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- Worker rights and responsibilities
- Moving to Austria
- Working in Austria
The Red-White-Red – Card Plus for Displaced Persons from Ukraine
12. January 2025Since October 1, 2024, the new legal regulations for displaced persons from Ukraine who have already found access to the labour market are into force and enabled them to apply for a Red-White-Red Card Plus (Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte Plus).In this way, displaced persons from Ukraine have the possibility to remain in Austria in the long term.
How can a displaced person from Ukraine gain access to the Austrian labour market?
You can find our blog post for displaced persons from Ukraine on entering and finding employment in Austria herehere ().
What rights do you have with a Red-White-Red – Card Plus?
The Red-White-Red – Card Plus is a residence title for third-country nationals aiming to facilitate the long-term stay of skilled workers and their family members in Austria. Now this is also available to displaced persons from Ukraine. Among other things, the Red-White-Red – Card Plus offers unrestricted access to the Austrian labour market. This means that you can work both as a salaried employee or as a self-employed person, and you are not bound to a specific employer. Generally speaking, the validity of the Red-White-Red – Card Plus is limited (to one year or three years). You can apply for an extension of it within the three months before the current permit expires. If your passport is not valid for this long, the Red-White-Red Card Plus will be issued for the period of validity of your passport.
Note:
If you fulfil Module 1 of the Integration Agreement (i.e. present an Integration Certificate A2) and have already lived in Austria for two years with an ID card for displaced persons, you can obtain a Red-White-Red Card Plus with a validity period of three years. However, if you do not fulfil these requirements, the Red-White-Red – Card Plus will only be issued for a period of one year. After the first extension, you will once again receive a Red-White-Red – Card Plus which is valid for one year. If you have then resided in Austria for two years and have fulfilled Module 1 of the Integration Agreement, you will receive a Red-White-Red – Card Plus with a validity period of three years after the second extension.
Please note that you are required to fulfil Module 1 of the Integration Agreement within two years (inasmuch as you did not already fulfil this requirement beforehand or present a substitute; see below). The period of time for fulfilling Module 1 of the Integration Agreement begins when your first Red-White-Red – Card Plus has been issued (collected by you).
Requirements for a Red-White-Red – Card Plus for Displaced Persons from Ukraine
- You must already have obtained access to the Austrian labour market. This means that you must already hold a ID Card for Displaced Persons (commonly referred to as the “Blue Card” – note: not to be confused with the “EU Blue Card”).
- Furthermore, within the last 24 months prior to submitting your application, you must have worked for at least 12 months in employment subject to full social insurance contributions.
- Employment does not need to have been continuous for 12 months. Periods of employment can be added together as long as they occurred within the last 24 months.
- “Fully insured” means that, due to your employment, you were registered (or registered yourself) with the Austrian social insurance system and are insured under health, accident, and pension insurance according to the ASVG or GSVG. This means that marginal employment or employment without registration with the social insurance system cannot be counted.
Note:
Only since 21 April 2023 displaced persons from Ukraine no longer needed any additional work permit (Beschäftigungsbewilligung). For this reason, any periods of employment before 21 April 2023 must be confirmed by a valid work permit for this time in order to be included in the required 12 months.
- Furthermore, you are also required to supply proof of having German language skills at an A1 level or an A2 Integration Certificate (Module 1 of the Integration Agreement) or a substitute (see below).
- Please note that the general requirements for receiving Austrian residence permits must also be fulfilled. In particular, this means providing proof of the following: Sufficient means of subsistence, health insurance, long-term accommodation in Austria, and proof that you are not a threat to public safety and order. More information on this is available herehere ().
Please also note that a change to the status of having a Red-White-Red – Card Plus is a voluntary decision. If you do not fulfil the requirements for obtaining a Red-White-Red – Card Plus or do not want to change your status, you can continue to keep your current status as a displaced person and work in Austria without a work permit. This is due to the fact that the exemption for displaced persons continues to be valid (for the time being) in accordance with the Regulation on Displaced Persons.
This is how you apply for the Red-White-Red – Card Plus
You must submit your application for the Red-White-Red – Card Plus personally at the competent Immigration Authority. This depends on where you live.
These are the documents you require so that you can receive a Red-White-Red – Card Plus:
- Application formApplication form ()
- Currently valid or expired ID Card for Displaced Persons
- Passport
- Passport photo fulfilling EU criteria (not older than 6 months)
- Only for applications by children: Birth Certificate
- Proof of accommodation in Austria (e.g., residence registration confirmation – Meldebestätigung; rental agreement, proof of last three rental payments, etc.)
- Proof of health insurance coverage in Austria (copy of the e-card etc.)
- Proof of sufficient financial means (last three salary slips, etc.)
- A1 German Certificate OR an A2 Integration Certificate (Module 1 of the Integration Agreement) or a substitute.
The German certificate must not be older than one year when it is submitted. The A2 Integration Certificate must not be older than two years. However, Austrian school leaving certificates or university diplomas may be older than two years.
German certificates from the following institutions are accepted: ÖSD, Goethe-Institute, TELC, Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF).
If you completed studies at a recognised university or can present proof of general university entrance qualification or completed a vocational secondary school you do not need to present a German A1 certificate. Instead, relevant proof must be submitted to the immigration authority. Legalisation Legalisation ()may be necessary depending upon the country of issue. It is important that the educational institution from which the university diploma or general university entrance qualification or school leaving certificate from the vocational secondary school is recognized and that the relevant document was issued in German or English or underwent translation by a court-certified translator. This certificate is valid both as a substitute for the German Certificate A1 and/or for the A2 Integration Certificate (Module 1 of the Integration Agreement).
Note:
You are not required to show proof of having been employed for at least 12 months. The review focusing on whether you fulfil this requirement is carried out by the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) directly together with the responsible health insurance fund, namely the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse – ÖGK) or the Social Insurance Institute for the Self-Employed (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen – SVS).
- Many residence authorities require a so-called excerpt from the Austrian Credit Protection Association (“KSV Auszug”) when renewing residence permits. This excerpt is an official document that shows whether you have taken out loans in Austria. If you are married, you always have to present your own excerpt and that of your partner. You can easily order this excerpt from the Austrian Credit Protection Association for authorities onlineonline ().
- Fees: € 218
Note:
If you receive your Red-White-Red Card Plus, you can apply for the Long-Term Resident EU permit when you renew your residence title after five years of uninterrupted residence in Austria, provided you also fulfil Module 2 of the Integration Agreement. The times in which you reside in Austria due to your status as a displaced person immediately prior to receiving your Red-White-Red – Card Plus are also considered as times of residence. For this reason, they can also be taken into account.
Do you have any other questions which we could not answer in this blog post?
HereHere () you will find FAQ compiled by the Federal Ministry of the Interior on the issuance of a Red-White-Red – Card Plus for displaced persons from Ukraine.
You are also welcome to contact us directlycontact us directly ().
