Austria · Retire or live on savings
Austria Financially independent permit
Income needed: €2,617+ a month ≈ $2,920
Settlement permit – gainful employment excepted (financially independent residence)
Checked against official sources on Record corrected 12 Oct 2026Change log
Key facts
Financially independent permit is a retire or live on savings route for Austria. Applicants need income of €2,617+ a month ≈ $2,920. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- €2,617+ a month ≈ $2,920
- Processing
- Up to 180 days
Cost, time and long term
To apply: income to show €2,617+/mo ≈ $2,920; decision: up to 180 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Shown, not spent€2,617+/mo ≈ $2,920 · +2 more
- EUR 2,616.78 a month (≈ $2,920)Regular monthly income for a single person in 2026 for the settlement permit, gainful employment excepted. The general rates for other permits (EUR 1,308.39 (≈ $1,460) for a single person) are half of this and do not apply here.
- EUR 4,128.24 a month (≈ $4,610)Regular monthly income for a married couple or registered partners in 2026, in place of the single-person amount.
- EUR 403.76 a month (≈ $450)Additional regular monthly income for each child in 2026.
RenewalRenewable
Fixed-term permit that can be renewed.
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
- Work isn't allowed on this route
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The applicant is a pensioner or other financially independent person with regular income.
- German A1 is required when first applying, with a certificate not older than one year.
- Exceptions to the A1 certificate apply for under 14s and others.
- Only a limited number of permits are granted each year under the quota system.
What you must show3
- Regular monthly income in 2026 of at least EUR 2,616.78 (≈ $2,920) for a single person, EUR 4,128.24 (≈ $4,610) for a married couple or registered partners, plus EUR 403.76 (≈ $450) for each child.
- Housing costs count in the assessment.
- Income can come from pensions, business profits abroad, asset income or savings.
Documents2
- Health insurance covering all risks.
- Adequate accommodation under a legal title.
After you arrive1
- No gainful employment is allowed.
When you become tax resident
How Austria decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- 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
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
Health insurance covering all risks
- Accommodation
Housing costs count in the assessment
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Residence without gainful employment for pensioners and other financially independent people with regular income (pensions, business profits abroad, asset income, savings). German A1 is required when first applying, and only a limited number of permits are granted each year under the quota system. 1 2
What you must show
- Income of at least EUR 2,616.78 a month (≈ $2,920) · Regular monthly income for a single person in 2026 for the settlement permit, gainful employment excepted. The general rates for other permits (EUR 1,308.39 (≈ $1,460) for a single person) are half of this and do not apply here. 2
- Income of at least EUR 4,128.24 a month (≈ $4,610) · Regular monthly income for a married couple or registered partners in 2026, in place of the single-person amount. 2
- Income of at least EUR 403.76 a month (≈ $450) · Additional regular monthly income for each child in 2026. 2
Requirements
- The applicant is a pensioner or other financially independent person with regular income. 1 2
- German A1 is required when first applying, with a certificate not older than one year. 2
- Exceptions to the A1 certificate apply for under 14s and others. 2
- Only a limited number of permits are granted each year under the quota system. 1 2
- Regular monthly income in 2026 of at least EUR 2,616.78 (≈ $2,920) for a single person, EUR 4,128.24 (≈ $4,610) for a married couple or registered partners, plus EUR 403.76 (≈ $450) for each child. 2
- Housing costs count in the assessment. 1 2
- Income can come from pensions, business profits abroad, asset income or savings. 1 2
- Health insurance covering all risks. 1
- Adequate accommodation under a legal title. 1
- No gainful employment is allowed. 1 2
Stay
- Fixed-term settlement permit, renewable.
- 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
No gainful employment.
Official sources
- Permanent immigration – Red-White-Red Card overview and general requirements · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Other forms of settlement (settlement permit – gainful employment excluded) · 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
Financially independent permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Financially independent permit | Needs income of €2,617+ a month ≈ $2,920 | – | No |
| D7 passive income visa Portugal | Needs income of €920+ a month ≈ $1,030 | 2 yr, renewable | – |
| Non-lucrative visa Spain | Needs income of €2,400+ a month ≈ $2,680 | 1 yr, renewable | No |
| Elective residence Italy | Needs income of €31k+ a year ≈ $35k | – | No |
| Independent means permit Greece | Needs income of €3,500+ a month ≈ $3,910 | 3 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Financially independent permit?
Income of at least EUR 2,616.78 a month (≈ $2,920). Regular monthly income for a single person in 2026 for the settlement permit, gainful employment excepted. Income of at least EUR 4,128.24 a month (≈ $4,610). Regular monthly income for a married couple or registered partners in 2026, in place of the single-person amount. Income of at least EUR 403.76 a month (≈ $450). Additional regular monthly income for each child in 2026.
How long can I stay on the Financially independent permit?
Fixed-term settlement permit, renewable.
How long does the Financially independent permit take to process?
Authorities must decide without undue delay and no later than 6 months after receiving the application.
Can I work on the Financially independent permit?
No. No gainful employment.
Who can apply for the Financially independent permit?
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 Financially independent permit lead to permanent residence in Austria?
Time on the Financially independent permit counts toward permanent residence in Austria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Financially independent permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Financially independent permit holders taxed in Austria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Financially independent permit. 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
Retirement and live-on-savings 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 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.
- Permanent immigration – Red-White-Red Card overview and general requirements · Federal Ministry of the Interior (migration.gv.at) · checked 2026-10-10
- Other forms of settlement (settlement permit – gainful employment excluded) · 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
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.