Work Visas in Austria

How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist

Non-EU nationals who want to work in Austria almost always need a Red-White-Red Card or an EU Blue Card. The Red-White-Red Card is a points system with separate categories for very highly qualified workers, skilled workers in shortage occupations, other key workers, graduates of Austrian universities and start-up founders, and in practice the annual shortage occupation list is the widest door in the wall.

The five Red-White-Red Card categories

• Very highly qualified workers. Scored on qualification, experience, language and age; applicants who reach the required score may enter on a six-month job seeker visa and convert once they hold an offer.
• Skilled workers in shortage occupations. The occupation must appear on the shortage list for the relevant year, and the applicant must hold a matching completed qualification. This is commonly the most accessible category.
• Other key workers. For roles that are not on the shortage list; the salary offered has to clear a published minimum and a labour market test generally applies.
• Graduates of Austrian universities and colleges. A reduced salary threshold applies and the qualification is already recognised, which removes two of the usual obstacles.
• Start-up founders. Assessed on capital, a business plan and innovation, rather than on an employment contract.

How the points work in practice

Each category has its own grid awarding points for formal qualifications, work experience in the field, German and English at tested levels, age, and in some categories study in Austria. An applicant must reach the minimum score for that category and separately satisfy the employment conditions, which include a salary at or above the published threshold for the role.

Points alone never produce a permit. Except for the job seeker visa and the start-up category, a concrete job offer from an Austrian employer is required, and the AMS checks the offer against the applicable rules before the residence authority issues the card.

The card is initially tied to the employer. After a qualifying period of employment the holder can move to the Red-White-Red Card plus, which allows unrestricted access to the labour market.

The shortage occupation list is the practical route

Every year an ordinance names the occupations in which registered vacancies substantially exceed available workers, together with additional regional lists set by province. Listed occupations in recent years have concentrated on the technical trades, engineering, nursing and other health roles, and parts of hospitality and construction.

Being on the list matters because the labour market test is relaxed and the points bar is easier to reach. It also means the route can close: an occupation that appears one year may be absent the next, and the qualification has to match the listed occupation rather than merely resemble it.

The EU Blue Card alternative

The EU Blue Card is available to holders of a completed higher education degree, or in defined fields comparable professional experience, with a job offer paying at least the published threshold. It is often simpler than the Red-White-Red Card because no points grid applies, and it carries the EU-wide mobility rights attached to the directive.

The choice between the two usually turns on salary. Where the offer clears the Blue Card threshold the Blue Card is the lighter application; where it does not, the Red-White-Red Card categories are where the answer lies.

Approximate government charges

Official sources

• Red-White-Red Card
• Public Employment Service Austria

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

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