Working in Austria
EU Blue Card for qualified third-country nationals
The EU Blue Card is an offer to highly qualified citizens from third countries who can show a concrete job offer from an Austrian company.
Beneficiaries receive the right to live in Austria and to work for a specified employer.
The EU Blue Card has no points system, as is common with most red-white-red cards. You must meet the following basic requirements:
- You have successfully completed a degree of at least three years that is relevant to your professional position, OR
- You are an IT specialist with at least three years of relevant professional experience at an academic level. You have acquired your knowledge within the last seven years before the application.
- Another premise is the payment of a statutory minimum salary. This corresponds to a gross annual salary of at least EUR 45,595 in 2023.
If none of these requirements apply to you, you can alternatively check whether one of these subgroups of the red-white-red card may be suitable for you:
The Red-White-Red Card for university graduates
Third-country nationals who have completed their studies at a university or technical college in Austria can apply for the Red-White-Red Card if they can show a job offer corresponding to their education level.
The Red-White-Red Card for exceptionally highly qualified people
The Red-White-Red Card for highly qualified people is an option for non-EU citizens with outstanding skills and qualifications. Additionally, there is the possibility of applying for a visa to look for work in advance.
The Red-White-Red Card for skilled workers in shortage occupation
The Red-White-Red Card for skilled workers in shortage occupations is a specific visa that is offered to people from non-EU countries who have both a job offer and training in an occupation for which there is a labor shortage in Austria.
The Red-White-Red Card for other key workers
The Red-White-Red card for other key workers is intended for citizens from non-EU countries who can submit a job offer for a position in an Austrian company that does not fall into the category of shortage occupations.
Furthermore, this card is also meant for people from third countries who can provide evidence of relevant work experience but have no formal training in a shortage occupation. To receive this particular category of the Red-White-Red Card, a minimum gross salary of € 2,925 per month (as of 2023) is required.
If your employment contract and passport are valid for at least two years, this also applies to the EU Blue Card.
Individuals with a valid EU Blue Card in Austria may, to a limited extent, be self-employed in addition to their primary occupation.
Checkliste
All documents for the EU Blue Card at a glance
1. Application form
You can download the application form for the EU Blue Card right here under this link.
2. Proof of identity
A valid passport as proof of identity. Also, have personal documents such as birth or marriage certificates ready.
3. Passport photo
A passport photo that is no more than six months old and follows EU criteria.
4. Documents as proof of qualification
Documents proving your qualifications:
Proof of successfully completed studies or
Proof of relevant professional experience as an IT specialist of at least three years within the last seven years before submission
Optionally, a current CV can be attached to the application
5. Documents proving your employment
Dokumente, die Ihr Arbeitsverhältnis belegen:
You can download the employer declaration under this link.
You can either enter a detailed description of your activity in the employer declaration or a separate document.
6. Employment contract
You can enter your collective agreement classification directly in the employer declaration or prove it with your employment contract.
7. Criminal record certificate
Depending on your country of residence, one or more criminal record certification documents may be required for your application. The respective criminal record must not be older than three months when you apply for the EU Blue Card.
General, there are three possible scenarios:
You are from a third country and have been living in your home country for more than six months, such as a New Zealander living in New Zealand. In this case, only the criminal record from this country is required.
You come from a third country and have been living in another third country that is not your home country for more than six months, such as a Chilean living in Canada. In this case, you will generally need to provide criminal record certificates from both countries.
You are from a third country and have been living in a country of the European Economic Area (EEA) or an EU country for more than six months, such as an Albanian living in Sweden. In this case, only the criminal record certificate from the relevant EEA or EU country needs to be presented.
Any fees incurred are to be paid directly upon submission.
Moreover, sworn translators must translate documents not written in German or English. The department may also require documents such as a birth certificate or criminal record to be verified (notarized) for better verification.
You can read the initial information on document verification here: https://www.wien.gv.at/verwaltung/personenwesen/ahs-info/beglaubigungen.html.
Guideline
Guide to the application process
Before you or your future employer apply, you should already know where you want to live in Austria.
There are several branches of the immigration office in Austria. Which branch office is responsible for you depends on where you plan to live. Subsequent changes of residence are usually tricky and should thus be avoided.
After you arrive in Austria and before you pick up your residence permit, you must register your primary place of residence online with the responsible registration office under this link https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/landingpages/meldewesen.html. Therefore, you should start looking for suitable accommodation as part of the application process.
Important!
Furthermore, it is crucial to keep track of your visa-free days. You can usually stay in the Schengen area for 90 days – in a period of 180 days – without a visa. However, if you entirely use this period, it will no longer be possible to apply in Austria since your stay at this point would be considered illegal.
When you and your future employer have compiled all the necessary documents, you can submit the application to the responsible Austrian governmental department.
Options for applying to an Austrian authority
1. Future employer will submit the application
Your future employer will submit the application to the Austrian residence office. It doesn't matter what nationality you have or where you currently live. A significant advantage of this option is that the application is submitted directly to the responsible department. There is also the option of submitting some documents, such as verifications, later on by e-mail.
2. You submit the application yourself
You submit the application yourself to the Austrian diplomatic mission (embassy/consulate) responsible for you in the country where you currently have your official residence. With this option, all documents must be available in full from the start and cannot be subsequently sent to the office by e-mail. Since the application is first forwarded to Austria by postal services from the diplomatic mission abroad, the immigration procedure, in this case, may take longer than with the first option.
3. Submit your application in person if you are able to enter Austria without a visa
If you are able to enter Austria without a visa or are already in the country, you can submit your application in person to the local immigration office. This also applies if you have a valid visa despite the lack of a visa exemption and can legally enter Austria. The advantage of this type of application, similar to the first option, is that your application for the EU Blue Card is submitted directly to the responsible authority, and certain documents can also be submitted later by e-mail.
A move to Austria with family
If you apply for a Red-White-Red Card or an EU Blue Card, your family members have the option of applying for the Red-White-Red Card Plus submitting at the same time as your application. As with your application, your future employer can also do this for your family members.
If your family members are allowed to enter Austria without a visa, they can submit their applications directly to the immigration authorities in Austria.
It is essential that your family still has enough visa-free days available in the Schengen area – 90 visa-free days (of 180 days).
If you apply for an EU Blue Card as a qualified specialist, your family members who are not entitled to enter Austria without a visa can also submit their application in Austria, provided they have a valid visa.
Next Steps
After the application: what happens next?
After you or your employer has submitted your application, it passes through various checkpoints by the relevant authorities.
Examination of the application by the authorities
After you or your employer has submitted your application, it passes through various checkpoints by the relevant authorities.
The immigration office will check that you meet all the basic criteria, such as the validity of your passport or the verification of all your documents.
The Austrian job center (AMS) checks compliance with the labor law requirements. In some instances, the AMS carries out a so-called substitute worker procedure to determine whether someone on the Austrian labor market could be suitable for your position.
This entire review process typically takes several weeks, during which you may be asked to submit additional documents. Ideally, your application should be approved after the examination.
Approval of the application
Application process: Waiting for the outcome of the procedure in your home country
If your application is approved, you will receive an invitation from the Austrian representative authority (embassy or consulate) in the country in which you currently reside. In this appointment, you are asked to apply for a Visa D within the next three months and to pick up your EU Blue Card in Austria within six months.
For your Visa D, you need the following documents:
- the application form, which you can download right here: https://www.bmeia.gv.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Allgemein/Formulare/Antragsformular_Visum_D_NEU.pdf
- your passport, including a copy
- the invitation of the representative authority
- the approval of the residence registration office
- travel health insurance with coverage of at least € 30,000 and
- a flight reservation
Usually, you will receive the passport stamp for your Visa D after about two weeks. During this time, your passport will remain at the embassy. As soon as you have your visa D, you can enter Austria. You give your fingerprints to the Austrian residence office and show your personal documents such as passport, birth certificate, criminal record certificate, etc. Your card will then be printed. Once you have received the EU Blue Card, you can start working in Austria.
Application process: Waiting for the outcome of the procedure in Austria
You have previously applied for a visa as part of your application for the EU Blue Card. As long as your visa is valid, you can await the outcome of the procedure in Austria.
However, you should leave the country soon if your visa expires before you get your EU Blue Card. To re-enter Austria and pick up your EU Blue Card, you must apply for another category D visa at the relevant Austrian representative authority (embassy/consulate).
Change of employer
Your EU Blue Card is linked to your passport's validity and professional activity. If your passport and job offer is valid for at least two years, your EU Blue Card is also valid. During this time, you are tied to your employer. If you want or need to change employers during these two years, it is only possible with a change of purpose.
The Austrian authorities will then check again whether you meet all the requirements. You can only work for a new employer once you have received your new EU Blue Card. Holders of an EU Blue Card who want to change employers after 12 months are an exception: In this case, the AMS does not carry out a replacement worker procedure, and you can start immediately with your new employer.
Application for extension
After 21 months, you can apply for an extension for the Red-White-Red Card Plus. This card gives you free access to the Austrian labor market, and you are no longer tied to your employer. The same also applies here: If your passport is valid for at least three years, then so is your Red-White-Red Card Plus.
You and your family must always apply for an extension before your current residence permit expires. This is only possible three months before expiry.
Procedure for your permanent residence in Austria
Here is a little guide for you if you plan to live in Austria with your family in the future:
- You have a Red-White-Red Card or an EU Blue Card for the first two years. Your family members, on the other hand, hold a Red-White-Red Card Plus for this period.
- After these two years, you and your family will apply for an extension of your respective residence permit. You switch to the Red-White-Red Card Plus, which is valid for three years.
- After another three years, i.e., after a total of five years in Austria, you and your family can apply for so-called permanent residence in the EU. To do this, you must prove, among other things, that you have mastered German at level B1. The EU permanent residence permit is valid for five years and must be renewed after each five-year period.
What is EU permanent residence?
After you have lived continuously in Austria for five years as a citizen of a third country, you can apply for permanent residence in the EU when you renew your residence permit.
This status gives you unrestricted access to the Austrian job market. This means you can work as an employee or be self-employed and are no longer tied to a specific employer.