Red White Red Card

Beneficiaries receive the right to live in Austria and to work for a specified employer.

Yes, you can take your family with you to Austria. Family members such as spouses, registered partners, or children have the opportunity to apply for the Card Plus, which grants them unrestricted access to the labor market in Austria.

If your employment contract and passport are valid for at least two years, this also applies to the Red-White-Red Card.

Individuals with a valid Red-White-Red Card may, to a limited extent, be self-employed in addition to their main job.

Registration obligation in Austria

Before you or your future employer submit the application for the Red-White-Red Card, you should already know where you want to live in Austria. There are several branches of the Immigration, Citizenship, and Registry Offices in Austria. Which branch office is responsible for you depends on where you plan to live. Subsequent changes of residence are difficult and should, therefore, 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 residence registration office under this link https://www.oesterreich.gv.at/landingpages/meldewesen.html.

Thus, we recommend looking for suitable accommodation as part of the application process.

1. If you are a skilled worker from a third country, are married to an EU citizen, are the parents of EU citizens, or live in a registered partnership, you do not need to apply for a Red-White-Red card. Instead, you can apply for a residence card. This card allows you to work in the Austrian labor market without restrictions. This means you can be employed or work independently and are not tied to any particular employer.

2. Skilled workers from third countries who are married to Austrians or live in a registered partnership also do not have to apply for a Red-White-Red Card to be able to work in Austria. You can apply for a residence permit for family members. With this title, you can work freely on the Austrian labor market, whether employed or self-employed.

You can download the application directly here.

The basic requirement for the Red-White-Red Card is a binding job offer. You can find out which additional qualifications you need to receive the Red-White-Red Card in the subcategory that matches your current life situation.