Austria · Work
Austria Red-White-Red · Graduates
First stay: 1 yr
Red-White-Red Card – graduates of Austrian universities (and 12-month job-search permit)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Red-White-Red · Graduates is a work route for Austria. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €218 ≈ $240
- Processing
- Up to 180 days
- First stay
- 1 yr
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee €218 ≈ $240; decision: up to 180 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€218 ≈ $240
- EUR 218 (≈ $240)Application fee.
RenewalRenewable
The student permit can be renewed once for 12 months to look for work; the graduate Red-White-Red Card then follows.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
Daueraufenthalt - EU after 5 years of uninterrupted settlement and Module 2 of the Integration Agreement (German and values). Red-White-Red Card, plus card and settlement permit time counts.
CitizenshipAfter 10 years of residence
Citizenship needs 10 years of lawful, uninterrupted residence, at least 5 of them settled, and the general naturalisation conditions.
ProcessingUp to 180 days
Authorities must decide without undue delay and no later than 6 months after receiving the application.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs earlier residence or an existing status in Austria
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Austria
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Completion of at least the second stage of a diploma programme, or a bachelor, master or doctoral programme.
- The programme was at an Austrian university, university of applied sciences or private university.
What you must show1
- A job offer at the locally customary gross minimum salary for comparable graduates; no fixed euro threshold.
Documents2
- A job offer matching the qualification.
- Health insurance.
Steps2
- The student permit is extended for twelve months to look for work or start a business.
- No points and no labour-market test apply.
When you become tax resident
How Austria decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
1 year at first, renewable
- Tax residence
Applies to individuals with unlimited tax liability (residence or habitual abode in Austria).
- Foreign-source income
Persons with a residence (Wohnsitz) or habitual abode in Austria are subject to unlimited income tax liability, so their foreign-source income is taxed in Austria together with Austrian income; habitual abode arises after six months of stay, retroactively.
All tax rules for Austria Tax records checked
Full official text
Graduates of Austrian universities may extend the student permit for twelve months to look for work or start a business, then get a Red-White-Red Card without points or labour-market test if employed at the customary graduate gross minimum salary. 1
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240) · Application fee. 1
Requirements
- Completion of at least the second stage of a diploma programme, or a bachelor, master or doctoral programme. 1
- The programme was at an Austrian university, university of applied sciences or private university. 1
- A job offer at the locally customary gross minimum salary for comparable graduates; no fixed euro threshold. 1
- A job offer matching the qualification. 1
- Health insurance. 1
- The student permit is extended for twelve months to look for work or start a business. 1
- No points and no labour-market test apply. 1
Stay
- The student permit can be renewed once for 12 months to search for work or start a business; the Red-White-Red Card for graduates is issued for 24 months.
- Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Employment with the employer named in the card; subsidiary self-employment allowed.
Family
Spouses and registered partners (aged 21 or over at application) and unmarried minor children under 18, including adoptive and stepchildren, can apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus.
Official sources
- Graduates of Austrian universities · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Aufenthaltstitel "Daueraufenthalt - EU" (requirements and counting rules) · oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian federal government portal) · checked 2026-10-11
- Verleihung der Staatsbuergerschaft nach zehn Jahren · oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian federal government portal) · checked 2026-10-11
- Other forms of settlement (settlement permit – gainful employment excluded) · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
Red-White-Red · Graduates and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red-White-Red · Graduates | – | 1 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Blue Card | Needs income of €56k+ a year ≈ $62k | 2 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Red-White-Red · Key worker | Needs income of €3,465+ a month ≈ $3,870 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Red-White-Red · Shortage job | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Red-White-Red · Top talent | – | 2 yr, renewable | Yes |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Red-White-Red · Graduates?
A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240). Application fee.
How long can I stay on the Red-White-Red · Graduates?
The student permit can be renewed once for 12 months to search for work or start a business; the Red-White-Red Card for graduates is issued for 24 months.
How long does the Red-White-Red · Graduates take to process?
Authorities must decide without undue delay and no later than 6 months after receiving the application.
Can I work on the Red-White-Red · Graduates?
Yes. Employment with the employer named in the card; subsidiary self-employment allowed.
Can I bring my family on the Red-White-Red · Graduates?
Spouses and registered partners (aged 21 or over at application) and unmarried minor children under 18, including adoptive and stepchildren, can apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus.
Who can apply for the Red-White-Red · Graduates?
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Red-White-Red · Graduates lead to permanent residence in Austria?
Time on the Red-White-Red · Graduates counts toward permanent residence in Austria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Red-White-Red · Graduates counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
More in Austria
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Graduates of Austrian universities · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Aufenthaltstitel "Daueraufenthalt - EU" (requirements and counting rules) · oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian federal government portal) · checked 2026-10-11
- Verleihung der Staatsbuergerschaft nach zehn Jahren · oesterreich.gv.at (Austrian federal government portal) · checked 2026-10-11
- Other forms of settlement (settlement permit – gainful employment excluded) · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.