How to obtain a residence permit in Austria?

A residence permit is a document that allows you to reside in the country permanently. At first, only issued for one year.

You can get a residence permit in one of four main ways:

• as a financially independent person;

• through the opening of a company;

• through employment;

• through studies at a university;

• through family reunification.

Each of them has its own ways and nuances.

Residence permit in Austria for financially independent people. This method implies that the applicant is not going to work in Austria and has a stable high income outside the country, including in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other CIS countries.

To obtain a residence permit of this type you need to:

• Have a sufficient level of income. By Austrian standards, this is 1,866 euros per person per month or 278 euros for a married couple and 288 euros for each child. You need to prove your worth with a statement of income or a bank statement. We recommend showing at least € 80,000 in your bank account for a family of three.

• Know German as a beginner at A1 level. This level must be documented; examples include a diploma from the Goethe-Institut, a TELC GmbH certificate, an ÖSD language test or an ÖIF test.

• Own or rent a home.

• Get medical insurance.

• You can apply for a residence permit if you have not violated the EU visa regimes and have no criminal record.

• But even compliance with all these parameters does not guarantee an official status. In Austria, a residence permit is issued according to quotas. Quotas are allocated to individual regions.

• It is important that quotas are allocated for a year and are fully distributed on the first working day of January. Therefore, you need to prepare documents in advance. You can do this right now with the help of our specialists. Obtain a residence permit in Austria for financially independent persons.

Quotas per region for financially independent persons for 2020

Burgenland — 30

Carinthia — 45

Lower Austria — 30

Upper Austria — 25

Salzburg — 40

Styria — 75

Tyrol — 40

Vorarlberg — 30

Vienna — 120

If you are going to get a residence permit for a family, then a quota is needed for each family member. Find out more about the allocation of quotas in our article.

What else you need to remember when obtaining a residence permit:

• The holder of a residence permit must live in the country for at least 183 days a year.

• residence permit status does not allow financially independent persons to work in Austria.

The process consists of four stages.

1. Find a place to live, buy insurance and collect paperwork.
You can not get involved in a rental agreement without a residence permit and medical insurance; attaining both are necessary before submitting documents. Without them, the application is not considered.

Required documents for obtaining Austria Residence Permit:

• Birth certificate.

• International passport.

• Photographs for documents 35×45 mm (not older than six months).

• Certificate of no criminal record.

• Statement of income or bank statement.

• German language exam diploma (A1 level or above).

• Documents proving family ties with family members.

2. Translate documents into German. A licensed (sworn) translator must do the translation. All documents must be certified with the Apostille seal.

3. Submit documents to the consulate or migration service and pay the fees. You will have to pay at least 170 euros. Calculate the total amount according to the following scheme:

For an adult, 80 euros when submitting documents, plus 20 euros when receiving a residence permit card;
For a child 50 euros plus 50 euros, respectively;
Twenty euros for having your photo and signature on the card.

4. The solution will be ready within three to six months.

Establishing a business in Austria is another way to obtain a residence permit. But this option is not easy. Whether or not a special commission decides to give you an official status, It assesses whether your enterprise will bring general economic benefits to the country according to four criteria:

• whether your investment is sufficient;

• do you create jobs;

• are you introducing new technologies;

• whether your company is socially significant for the region.

Suppose your business plan, which includes analysis of the local market and competitors formulates business goals and an investment plan which fits each criterion; in this case, you will have a chance to get a residence permit.

Austrian residence permit for financially independent people

In addition to the entrepreneurial idea, they will also evaluate you. We remember that you primarily need to be a respectable person without convictions and violations of the visa regime.

Moreover, it would be best if you have a diploma of a higher education corresponding to the enterprise’s profile or the award of an academic degree. These documents will confirm your credibility and work experience in this field.

Prosperity also needs to be confirmed; the country’s authorities must ensure that you have enough money for both business and family. The minimum amounts are 933 euros per person per month, 1399 euros for a married couple and 144 euros for each child.

If you pass all criteria, then start a residence permit registration:

• rental housing:

• Collect all documents, translate them into German with the help of a swornranslator and certify them with apostille;

• Submit your documents to the consulate or migration service.

The Austrian Employment Service (AMS) will review your business plan within four weeks, then forward their decision to the Immigration Office. If the answer is yes, you will have a residence permit and obligations — you will need to stay in Austria for at least 183 days a year. This rule applies to all programs and is strictly followed. If there are fewer days, then your residence permit will not be extended.

A worker residence permit is a document with a limited period of validity. For the first two years, it is issued with reference to a specific employer, after which it can be extended for three years without reference to a particular job, and then — after five years — to receive permanent residence.

A job search visa entitles you to a free independent search for offers within six months. In other cases — with a red-white-red card and a blue one — there must be a contract/invitation to work from a specific employer.

The Blue Card is issued to non-EU citizens and entitles them to work as a dependent person in Austria. It is assumed that you have an invitation or a contract with an employer willing to pay you more than 4.447 euros per month. There are several other ways to obtain a labour residence permit.

To obtain a special visa when looking for a job for six months, you need to confirm your qualifications through a unique counting system and score at least 70 points out of 100.

After receiving you must find a job in Austria within six months. If this succeeds, then you can apply and, after approval, receive a red-white-red residence permit card.

An advantage is also given through the knowledge of German at A2 level and a completed vocational education.

The list of rare professions is updated annually. It includes the specialities that are traditional to our country: nurse, milling cutter, turner, roofer, technicians and engineers in the field of mechanical engineering, high-voltage electrical engineering.

To obtain a residence permit, you need to score 55 out of 90 points in the qualification system and receive an invitation from the company. At the same time, your salary should match your qualifications and other representatives' income in your industry in the region. If all indicators match the standard, documents can be prepared.

Most graduates of Austrian universities plan to stay to work in the country. After graduation, they are issued a special visa to look for work. It is valid for one year.

During this time, the graduate must conclude a contract with the employer. As soon as a job is found (regardless of whether the visa is still valid or not), you need to change your document to a red-white-red card and only then start official work.

The set of points in the assessment system does not threaten the graduate, but the AMC will still have to pass the check for the validity of Austrian applicants for the proposed position.

It is noteworthy that if you work for two years for the same employer, you can apply for a plus card and get free access to the Austrian labour market. These are some of the great opportunities that should not be overlooked.

To obtain a residence permit, an official proposal from an Austrian research organization is sufficient. But it has a significant disadvantage — you cannot stay in the country for more than two years with this type of residence permit. However, you will have time to solve a specific task of research activity during this time.

Even in art, the main thing for Austrians is a contract. You will be issued a residence permit only based on an agreement with an Austrian organization that will invite you to create works of art in the country. For example, paint walls, sculpt a sculpture or paint a picture. The card can be renewed while the contract is valid.

Suitable for a small circle of people and does not solve the problem of long-term residence in the country. You need to enter into a contract with the inviting party to perform a certain amount of work. For example, conduct a series of masterclasses.

Such a card is valid for 6 to 12 months. It can not be extended. You can get it only if you did not violate the visa regime and did not have a criminal record. In this case, earnings must be at least 883 euros per month.

Do you need to go to Austria for a business trip for at least three months? Obtain a special permit for this from the Austrian employment office and issue a contract/travel ticket with the inviting party. The validity period of the card depends entirely on the terms of the contract.

Suitable only for work in a social non-profit organization. You can get a residence permit only after an official invitation. The card is issued for a maximum of one year and cannot be extended.

In Austria, a student residence permit is an opportunity to study full-time and earn up to ten hours a week. You can apply for it if you know German and have entered:

• a public or accredited private university;

• to a higher professional educational institution;

• to higher education — public or accredited private.

A fairly common way. Suitable in cases when a person with a residence permit or an Austrian passport plans to issue an official status for a close relative. These include a spouse aged 21 and under and minor children under 18 who are not married. For registration, you need to collect a package of documents and, of course, meet the material and legal requirements.