🇦🇹Visa options for Austria
Austria offers 33 visa types across 7 categories — from skilled-worker and study visas to family, investment, digital-nomad, and permanent-residency pathways. 26 lead to PR; 22 don't require a job offer. Here's every Austria visa tracked by VisaMatch.
33visa types
7categories
26PR pathways
22no job needed
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Visa categories in Austria
All Austria visa types
Work (13)
EU Blue Card
Combined residence and work permit for highly qualified third-country nationals.
Red-White-Red Card Plus
Upgraded combined residence and work permit granting unrestricted access to the Austrian labour market — not limited to a specific employer.
Red-White-Red Card — Graduates of Austrian Universities
Simplified combined residence and work permit for third-country graduates of accredited Austrian universities and colleges.
Red-White-Red Card — Other Key Workers
Points-based combined residence and work permit for skilled workers in non-shortage occupations who meet salary and points thresholds.
Red-White-Red Card — Regular Workers in Tourism, Agriculture & Forestry
Specialised combined residence and work permit for recurring seasonal workers in Austria's tourism, agriculture, and forestry sectors.
Red-White-Red Card — Self-Employed Key Workers
Combined residence permit for third-country nationals establishing or running a self-employed business in Austria that provides demonstrable macroeconomic benefit.
Red-White-Red Card — Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations
Points-based combined residence and work permit for skilled workers in occupations on Austria's annual shortage occupation list.
Red-White-Red Card — Start-up Founders
Points-based combined residence permit for innovative start-up founders establishing a technology-driven business in Austria.
Red-White-Red Card — Very Highly Qualified Workers
Points-based combined residence and work permit for exceptionally qualified third-country nationals.
Residence Permit — ICT (Intra-Company Transfer)
Temporary residence permit for managers, specialists, and trainees transferred within a multinational company or corporate group from a non-EU establishment to an Austrian entity.
Residence Permit — Mobile ICT
Residence permit for third-country nationals who hold a valid ICT permit issued by another EU member state and need to carry out part of their intra-company transfer in Austria.
Residence Permit — Seconded Employee
Residence permit for employees of third-country employers posted to Austria by their non-Austrian employer for a period exceeding 6 months.
Residence Permit — Self-Employed Person (Temporary)
Temporary residence permit for third-country nationals performing a self-employed activity in Austria under a contract of more than 6 months duration.
Special Status (6)
Job Seeker Visa (National Visa D) Special
A 6-month national (Category D) visa for very highly qualified third-country nationals to come to Austria and search for employment that meets the Red-White-Red Card criteria.
Residence Permit — Au Pair (Special Cases of Gainful Employment) Special
Residence permit for au pairs living with an Austrian host family to assist with childcare and household duties while improving language skills.
Residence Permit — Social Service Employee Special
Temporary residence permit for third-country nationals performing educational or training work for a non-partisan, non-profit organisation in Austria.
Residence Permit — Volunteer Special
Residence permit for third-country nationals participating in the European Solidarity Corps or equivalent voluntary service programme in Austria.
Settlement Permit — Artist Special
Settlement permit for third-country nationals pursuing primarily artistic activities in Austria, either self-employed or employed.
Settlement Permit — Special Cases of Dependent Employment Special
Settlement permit for third-country nationals in special employment categories including foreign media correspondents, professors at Austrian universities, and teachers at interna…
Family (3)
Red-White-Red Card Plus — Family Member
Combined residence permit for family members (spouse, registered partner, and unmarried minor children) of holders of a Red-White-Red Card, EU Blue Card, Settlement Permit – Resea…
Settlement Permit — Dependant (Family of Austrian Citizens)
Settlement permit for family members (spouse, registered partner, and minor children) of Austrian citizens.
Settlement Permit — Family Member (of Settlement Permit Holders)
Settlement permit for family members of third-country nationals holding a settlement permit in Austria (other than RWR Card holders).
Humanitarian & Protection (3)
Asylum (Refugee Status) Humanitarian
International protection for persons with a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group.
Humanitarian Leave to Remain Humanitarian
A discretionary protection status granted on humanitarian grounds to persons whose asylum or subsidiary protection application is rejected but who face circumstances that make ret…
Subsidiary Protection Humanitarian
Protection status for persons who do not qualify for refugee status but whose life or physical integrity would be at serious risk if returned to their country of origin (death pen…
Permanent Residence (3)
Long-Term Resident EU (Daueraufenthalt-EU) Permanent
EU-wide permanent residence status for third-country nationals who have resided lawfully in Austria for 5 consecutive years.
Settlement Permit — Gainful Employment Excepted Permanent
Settlement permit for financially independent third-country nationals who wish to reside in Austria without engaging in employment — including pensioners, retirees, and independen…
Settlement Permit — Researcher Permanent
Settlement permit for third-country national researchers holding a doctoral or PhD-level degree who will conduct scientific work at a certified Austrian research institution or un…
Study & Training (3)
Residence Permit — Pupil Study
Residence permit for third-country national minors attending public or private schools with public-law status in Austria.
Residence Permit — Researcher Mobility Study
Residence permit for third-country national researchers who already hold a valid Researcher residence permit in another EU member state and need to conduct research in Austria.
Residence Permit — Student Study
Residence permit for third-country nationals enrolled in degree programmes at accredited Austrian universities or higher education institutions.
Visitor & Transit (2)
Airport Transit Visa (Type A) Visitor
Required for nationals of certain countries transiting through Austrian airports (primarily Vienna International Airport) without entering Austrian territory.
Schengen Short-Stay Visa (Type C) Visitor
Allows travel and stay in Austria and the entire Schengen Area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Frequently Asked Questions about moving to Austria
How many visa types does Austria offer?
Austria offers 33 visa types across 7 categories — covering work, study, family, investment, and permanent-residency pathways.
Can I move to Austria without a job offer?
Yes — 22 of Austria's 33 visa types don't require a pre-arranged job offer. These include points-based skilled visas, investor and entrepreneur visas, digital-nomad and remote-worker visas, study visas, and family-sponsored pathways.
Does Austria offer a pathway to permanent residency?
Yes. 26 of Austria's visa types lead — directly or indirectly — to permanent residency. PR typically requires meeting time-in-country, income, language, and eligibility thresholds specific to each visa.
Which Austria visa is right for me?
It depends on your goal. Employment-based visas suit skilled workers with qualifications and experience; family visas fit those with a spouse or close relative in Austria; investor and golden visas target entrepreneurs with capital; study visas cover education; digital-nomad and retirement visas suit remote workers and retirees. VisaMatch checks your profile against every Austria visa in seconds.
How do I check my eligibility for Austria?
Use VisaMatch's free eligibility checker. Enter your nationality, age, occupation, income, and education, then select Austria. You'll see every Austria visa you qualify for, with links to the official government source for each.
Austria in depth
Air qualityGoodAQI 15
ClimateTemperate continentalWarm summers, cold snowy winters, especially in the Alps.
Infrastructure8.5/10Excellent rail network and high-quality public services.
Cost of living75Index, NYC = 100
SafetySafeVery low crime, among the safest countries in Europe.
Internet70 MbpsGood
Political stabilityStableStable parliamentary republic, EU member.
Inflation3.2%Purchasing power index 82
Immigrant friendliness3.8/5EU Blue Card and Red-White-Red Card offer clear skilled pathways, though language requirements are strict.
Income tax55%Top marginal rate on income above EUR 1,000,000 (income between EUR 104,859 and 1,000,000 is taxed at 50%)
Median salaryEUR 55,000/yr
Healthcare accessUniversal (statutory social insurance, ÖGK)Conditional — holders of a residence permit tied to employment (e.g. Rot-Weiß-Rot Card, EU Blue Card) are enrolled in the ÖGK once employed; those without qualifying employment (e.g. job-seeker visa) must buy private insurance until eligible
Best-performing job sectors
Tourism — +4% YoY, concentrated in the Alps and Vienna
Manufacturing — +3% YoY, engineering and machinery
Tech — +5% YoY, Vienna startup hub
Curated research pass, sourced per field (tax, salary, healthcare and legal figures cite an official or named source) — not live data. Refreshed periodically, not real-time.
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