Austria · Work
Austria Red-White-Red · Shortage job
First stay: 2 yrs
Red-White-Red Card – skilled workers in shortage occupations
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Red-White-Red · Shortage job is a work route for Austria. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €218 ≈ $240
- Processing
- Up to 180 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
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
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 apply5
- At least 55 points under Annex B.
- Points: qualification 30, work experience up to 20, language skills up to 25, age up to 15.
- 5 extra points for English where English is the predominant company language.
- Completed training in an occupation on the shortage list, comparable to a multi-year Austrian apprenticeship; some occupations need higher education.
- Shortage occupations are fixed yearly by regulation, with an Austria-wide list and regional lists.
What you must show1
- The employer pays the statutory or collective-agreement minimum, plus overpay where customary at the company.
Documents2
- A binding job offer at the statutory or collective-agreement minimum.
- Proof of the completed vocational training.
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 skilled workers with completed training in an occupation on the annual shortage list (Austria-wide list plus regional lists), a binding job offer at the statutory or collective-agreement minimum pay, and at least 55 points. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240) · Application fee. 1
Requirements
- At least 55 points under Annex B. 1 3
- Points: qualification 30, work experience up to 20, language skills up to 25, age up to 15. 1 3
- 5 extra points for English where English is the predominant company language. 1 3
- Completed training in an occupation on the shortage list, comparable to a multi-year Austrian apprenticeship; some occupations need higher education. 1
- Shortage occupations are fixed yearly by regulation, with an Austria-wide list and regional lists. 1 2
- The employer pays the statutory or collective-agreement minimum, plus overpay where customary at the company. 1 2 3
- A binding job offer at the statutory or collective-agreement minimum. 1
- Proof of the completed vocational training. 1
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
Red-White-Red Card plus for family.
Official sources
- Skilled workers in shortage occupations (Red-White-Red Card): points criteria · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior / BMI migration portal (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Austria-wide shortage occupations 2026 · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- AuslBG Annex B: admission criteria for skilled workers in shortage occupations (section 12a) · 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 · Shortage job and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red-White-Red · Shortage job | – | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| 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 · 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 · Shortage job?
A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240). Application fee.
How long can I stay on the Red-White-Red · Shortage job?
24 months; employer-bound.
How long does the Red-White-Red · Shortage job 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 · Shortage job?
Employer named in the application.
Can I bring my family on the Red-White-Red · Shortage job?
Red-White-Red Card plus for family.
Who can apply for the Red-White-Red · Shortage job?
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 · Shortage job lead to permanent residence in Austria?
Time on the Red-White-Red · Shortage job counts toward permanent residence in Austria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Red-White-Red · Shortage job counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Red-White-Red · Shortage job holders taxed in Austria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Red-White-Red · Shortage job. 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.
- Skilled workers in shortage occupations (Red-White-Red Card): points criteria · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior / BMI migration portal (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Austria-wide shortage occupations 2026 · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- AuslBG Annex B: admission criteria for skilled workers in shortage occupations (section 12a) · 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.