Austria · Work
Austria Red-White-Red · Top talent
First stay: 2 yrs
Red-White-Red Card – very highly qualified workers (points-based) and job-seeker visa
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Red-White-Red · Top talent is a work route for Austria. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- €218 ≈ $240 · €195 ≈ $220
- Processing
- Up to 180 days
- First stay
- 2 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fees €413 ≈ $460 in total (2 fees); decision: up to 180 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€218 ≈ $240 · €195 ≈ $220
- EUR 218 (≈ $240)Application fee.
- EUR 195 (≈ $220)Job-seeker visa 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 applyAbroad or in-country
Apply at the Austrian embassy abroad (job-seeker visa for six months without an offer), or in Austria during a legal visa-free stay once you have a job offer.
Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior / BMI migration portal
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.
- Needs a sponsor in Austria
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- A very highly qualified worker with a job offer, or a job seeker without one.
- At least 70 of 100 points under Annex A of the Employment of Foreign Nationals Act; this also applies to the job-seeker visa.
What you must show1
- A gross salary of EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) to over EUR 70,000 (≈ $78,200) earned the year before in a senior management position, at a company listed on the stock exchange or one with a positive report from the Austrian foreign trade office, earns 20 to 30 points; no minimum salary applies.
Documents1
- A job offer is required for the Red-White-Red Card.
Steps1
- The job-seeker visa is valid for six months.
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
Points-based Red-White-Red Card for very highly qualified workers with a job offer, or a six-month job-seeker visa without one. At least 70 of 100 points are needed. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
Requirements
- A very highly qualified worker with a job offer, or a job seeker without one. 1 2 3
- At least 70 of 100 points under Annex A of the Employment of Foreign Nationals Act; this also applies to the job-seeker visa. 1 3
- A gross salary of EUR 50,000 (≈ $55,900) to over EUR 70,000 (≈ $78,200) earned the year before in a senior management position, at a company listed on the stock exchange or one with a positive report from the Austrian foreign trade office, earns 20 to 30 points; no minimum salary applies. 1 2 3
- A job offer is required for the Red-White-Red Card. 1
- The job-seeker visa is valid for six months. 1
Stay
- Red-White-Red Card issued for 24 months; the job-seeker visa is valid for six months.
- 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
Employment with the employer in the application; subsidiary self-employment allowed.
Family
Family members can apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus.
Official sources
- Very highly qualified workers (Red-White-Red Card): points criteria · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior / BMI migration portal (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Permanent immigration – Red-White-Red Card overview and general requirements · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- AuslBG Annex A: admission criteria for very highly qualified workers (section 12) · 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 · Top talent and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red-White-Red · Top talent | – | 2 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 | – |
| Special employment permit | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Red-White-Red · Top talent?
A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240). Application fee. A fee of EUR 195 (≈ $220). Job-seeker visa fee.
How long can I stay on the Red-White-Red · Top talent?
Red-White-Red Card issued for 24 months; the job-seeker visa is valid for six months.
How long does the Red-White-Red · Top talent 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 · Top talent?
Yes. Employment with the employer in the application; subsidiary self-employment allowed.
Can I bring my family on the Red-White-Red · Top talent?
Family members can apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus.
Who can apply for the Red-White-Red · Top talent?
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 · Top talent lead to permanent residence in Austria?
Time on the Red-White-Red · Top talent counts toward permanent residence in Austria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Red-White-Red · Top talent counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Red-White-Red · Top talent holders taxed in Austria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Red-White-Red · Top talent. 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.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 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.
- Very highly qualified workers (Red-White-Red Card): points criteria · Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior / BMI migration portal (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Permanent immigration – Red-White-Red Card overview and general requirements · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- AuslBG Annex A: admission criteria for very highly qualified workers (section 12) · 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.