Austria · Work
Austria Special employment permit
First stay: 1 yr
Settlement permit - special cases of dependent gainful occupation
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Special employment permit 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
- 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 for limited residence titles.
RenewalRenewable
Generally issued for one year; a three-year permit follows after Module 1 of the Integration Agreement and two years of lawful residence.
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
- The applicant is a third-country national in a listed special case, such as a media correspondent, university professor or international-school teacher.
What you must show1
- The applicant has adequate means of subsistence, health insurance covering all risks in Austria and accommodation under a legal title.
Documents1
- A contract of employment.
Steps1
- First applications go to the Austrian embassy or consulate abroad; some groups may apply in Austria after lawful entry.
After you arrive1
- Employer changes can start provisionally after a 45-day waiting period from filing the change application.
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
What you need to arrange
- Health insurance
The applicant has adequate means of subsistence, health insurance covering all risks in Austria and accommodation under a legal title
- Accommodation
The applicant has adequate means of subsistence, health insurance covering all risks in Austria and accommodation under a legal title
Taken from this route's requirements above. The authority's own list is the one that counts.
Full official text
Settlement permit for certain special cases of employed work in Austria, for example foreign media correspondents, university professors or teachers at international schools, subject to the general residence requirements. 1
What you must show and pay
- A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240) · Application fee for limited residence titles. 1
Requirements
- The applicant is a third-country national in a listed special case, such as a media correspondent, university professor or international-school teacher. 1
- The applicant has adequate means of subsistence, health insurance covering all risks in Austria and accommodation under a legal title. 1
- A contract of employment. 1
- First applications go to the Austrian embassy or consulate abroad; some groups may apply in Austria after lawful entry. 1
- Employer changes can start provisionally after a 45-day waiting period from filing the change application. 1
Stay
- Time-limited permit, generally issued for one year and for three years after Module 1 of the Integration Agreement and two years of uninterrupted lawful residence.
- 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
Employed work in the special case for which the permit is granted.
Official sources
- 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
Special employment permit and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special employment permit | – | 1 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 · 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 Special employment permit?
A fee of EUR 218 (≈ $240). Application fee for limited residence titles.
How long can I stay on the Special employment permit?
Time-limited permit, generally issued for one year and for three years after Module 1 of the Integration Agreement and two years of uninterrupted lawful residence.
How long does the Special employment 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 Special employment permit?
Employed work in the special case for which the permit is granted.
Who can apply for the Special employment 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 Special employment permit lead to permanent residence in Austria?
Time on the Special employment permit counts toward permanent residence in Austria, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Special employment permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 10 years of residence.
How are Special employment permit holders taxed in Austria?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Special employment 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
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 3 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 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 2026-10-11. 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.