Residence & Employment

The Red-White-Red – Card

Austria’s Red-White-Red – Card (“Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte”) offers a residence permit for third-country nationals who would like to work as skilled employees in Austria and want to stay in Austria on a permanent basis. There is not only one Red-White-Red – Card but a total of seven subcategories.

Family reunification or immigration is possible with all these residence permits. Family members (wife/husband, civil partner, children) can apply for a Red-White-Red – Card Plus enabling them to freely access the Austrian labour market.

Professionals from third countries who are the spouses or registered partners or parents of EU citizens do not have to apply for a Red-White-Red Card or Blue Card. They can apply for a so-called residence card. This gives them free access to the Austrian labour market. They can therefore work both as employees and self-employed and are not tied to an employer.

Professionals from third countries who are the spouses or registered partners of Austrians do not have to apply for a Red-White-Red Card to work in Austria either. They can apply for a so-called residence title for family members. This gives them free access to the Austrian labour market. They can therefore work both as employees and self-employed.

Please note:

The Red-White-Red Card is basically intended for long-term employment. For seasonal employment, employment permits can/must still be applied for at the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS).
Holders of a Red-White-Red Card or an EU Blue Card valid in Austria are allowed to pursue a self-employed activity in addition to their employed activity, but only to a minor extent.

Attention

Before you or your future employer submit the application, you must have decided where you want to live in Austria. This is important because there are different branches of the residence authority in Austria. Which of these branches is responsible for you depends on your future place of residence in Austria. Once you have decided on a place, a change is complicated and not recommended. Please also note that you have to declare your main residenc e after arriving in Austria and before picking up your residence title. This means that you already have to look for suitable accommodation during your application procedure.

Choose one category of the Red-White-Red - Card
and learn more about it

Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations

The Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations targets third-country nationals who have a binding job offer and relevant training in a specified shortage occupation. Austria publishes a list of shortage occupations each year.

As a rule, skilled employees in these shortage occupations can immigrate to Austria more quickly than other skilled workers. This is particularly due to the fact that no labour market test is necessary.

In order to receive this Red-White-Red – Card, you have to receive a sufficient number of points in the legally stipulated point system.

There are 5 categories of criteria in which you can collect points:

01
Qualifications (training or education in a shortage occupation)
02
Professional experience which you gained in your specialised area after your studies or training
03
German language skills

04
English language skills
05
Age

Please note the following:

You have to attain a score of at least 55 points.
Each category has a maximum number of points which you cannot exceed. For example, if you have more than ten years of relevant professional experience, you will still not receive more than 20 points for your professional experience.
It is not necessary to obtain points in every category. It suffices to achieve the minimum of 55 points!
You will only obtain points for your education if it matches your job offer in the respective shortage occupation. For example, if you received a job offer as a software developer, studies in the field of philosophy will not be sufficiently relevant in this specific area. Duration and scope of the completed education must correspond to the standards of the Austrian level of education necessary for the specific job.
Not only fully completed years of professional experience will count, but also periods of 6 months. Internships and self-employed work are generally not taken into account. Proof of professional experience must include, at a minimum, the starting date, the end date, and a description of the job position.
Language certificates must not be older than 5 years when you apply for the Red-White-Red – Card. German certificates from the following institutions are accepted: ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, Telc GmbH, Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF). English certificates are accepted from the following institutions: Cambridge, The European Language Certificates (TELC), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
You will obtain points for the age you are upon submission of the application (if applicable).
There is no special minimum salary specified for the Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations. However, your employer in Austria is required to pay you according to the collective agreement.

Attention

If you have relevant education or training (e.g., university studies) in a specified shortage application but do not have a binding job offer in this shortage occupation, the Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations is not the best way forward. This is also the case if you have a job offer in a shortage occupation but no relevant training. Instead, you can find out whether the Blue Card, the Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers or the Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers more closely matches your situation.

In particular, the Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers follows the exact same point system as the Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations. For this reason, it could be an attractive alternative for you. If you concluded your studies in Austria in the past year, the Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates could turn out to be a good option for you.

In any case, you will have to submit the following documents in order to receive a Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations:

Application form
Passport
Passport photo fulfilling EU criteria (not older than six months)
Work-related documents:
- Binding job offer (signed by both parties)
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Proof of qualifications or education (diploma, etc.)
- Proof of professional experience (recommendations/references, etc.)
- Language certificates if necessary
Employer documents:
- Employer’s declaration (“Arbeitgebererklärung”)
- Job description
Personal documents:
- Police clearance certificate (“Strafregisterbescheinigung”), not older than 3 months
Fees: 160 €

Please note the following:

The validity of your Red-White-Red – Card depends on the validity of your job offer/work contract as well as on your passport's validity. If both are valid for at least 2 years, your Red-White-Red – Card is also valid for a period of 2 years.
You will have to present one or more police clearance certificates depending upon the country in which you live. Here you can check which police clearance certificates you will have to obtain.
Personal documents must be specially verified so that these documents are officially recognised. This depends upon the country in which the documents were issued. Here you can check which type of verification is necessary.
If personal documents were not issued in German or English, they must be translated by a court-certified translator (“gerichtlich beeidete Übersetzerin/ beeideter Übersetzer”).
If you have to show additional personal documents or if you need a Visa D, the fee may actually be higher than € 160.

Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates

The Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates (“StudienabsolventInnen”) targets third-country nationals who completed studies at an Austrian university or university of applied sciences in the previous twelve months and received a suitable offer of employment. This category of the Red-White-Red – Card does not come with any point system nor minimum salary, nor is any labour market test carried out.

You have to fulfil the following prerequisites to obtain this category of the Red-White-Red – Card:

You successfully completed university studies in Austria in the twelve-month period prior to submission of the application. Only diplomas from state-owned universities or universities of applied sciences or from accredited private universities are recognised.
You received a job offer matching your studies from a company in Austria.

Attention

If you have not recently and successfully concluded your studies in Austria, the Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates will not be granted. Instead, you can find out whether the EU Blue Card, the Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers, the Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations or the Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers is a better fit for your situation.

In any case, you will have to submit the following documents in order to receive a Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates:

Application form
Passport
Passport photo fulfilling EU criteria (not older than 6 months)
Work-related documents:
- Binding job offer (signed by both parties)
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Proof of successfully concluded studies (diploma, etc.)
- Employer documents:
  - Employer’s declaration (“Arbeitgebererklärung”)
  - Job description
- Personal documents:
  - Police clearance certificate (“Strafregisterbescheinigung”) if you do not live in Austria anymore, not older than 3 months
- Fees: 160 €

Please note the following:

The validity of your Red-White-Red – Card depends on the validity of your job offer/work contract as well as on your passport's validity. If both are valid for at least 2 years, your Red-White-Red – Card is also valid for a period of 2 years.
You will have to present one or more police clearance certificates depending upon the country in which you live. Here you can check which police clearance certificates you will have to obtain.
Personal documents must be specially verified so that these documents are officially recognised. This depends upon the country in which the documents were issued. Here you can check which type of verification is necessary.
If personal documents were not issued in German or English, they must be translated by a court-certified translator (“gerichtlich beeidete Übersetzerin/ beeideter Übersetzer”).
If you have to show additional personal documents or if you need a Visa D, the fee may actually be higher than € 160.

Did you know that after completing your studies you can extend your “Residence Permit Student" (“Aufenthaltsbewilligung Student”) for an additional 12 months? This extension allows you to search for a job in Austria. If you receive a job offer, you can apply for the Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates. However, you will only be granted the extended residence permit for students if you can show that you are able to financially support yourself and have health insurance. You are also allowed to work on the basis of your “Residence Permit Student", but only under certain conditions and with a work permit (“Beschäftigungsbewilligung“).

Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers

The Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers (“Besonders Hochqualifizierte”) targets third-country nationals who have special qualifications. As a rule, these skilled employees can immigrate to Austria more quickly than other skilled workers. This is particularly attributable to the fact that no labour market test is necessary.

In order to receive this Red-White-Red – Card, you have to receive a sufficient number of points in the legally stipulated point system. There are several categories of criteria in which you can collect points:

01
Qualifications and special skills
02
Professional experience which fits your education/training or senior management positions
03
Language skills

04
Age
05
Studies (or parts of your studies) in Austria

Please note the following:

As a rule, you generally have to achieve at least 70 points.
Each category has a maximum number of points which you cannot exceed. For example, if you have more than ten years of relevant professional experience, you will still not receive more than 20 points for your professional experience.
It is not necessary to obtain points in every category. It suffices to achieve the minimum of 70 points!
As a rule, you will only receive points for your education if it matches your job offer. For example, if you received a job offer as a software developer, studies in the field of philosophy will not be sufficiently relevant in this specific area and therefore disregarded.
If you worked in a senior management position in a publicly traded (or positively assessed) company, this can also earn you many points. The important thing is to obtain proof of your gross annual salary from a public authority (tax office, etc.).
Only those awards and prizes are recognised which are granted for special professional achievements and which are internationally known or are considered to be of major importance by experts.
Publications are generally recognised when they appear in and are registered in international specialist or trade publications.
Patents have to be registered.
Not only fully completed years of professional experience will count, but also periods of 6 months. Internships and self-employed work are generally not taken into account. Proof of professional experience must include, at a minimum, the starting date, the end date, and a description of the job position.
Language certificates must not be older than 5 years when you apply for the Red-White-Red – Card. German certificates from the following institutions are accepted: ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, Telc GmbH, Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF). English certificates are accepted from the following institutions: Cambridge, The European Language Certificates (TELC), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
As far as age is concerned, you will be granted points according to your age upon submission of the application.
There is no specific minimum salary for the Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers. However, your employer in Austria is required to pay a salary according to the applicable collective bargaining agreement at least.

Attention

If you are unable to achieve the necessary number of points, you can find out instead whether the EU Blue Card, the Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations or the Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers more closely matches your situation. In particular, the Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations could be an attractive alternative for you if you have received a job offer in one of the legally defined shortage occupations. If you concluded your studies in Austria in the past year, the Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates could turn out to be a good option for you.

In any case, you will have to submit the following documents in order to receive a Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers:

Application form
Passport
Passport photo fulfilling EU criteria (not older than six months)
Work-related documents:
- Binding job offer (signed by both parties)
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Proof of qualifications or education/training (diploma, etc.)
- Proof of professional experience (recommendations/references, etc.)
- Language certificates if necessary
Employer documents:
- Declaration of the employer (“Arbeitgebererklärung”)
- Job description
Personal documents:
- Police clearance certificate (“Strafregisterbescheinigung”), not older than 3 months
Fees: 160 €

Please note the following:

The validity of your Red-White-Red – Card depends on the validity of your job offer/work contract as well as on your passport's validity. If both are valid for at least 2 years, your Red-White-Red – Card is also valid for a period of 2 years.
You will have to present one or more police clearance certificates depending upon the country in which you live. Here you can check which police clearance certificates you will have to obtain.
Personal documents must be specially verified so that these documents are officially recognised. This depends upon the country in which the documents were issued. Here you can check which type of verification is necessary.
If personal documents were not issued in German or English, they must be translated by a court-certified translator (“gerichtlich beeidete Übersetzerin/ beeideter Übersetzer”).
If you have to show additional personal documents or if you need a Visa D, the fee may actually be higher than € 160.

Attention

If you achieve at least 70 points, you can submit an application to the Austrian representative authority (embassy/consulate) in your country of residence for a Visa D (Job Seeker Visa, in German “Arbeitssuche-Visum”). On the basis of this visa, you are allowed to enter Austria and directly search for a job in the country for up to six months. As soon as you have a job offer, you can apply for the Red-White-Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers. Please note that public authorities may take several months to examine your application for a Job Seeker Visa.

Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers

The Red-White-Red – Card for other Key Workers (“Sonstige Schlüsselkräfte”) targets third-country nationals who received a job offer in a company in Austria for an position that cannot be assigned to a shortage occupation, or third-country nationals who have gathered relevant job experience but do not dipose of the required education for a specific shortage occupation. This category of the Red-White-Red – Card comes with a minimum salary of € 2,925 gross per month (2023).

In order to obtain this category of the Red-White-Red – Card, applicants need to attain a sufficient number of points within the legally stipulated point system. There are five categories of criteria in which you can collect points:

01
Qualifications (training or education)
02
Professional experience which you gained in your specialised area after your studies or training
03
German language skills

04
English language skills
05
Age

Please note the following:

You have to achieve a score of at least 55 points.
Each category has a maximum number of points which you cannot exceed. For example, if you have more than ten years of relevant professional experience, you will still not receive more than 20 points for your professional experience.
It is not necessary to obtain points in every category. It suffices to attain the minimum of 55 points!
You will receive points for completed education even if it does not directly match the job offer.
Not only fully completed years of professional experience will count, but also periods of 6 months. Internships and self-employed work are generally not taken into account when it comes to the calculation of points. Proof of professional experience must include, at a minimum, the starting date, the end date and a description of the job position.
Language certificates must not be older than 5 years when you apply for the Red-White-Red – Card. German certificates from the following institutions are accepted: ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, Telc GmbH, Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF). English certificates are accepted from the following institutions: Cambridge, The European Language Certificates (TELC), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
As far as age is concerned, you will be granted points according to your age upon submission of the application.

There is a specific minimum gross monthly salary for the Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers which, in 2023, is € 2,925.

Attention

If you have a binding job offer and education in a so-called shortage occupation, the Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations could be an attractive alternative to you. Moreover, you can also find out whether the Blue Card or the Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers more closely matches your situation. If you completed your studies in Austria in the past year, the Red-White-Red – Card for Graduates could be a good option for you.

In any case, you will have to submit the following documents in order to receive a Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers:

Application form
Passport
Passport photo fulfilling EU criteria (not older than six months)
Work-related documents:
- Binding job offer (signed by both parties)
- Updated curriculum vitae
- Proof of qualifications or education (diploma, etc.)
- Proof of professional experience (recommendations/references, etc.)
- Language certificates if necessary
Employer documents:
- Employer’s declaration (“Arbeitgebererklärung”)
- Job description
Personal documents:
- Police clearance certificate (“Strafregisterbescheinigung”), not older than three months
Fees: 160 €

Please note the following:

The validity of your Red-White-Red – Card depends on your job offer/employment contracts validity as well as on your passport's. If both are valid for at least 2 years, your Red-White-Red – Card will also be valid for a period of 2 years.
You will have to present one or more police clearance certificates depending upon the country in which you live. Here you can check which police clearance certificates you will have to obtain.
Personal documents must be specially verified to be officially recognised. This depends upon the country in which the documents were issued. Here you can check which type of verification is necessary.
If personal documents were not issued in German or English, they must be translated by a court-certified translator (“gerichtlich beeidete Übersetzerin/ beeideter Übersetzer”).
If you have to show additional personal documents or if you need a Visa D, the fee may actually be higher than € 160.

Red-White-Red – Card for Regular Seasonal Workers

The Red-White-Red – Card for Regular Seasonal Workers targets third-country nationals who have already been working as registered seasonal workers for 2 years and dispose of a certain level of German skills.

Since October 1, 2022, there is a new special Red-White-Red – Card for Regular Seasonal Workers. Under certain conditions, this enables the changeover from a visa and work permit (“Beschäftigungsbewilligung”) as a seasonal worker to a long-term residence title in Austria.

01
What are the requirements for obtaining a Red-White-Red Card for regular seasonal workers?

Third-country nationals are admitted to employment as regular seasonal workers and can obtain a Red-White-Red – Card if

1. they have been employed as registered regular seasonal workers in the same industry for at least 7 months in each of the previous 2bcalendar years,

2. they provide evidence of German language skills at A2 level,

3. the employer offers the prospect of a permanent employment relationship, and

4. the general requirements for an employment permit are met.

02
When is someone a "registered regular seasonal worker"?

Registered regular seasonal workers are seasonal workers who:

1. have been employed on a temporary basis in the same industry for at least 3 months in each of the past 5 calendar years under a quota permit and have registered with the regional offices of the Public Employment Service for continued employment in that industry; or

2. were employed in the same sector of the economy for a limited period of at least 4 months in each of the calendar years 2006 to 2010 under a quota and have registered with the regional offices of the Public Employment Service for further employment in this sector of the economy by April 30, 2012.

Attention

The Red-White-Red - Card is intended for long-term employment. For seasonal work, a work permit (“Beschäftigungsbewilligungen”) can/must still be applied for at the Public Employment Service (AMS). In addition to a work permit, seasonal workers also need a visa.

The following documents are required upon application of a Red-White-Red – Card for Regular Seasonal Workers:

Application form
Passport, valid for at least 2 years upon application
Passport photo fulfilling EU criteria (not older than 6 months)
Work-related documents:
- Unlimited work contract (signed by both parties)
- German certificate at A2 level
Employer documents:
- Employer’s declaration ("Arbeitgebererklärung")
- Job description
Personal documents:
- Police clearance certificate (“Strafregisterbescheinigung”), not older than 3 months
Fees: 160 €

Please note the following:

The language certificate must not be older than 5 years upon application for the Red-White-Red – Card. German certificates from the following institutions are accepted: ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, Telc GmbH, Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF).
There is no special minimum salary specified for the Red-White-Red – Card for Regular Seasonal Workers. However, the Austrian employer is required to pay a salary according to the collective agreement.
The validity of the Red-White-Red – Card depends on the passport's validity. If it is valid for at least 2 years, the Red-White-Red – Card will also valid for a period of 2 years.
One or more police clearance certificates need to be presented, depending upon the country of residence. Here you can check which police clearance certificates are required.
Police clearance certificates must be specially verified to be officially recognised. This depends upon the country in which the documents were issued. Here you can check which type of verification is necessary.
If Police clearance certificates were not issued in German or English, they must be translated by a court-certified translator (“gerichtlich beeidete Übersetzerin/ beeideter Übersetzer”).
If additional personal documents are requested by the immigration authority or if a Visa D is required, the fee may actually be higher than € 160.

Red-White-Red – Card for Self-Employed Key Workers

The Red-White-Red – Card for Self-Employed Key Workers targets third-country nationals who want to establish a company, which will offer high added value to the Austrian economy, or will provide added impetus, or which will have an outstanding positive effect on Austria’s economic development (“macroeconomic benefits”). Among other things, an investment transfer of at least € 100,000 must be proven for this.

Legal Foundations:

Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers: Sect. 41 Austrian NAG, Sect. 12 AuslBG
Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations: Sect. 41 NAG; Sect. 12a AuslBG
Red-White-Red – Card for Other Key Workers and Graduates: Sect. 41 NAG; Sect. 12b AuslBG
EU Blue Card: Sect. 42 NAG; Sect. 12c AuslBG
Red-White-Red – Card plus: Sect. 41a NAG

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The Red-White-Red – Card

Please note:

Attention

Choose one category of the Red-White-Red - Card and learn more about it

Red-White-Red – Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations

Qualifications (training or education in a shortage occupation)

Professional experience which you gained in your specialised area after your studies or training

German language skills

English language skills

Age

Attention

Legal Foundations:

The ABA makes it easy

Choose one category of the Red-White-Red - Card
and learn more about it