Residence Permits in Austria: Full List, Criteria, Documents (2025)

Austria doesn’t have a single “one-size-fits-all” visa. It runs a matrix of residence titles geared to labor demand, study and research, family life, and narrowly defined special cases. The upside: if you pick the right track and assemble the right evidence, decisions can be fast and predictable. The downside: each track has distinct criteria, forms, and proof standards. 

How applications are filed (applies to most titles)

• • First applications are typically lodged at an Austrian embassy/consulate before entry; some categories allow filing inside Austria after lawful entry.

  • General baseline for most titles: secure livelihood (monthly income at or above the 2025 standard rates), all-risks health insurance, and proof of adequate accommodation.

  • Photos must be recent (45×35 mm), passports valid, and civil-status documents often need legalization and German or English translations.

Red-White-Red Card (RWR Card) — work + settlement, up to 24 months

The RWR Card is issued for specific employment with a named employer. After 21 months of employment within 24 months, you can move to the labor-market-free Red-White-Red Card Plus.

Sub-categories and criteria

• • Very Highly Qualified Workers

    • 70/100 points across education, salary record, research outputs/awards, work experience, language skills, age, and Austrian study.

    • Job offer matching your qualification and appropriate pay.

  • Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations

    • Completed training in a listed shortage occupation, binding job offer paid at least per law/collective agreement, 55/90 points (qualification, experience, language, age).

  • Other Key Workers

    • Binding offer paid at or above the annual AMS minimum (2025 monthly minimum indicated by authorities), labor-market test, 55/90 points.

  • Graduates of Austrian universities

    • Austrian degree and a job offer paid at locally customary graduate salary.

  • Self-employed Key Workers

    • No points. Your project must create a macro-economic benefit (e.g., €100,000 investment, job creation, transfer of technology/know-how, regional impact).

  • Start-up Founders

    • Innovative business, coherent business plan, controlling role, min. €30,000 capital with ≥50% equity, 50/85 points (education, experience, language, extra capital, incubator funding, age).

Documents (bundle varies by sub-category)

• • Passport; recent photo

  • Employment contract or startup/self-employment file (business plan, capital proof)

  • Proof of qualification (degrees; for regulated professions, recognition where required)

  • CV and work experience certificates

  • Language certificates (German/English; typically ≤5 years old)

  • Proof of income/offer meeting thresholds or collective agreement pay

  • Health insurance evidence; accommodation proof

  • For points review: evidence of publications, patents, awards, prior senior-management salary bands, Austrian study records

Red-White-Red Card Plus — unrestricted labor market

Criteria

• • 21 months of qualifying employment within the previous 24 months on an RWR or EU Blue Card; or as a qualifying family member.

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • Current residence card

  • Proof of qualifying employment months (social insurance extract, payslips)

  • Health insurance; accommodation; secure livelihood

EU Blue Card — highly qualified employment

Criteria

• • University degree or (for ICT professionals/service managers) 3 years relevant experience comparable to a degree, acquired in the last 7 years.

  • Binding job offer for ≥6 months in a role matching your education.

  • Salary at least the Austrian average gross annual pay (2025 guidance: about €51,500; updated annually).

  • Labor-market check confirming no equally qualified registered jobseeker is available.

Documents

• • Passport; photo; civil-status documents as applicable

  • Degree and proof of degree recognition status (or evidence of qualifying professional experience)

  • Employer’s declaration and employment contract with salary

  • Health insurance; accommodation; secure livelihood evidence

Residence Permit — Researcher

Criteria

• • Hosting agreement with a certified (or exempt) Austrian research institution.

  • Secure livelihood, accommodation, and all-risks health insurance (statutory cover if salary exceeds the marginal earnings threshold).

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • Hosting agreement; doctoral/PhD or degree granting access to doctoral programs

  • Health insurance; accommodation; livelihood evidence

  • Police clearance (often for first-time filings); legalized translations as requested

Residence Permit — Student

Criteria

• • Admission to an Austrian higher-education program (degree or eligible non-degree program, not purely language study).

  • Secure livelihood at 2025 rates (e.g., €703.58/month under 24; €1,273.99/month age 24+; couples €2,009.85; +€196.57/child), provable for 12 months in advance; additional funds if rent exceeds €376.27/month.

  • Accommodation and all-risks health insurance.

  • Limited work allowed (typically up to 20 hours/week with permit; do not jeopardize study as primary purpose).

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • University admission/enrollment

  • Proof of funds (own account, scholarship, parental guarantee with evidence of source of funds, etc.)

  • Accommodation; health insurance; police clearance (frequently requested)

Residence Permit — Pupil

Criteria

• • Enrollment at a recognized Austrian school; secure livelihood, accommodation, and insurance comparable to student baseline.

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • School enrollment certificate

  • Proof of funds; accommodation; health insurance; civil-status docs if applicable

Family Reunification (incl. Red-White-Red Card Plus for family members)

Criteria

• • Eligible family relationship (spouse/registered partner age 21+, unmarried minor child).

  • Sponsor with a qualifying residence status (RWR, Blue Card, long-term resident, Austrian citizen in defined cases).

  • Secure livelihood at 2025 standard rates, adequate accommodation, and all-risks insurance.

  • German A1 prior to immigration for most first-time adult family members, with defined exemptions; Module 1 (A2) usually due within 2 years.

Documents

• • Passports; photos

  • Proof of relationship (marriage/partnership certificate; birth certificates)

  • Sponsor’s proof of residence title, income, and accommodation (lease/ownership)

  • Health insurance; German A1 certificate where required; legalized/translated civil-status documents

Settlement Permit — Gainful Employment Excepted (financially independent)

Criteria

• • No work in Austria; settlement based on independent means.

  • 2025 monthly minimums: €2,547.98 (single), €4,019.70 (couple), +€393.14 per child.

  • Quotas apply in many provinces.

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • Proof of sufficient stable income (pensions, dividends, rentals, savings)

  • Health insurance (private or statutory) covering all risks

  • Accommodation; civil-status documents; proof of German A1 if applicable to your case

Volunteers, Au Pairs, and other special cases (temporary residence)

Volunteers

• • Agreement with the host organization; general residence conditions; permit validity up to one year.

Au pairs

• • Host family must report the au-pair relationship to AMS; for third-country nationals, a special employment residence permit is required before starting.

  • Minimum German A1, age limits, and clear definition of duties and hours; compulsory accident insurance at minimum, plus health insurance covering all risks.

Documents (typical)

• • Passport; photo

  • Host agreement/au-pair contract and AMS confirmation (au pairs)

  • Health insurance; accommodation; proof of funds as applicable; civil-status docs

Seasonal Workers (tourism, agriculture/forestry)

Criteria

• • Employer seeks an AMS quota permit and passes a labor-market test; permits usually up to 6 months within 12 months (with nine-month total windows via specific rules).

  • Visa C or D issued on the back of the AMS permit.

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • Employment contract and AMS permit copy

  • Accommodation (often employer-provided); health insurance; visa application documents

Intra-Corporate Transferee (ICT) and mobile ICT

Criteria

• • Temporary transfer to an Austrian group entity as manager, specialist, or trainee; minimum prior employment in the company; genuine economic activity.

  • ICT permit up to 3 years (trainees up to 1 year). Mobile ICT possible if you already hold an ICT card from another EU state.

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • Work contracts/assignment letter (home + host), proof of role and qualifications

  • Health insurance; accommodation; evidence of prior employment and company activity

  • For mobile ICT: valid ICT permit from another EU state

Long-Term Residence — EU

Criteria

• • Five years of continuous legal residence; secure livelihood, accommodation, and insurance; Integration Agreement Module 2 (German B1).

Documents

• • Passport; photo

  • Proof of five years’ residence (previous permits/registrations)

  • B1 German certificate; income and health-insurance evidence; accommodation proof; civil-status docs as relevant

Asylum and Subsidiary Protection

Criteria

• • In-country oral application based on well-founded fear of persecution or serious harm; admission and substantive procedures handled by the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum; appeal rights defined by law.

Documents

• • Application statements; identity documents if available

  • Any corroborating evidence (reports, summonses, medical/legal documents, witness statements)

How to package your file (practical prep)

• • Originals + copies; legalized where required; certified translations into German (or English where accepted).

  • Standard photo (45×35 mm) taken within six months.

  • Employer’s declaration forms for work titles; AMS confirmations where applicable.

  • Proof of funds that match the category (bank statements, pension letters, scholarship/award letters).

  • Criminal record extracts are often requested for first-time filings; order them early.

Legal disclaimer

This guide is informational and not legal advice. Eligibility, quotas, salaries, and document requirements change. Your personal history (country of origin, criminal record, prior visas, and regulated professions) can alter the path and evidence needed. For binding guidance, use official Austrian sources and/or a licensed immigration attorney.