Austria · Work
Austria Red-White-Red · Key worker
Income needed: €3,465+ a month ≈ $3,870
Red-White-Red Card – other key workers
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Red-White-Red · Key worker is a work route for Austria. Applicants need income of €3,465+ a month ≈ $3,870. You can stay 2 yrs, renewable. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Money needed
- €3,465+ a month ≈ $3,870
- Government fees
- €218 ≈ $240
- Processing
- Up to 180 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee €218 ≈ $240; income to show €3,465+/mo ≈ $3,870; decision: up to 180 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€218 ≈ $240
- EUR 218 (≈ $240)Application fee.
Shown, not spent€3,465+/mo ≈ $3,870
- EUR 3,465 a month (≈ $3,870)Statutory minimum gross monthly pay for other key workers in 2026.
RenewalRenewable
After 24 months, holders who worked under the card conditions for 21 of the last 24 months can move to a Red-White-Red Card plus, which is not tied to one employer.
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.
Where to applyFrom abroad
First applications are filed at the Austrian embassy or consulate; filing in Austria is possible only in listed cases.
Presence rulesAway max 10 months in total
The 5-year clock for long-term status restarts after more than 10 months in total or more than 6 months in a row outside Austria.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside Austria, not after arriving
- Needs a job offer from an employer in Austria
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply1
- At least 55 points under Annex C.
What you must show1
- Minimum gross monthly pay of EUR 3,465 (≈ $3,870) (2026).
Steps1
- A positive labour-market test by the Public Employment Service: no equally qualified registered jobseeker.
When you become tax resident
How Austria decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
2 years 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
For other qualified employees with a job offer paying at least the statutory minimum of EUR3,465 (≈ $3,870) gross a month (2026), a labour-market test showing no equally qualified registered jobseeker, and at least 55 points. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- Income of at least EUR 3,465 a month (≈ $3,870) · Statutory minimum gross monthly pay for other key workers in 2026. 1
- A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240) · Application fee. 1
Requirements
- At least 55 points under Annex C. 1 3
- Minimum gross monthly pay of EUR 3,465 (≈ $3,870) (2026). 1
- A positive labour-market test by the Public Employment Service: no equally qualified registered jobseeker. 1 3
Stay
- 24 months; employer-bound.
- Initial permitted stay: 24 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
Employer named in the application.
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
- Other key workers (Red-White-Red Card): points criteria · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior / BMI migration portal (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Sonstige Schlüsselkräfte (German-language page) · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- AuslBG Annex C: admission criteria for other key workers (section 12b no. 1) · Federal Chancellery (Legal Information System RIS) · checked 2026-10-10
- Red-White-Red Card Plus · Migration Platform Austria / Federal Government · 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 · Key worker and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red-White-Red · Key worker | Needs income of €3,465+ a month ≈ $3,870 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Blue Card | Needs income of €56k+ a year ≈ $62k | 2 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Red-White-Red · Shortage job | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Red-White-Red · Top talent | – | 2 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Special employment permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Red-White-Red · Key worker?
Income of at least EUR 3,465 a month (≈ $3,870). Statutory minimum gross monthly pay for other key workers in 2026. A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240). Application fee.
How long can I stay on the Red-White-Red · Key worker?
24 months; employer-bound.
How long does the Red-White-Red · Key worker 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 · Key worker?
Employer named in the application.
Can I bring my family on the Red-White-Red · Key worker?
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 · Key worker?
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 · Key worker lead to permanent residence in Austria?
Time on the Red-White-Red · Key worker counts toward permanent residence in Austria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Red-White-Red · Key worker counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Red-White-Red · Key worker holders taxed in Austria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Red-White-Red · Key worker. The standard rules apply: Progressive rates: 0% to EUR 13,539 (≈ $15,100); 20% to 21,992; 30% to 36,458; 40% to 70,365; 48% to 104,859; 50% to 1,000,000; 55% above (55% limited to 2016-2029).
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.
Ask the AI about this route AI
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-11 against 7 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.
- Other key workers (Red-White-Red Card): points criteria · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior / BMI migration portal (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Sonstige Schlüsselkräfte (German-language page) · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- AuslBG Annex C: admission criteria for other key workers (section 12b no. 1) · Federal Chancellery (Legal Information System RIS) · checked 2026-10-10
- Red-White-Red Card Plus · Migration Platform Austria / Federal Government · 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.