Austria Red-White-Red Card

Red-white-Red Card resistance:

You are a qualified worker and citizen of a third country (a country outside the EU) seeking to live and work in Austria? In this case you need the Red-White-Red Card.

The Red-White-Red Card is issued for a period of 24 months and entitles you as the holder to fixed-term settlement and employment by the employer specified in your application.

Benefits of Red-white-Red resistance

  • The Red-White-Red Card is issued for a period of 24 months
  • Your family members can apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus

You are eligible for a Red-White-Red Card if you belong to one of the following groups:

  • Very Highly Qualified Workers:

  • As a Highly Qualified Worker from a third country, you have two options:

    • You can either enter Austria under a Job Seeker Visa to look for work in Austria
    • You may apply for a Red-White-Red card with the competent Austrian representation in your home country or your country of residence, provided that you have received an employment offer.

    Reaching a minimum of 70 points out of 100 points is a prerequisite in both cases:

    Age, Education, Salary, Language abilities, Job experience are in list of criteria.

  • Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations:

  • Shortage occupations are promulgated each year in a regulation issued by the Federal Minister of Labor in consultation with the Federal Minister of Economics. Which occupations are considered shortage occupations depends on the development of the Austrian labor market.

    As a third-country citizen, you may apply for a Red-White-Red Card as a Skilled Worker in a Shortage Occupation valid for 24 months, if:

    • you are able to furnish proof of completed training in a shortage occupation under the regulation
    • you have received a binding job offer in Austria and the prospective employer is willing to remunerate you with the minimum pay stipulated by law, regulation or collective agreement (in the event that overpay is customary in the respective company, it must also be granted to you)
    • you reach a minimum of 55 points out of 90 point according to the following list of criteria.
  • Other Key Workers:

  • Key workers with special know-how or skills do not have to furnish proof that they have completed formal training (e.g. musicians, designers or professional athletes).

    If you are a third-country citizen who is to take up employment with a company in Austria as a key worker you may apply for a Red-White-Red -Card valid for 24 months if you meet the following requirements:

    • Your prospective employer will pay the statutory minimum salary:
      • for key workers over 30 years of age: € 3,330 (2021) gross monthly pay plus special payments (holiday and Christmas pay),
      • for key workers under 30 years of age: € 2,775 (2021) gross monthly pay plus special payments (holiday and Christmas pay)
    • no equally qualified person registered as a jobseeker at the Public Employment Service (AMS) can be placed
    • you reach a minimum of 55 points out of 90 according to the list of criteria
  • Self-employed Key Workers:

  • As a third-country national you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card for Self-employed Key Workers, if your self-employed occupation in Austria creates macroeconomic benefit going beyond its own operational benefit.

    This may be the case if

    • your intended occupation involves a sustained transfer of investment capital to Austria amounting to € 100.000 minimum or
    • your intended occupation creates new jobs or secures existing jobs in Austria or
    • your establishment involves the transfer of know-how respectively the introduction of new technologies or
    • your business is of considerable significance for the entire region.
  • Start-up Founders

  • As a third-country national you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card for start-up founders if you

    • establish a company in order to develop and launch on the market innovative products, services, processing methods or technologies
    • to that end submit a consistent business plan for establishing and running that company
    • personally exert controlling influence on the management of the newly set-up company
    • prove capital for the company to be founded amounting to € 50.000 minimum with an equity share of at least 50%
    • can score 50 points out of 85 points according to the criteria