Work In Austria

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. 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 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. 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 a EU Blue Card, your family members have the option of applying for the Red-White-Red-Card Plus and 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.

After the application: what happens next?

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 Public Employment Service Austria (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:

1. the application form, which you can download right here.
2. your passport, including a copy
3. the invitation of the representative authority
4. the approval of the residence registration office
5. travel health insurance with coverage of at least €30,000 and
6. 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.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.