employment permit for up to 20 hours a week with no labour market test; your employer applies for it to the AMS. For 2026 you must prove funds of EUR 777.58 a month if you are under 24, or EUR 1,308.39 a month if you are 24 or over. Tuition at public universities is EUR 726.72 a semester for third country nationals, plus the Students’ Union fee. After graduating in Austria you can extend your permit once for twelve months to look for work, and switch into the Red-White-Red Card for graduates with no points and no labour market test if you land a job at the locally customary graduate salary.

7. Can my family join me in Austria?

In general terms, yes. Spouses and registered partners and unmarried minor children of Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card holders can apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus right away, and it gives them unrestricted access to the Austrian labour market. The general requirements apply: secure income at the official reference rates (from 1 January 2026, EUR 2,064.12 a month for a couple, plus EUR 201.88 per child), health insurance and locally customary accommodation. Family members normally have to show German at A1 level before immigrating; family members of Very Highly Qualified Workers, EU Blue Card holders and researchers are exempt from that pre-entry requirement.

8. How long does it take to get long term residence in Austria?

Long-term Resident, EU (Daueraufenthalt, EU) is available after five years of lawful and uninterrupted residence, provided the general requirements are met and Module 2 of the Integration Agreement (German B1) is completed. Before that milestone, the Red-White-Red Card plus after 21 months of qualifying employment in the previous 24 months already removes the tie to a single employer.

Your next step

Austria is a realistic destination if your points, occupation and salary offer fit a Red-White-Red Card category, if your salary clears the Blue Card threshold, or if your funding genuinely covers study. The two expensive mistakes are applying under the wrong category, and underestimating how much of the system runs on German and on a real job offer secured in advance. Both are avoidable with an honest check at the start.

NVConsult provides education and application guidance, not legal advice. No visa, job or outcome is guaranteed. Decisions rest solely with embassies, authorities and employers.

Sources

Official sources used for the legal figures in this pack:

• Federal migration portal (Federal Ministry of the Interior), Very Highly Qualified Workers (70 of 100 points, full points table, Job Seeker Visa, Red-White-Red Card plus after 21 of 24 months)
• Federal migration portal, Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations (completed training, binding offer at law or collective agreement pay, 55 of 90 points, annual Skilled Workers Regulation)
• Federal migration portal, Other Key Workers (EUR 3,465 gross per month in 2026, labour market test, 55 of 90 points)
• Federal migration portal, EU Blue Card (degree of at least three years or ICT experience route, EUR 55,678 gross a year in 2026, labour market test, no points system, 24 months)
• Federal migration portal, Graduates of Austrian universities and universities of applied sciences (twelve month job seeking extension, Red-White-Red Card for graduates without labour market test and without points)
• Federal migration portal, frequently asked questions (students may work up to 20 hours a week on an employment permit without a labour market test; family members of Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card holders may apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus right away)
• Federal migration portal, Self-employed Key Workers (EUR 100,000 capital transfer or jobs, know-how or regional significance; no points system; AMS expert opinion within three weeks)
• Federal migration portal, Start-up Founders (innovative company, business plan, controlling influence, capital of at least EUR 30,000 with an equity share of at least 50 percent, 50 of 85 points)
• Federal migration portal, general requirements for residence permits (equalisation supplement reference rates from 1 January 2026: single EUR 1,308.39, couple EUR 2,064.12, per child EUR 201.88; health insurance and accommodation rules)
• Federal migration portal, Family Reunification and Red-White-Red Card plus for family members (A1 German before immigration, exemptions for family members of Very Highly Qualified Workers, EU Blue Card holders and researchers)
• oesterreich.gv.at, proof of knowledge of German before immigration (A1 level, recognised diplomas, one year validity of the diploma)
• OeAD (Austrian Agency for Education and Internationalisation), Residence Permit, Student (funds as of 2026: EUR 722.58 a month under 24, EUR 1,308.39 a month from 24, couples EUR 2,064.12, per child EUR 201.88; accommodation costs above EUR 386.43 a month need additional funds)
• Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), information sheet for students from 1 January 2026 (EUR 722.58 a month under 24, minimum proof EUR 8,670.96; EUR 1,308.39 a month from 24, minimum proof EUR 15,700.68)
• OeAD, Red-White-Red Card (application fee EUR 218; Other Key Workers minimum salary EUR 3,465 gross per month as of 2026)
• Austrian Business Agency (Work in Austria), Red-White-Red Card residence permit (fee EUR 218; no separate minimum salary for shortage occupations beyond the collective agreement) and the nationwide shortage occupations list for 2026 (64 occupations)
• OeAD, information sheet on German before immigration and the Integration Agreement (Module 1: German A2 integration exam within two years; Module 2: German B1, required for Long-term Resident, EU and citizenship)
• Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), examination formats (A2 integration exam counts for Module 1; B1 integration exam counts for Module 2 and for Long-term Resident, EU)
• Federal migration portal, other forms of settlement (residence title for three years once Module 1 is completed and two years of lawful residence are shown; Long-term Residence, EU after five years of lawful, uninterrupted residence with Module 2 completed)
• University of Innsbruck, tuition fee and financial support (tuition EUR 726.72 a semester for citizens of third countries, EUR 363.36 for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens; Students’ Union fee EUR 26.20 in 2026/2027)
• Study in Austria (OeAD), studying in Austria information (students from third countries: EUR 726.72 a semester plus the Students’ Union fee of EUR 26.20)

Market sources note: Numbeo, prices by city, 1 bedroom apartment, monthly transport pass and city data for Vienna, Graz and Linz, checked October 2026 (cost of living table only).

Last verified: 22 October 2026

Location

Map location for Austria.

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