Case review and document preparation by the Aval Visa team, from your points assessment to your residence card.
Available
Not mandatory
8 to 12 weeks
Schengen visa EUR 90; children 6-12 EUR 45; under 6 free. Austrian residence-permit charges are separate.
A Schengen visitor visa lets you spend up to 90 days in any 180-day period seeing Austria, its landscapes and its cities. It carries no right to work or study full time.
This covers several programmes: self-employment, business investment and entrepreneurship. Applicants either run a manufacturing, service or technology business, or invest financially in the Austrian economy.
Austria is one of the best destinations for international students looking for high-quality universities.
1Assessment of your profile and choice of route
2Signed agreement and your file is opened
3Documents prepared and translated, appointment booked
4Decision, arrival and settlement support
Yes. The job seeker visa is open to very highly qualified applicants without an offer in hand.
It is not mandatory, but a certificate scores points.
Yes. A dependant permit carries work rights.
After 5 years of legal residence and employment in Austria.
Have your Austria case reviewed free of charge. A careful check before you file is the cheapest way to find the weak points in a case, and to avoid paying twice.
Austria’s work routes are the Red-White-Red Card, the EU Blue Card and the job seeker visa, all open to applicants from outside the European Union. Together they give skilled professionals several ways to move to Austria.
A work permit for Austria normally means a job offer from an Austrian employer and a minimum score on the points system. This guide covers both, along with the visa types, the benefits of working in Austria, the documents, the steps, processing times and the details that decide a case.
Austria’s labour migration system has three programmes: the Red-White-Red Card, the EU Blue Card and the job seeker visa. Eligibility for each rests on skills, qualifications, experience and your job offer. The table below compares them side by side:
| Visa type | Purpose | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiss-Rot – Karte) | Very highly qualified workers Shortage occupations Graduates of Austrian universities Start-up founders | Points thresholds differ by category: Very Highly Qualified Workers 70, Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations 55, Other Key Workers 55, Start-up Founders 50 Hold a valid job offer from an Austrian employer Evidence of skills, education, work history and language |
| Job Seeker Visa (Jobseeker-Visum) | Very highly qualified workers with no current job offer | Six-month stay to look for work Points scored as for the Red-White-Red Card Converts to a Red-White-Red Card once a job is found |
| EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) | Highly educated, highly specialised workers | Hold a recognised university degree Job offer paying above the annual minimum salary threshold Health insurance and valid residence in Austria or the EU |
Austria has taken in a significant number of skilled migrants in recent years, which has opened up work with international employers. That is far from the only advantage:
What you file depends on the visa type. In every case the core requirements are a recognised qualification or trade in one of Austria’s shortage fields, relevant work experience, and German or English. The rest of the file looks like this:
You also need the minimum score on the Austrian points system. For the Red-White-Red Card that is usually 70 out of 100, awarded on qualifications, experience, language, age and the salary offered.
Full details, current requirements and appointment information are published by the Austrian Foreign Ministry, including visa types, required documents and how appointments are booked. Here is the sequence:
Austria uses VFS Global for biometrics and document intake in many countries. Appointments are booked and cases tracked through the same service. The Austrian government migration portal holds the official guidance on visa types, the points system and the forms.
Decisions usually take 8 to 12 weeks from the date a complete file reaches the embassy or the official service provider. The range moves with the visa type, how complete the file is, and how well the job offer and your academic and professional record hold up. Consulate and immigration-office caseloads and background checks also affect the timeline.
On top of translation, proof of funds and incidental costs, you pay the processing and issue fees. The table sets them out:
| Visa type | Visa fee in EUR | Total costs in EUR |
|---|---|---|
| Red-White-Red Card | 140 | 180 |
| Job seeker visa | 150 | 150 |
| Self-employment permit | Variable | Variable |
The way to strengthen a case is to work the scoring factors deliberately. The single most useful step is German or English at B1 or above. A formal job offer from an Austrian employer with a proper salary and insurance also scores heavily on the Red-White-Red Card. The rest:
Complete documents with clean certified translations, a CV in the European standard (EUROPASS) and solid proof of funds are what keep a file from stalling on avoidable errors.
An Austrian work visa is one of the strongest legal routes into Europe on a competitive points system, and it puts you in an international working environment. The obstacles are real: document preparation, language demands and the need for a genuine job offer. Fill in the free assessment form and put the file in the hands of the Aval Visa advisers.
If you have questions about current requirements, documents, scoring or which visa fits you, ask in the comments and we will answer with specifics.
