{"id":28055,"date":"2026-09-20T12:27:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T08:57:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/blog\/austria-family-reunification-visa\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T00:44:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T21:14:48","slug":"austria-family-reunification-visa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/austria-family-reunification-visa\/","title":{"rendered":"Austrian family reunification: the age rule, the income figure and the queue"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you are moving to Austria to study, work or invest, the question that usually follows is whether your family can come too. They can, through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.migration.gv.at\/en\/types-of-immigration\/permanent-immigration\/family-reunification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">family reunification<\/a> \u2014 but the route has a hard age rule, a German requirement before anyone travels, an income threshold set to the euro, and an annual quota that most articles never mention.<\/p>\n<h2>What the permit is<\/h2>\n<p>Family reunification (Aufenthaltstitel f\u00fcr Familienangeh\u00f6rige) lets the family of someone already settled in Austria join them and live there legally. It is normally used for a spouse or registered partner and children under 18, and in limited cases for parents or other close relatives.<\/p>\n<p>It does not matter whether you came to Austria on a student permit or with a job offer. What matters is which residence title you hold, because that decides both the conditions your family must meet and whether they wait in a queue.<\/p>\n<h2>Who can come with you<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>A spouse or registered partner &mdash; <strong>both of you must be at least 21 when the application is made<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Unmarried children under 18, including adopted and step-children. <strong>The age is measured on the date the application is lodged<\/strong>, not the date it is decided.<\/li>\n<li>Parents or legal guardians, in limited circumstances.<\/li>\n<li>Other dependants, in limited circumstances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Where the application is for a parent, Austria looks at dependency rather than relationship alone:<\/p>\n<div class=\"av-tscroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Criterion<\/th>\n<th>What it covers<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Dependence on the child<\/td>\n<td>Financial, or physical because of frailty or illness<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>No income or adequate support of their own<\/td>\n<td>For example no pension or equivalent<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>A need to live with the child<\/td>\n<td>Where the child holds permanent residence, a work permit or a long-term study permit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>All of it has to be evidenced with official documents at the consulate, and then confirmed by the Austrian immigration authority.<\/p>\n<p>The under-18 rule is worth planning around. A file submitted a fortnight before a child&#8217;s eighteenth birthday still counts; one submitted a fortnight after does not, however long the case then takes.<\/p>\n<h2>What the sponsor has to prove<\/h2>\n<p>The person already in Austria has to hold a qualifying residence title &mdash; a Red-White-Red Card, an EU Blue Card, a Red-White-Red Card plus, a self-employment permit, certain employment permits, or long-term EU residence.<\/p>\n<p>Then come the three conditions that decide most cases:<\/p>\n<div class=\"av-tscroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th><a href=\"https:\/\/www.migration.gv.at\/en\/types-of-immigration\/permanent-immigration\/family-reunification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Condition<\/a><\/th>\n<th>What it means in 2026<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Income, single person<\/td>\n<td>&euro;1,308.39 per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Income, couple<\/td>\n<td>&euro;2,064.12 per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Additional, per child<\/td>\n<td>&euro;201.88 per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Health insurance<\/td>\n<td>Cover valid in Austria, covering all risks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Accommodation<\/td>\n<td>A legal title to housing adequate for the family size by local standards<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>The income figures are the ones to check first, because they are the most common reason a file fails. They are standard rates and they are revised, so confirm the current amounts before you commit to anything.<\/p>\n<h2>German before anyone travels<\/h2>\n<p>Family members normally have to show German at <strong>A1 level<\/strong> when first applying &mdash; before entry, not after arrival. The certificate must be less than one year old when it is submitted.<\/p>\n<p>There are real exemptions. You do not need the certificate if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You are <strong>under 14<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>A medical condition prevents it.<\/li>\n<li>You are the family member of a Red-White-Red Card holder for the highly qualified, an EU Blue Card holder, or a researcher.<\/li>\n<li>You have been granted asylum or subsidiary protection.<\/li>\n<li>You declare the stay will not exceed 24 months within three years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Documents<\/h2>\n<p>Beyond a valid passport and recent biometric photographs, the consulate will want evidence of the family relationship, the sponsor&#8217;s income, health insurance, accommodation, and the German certificate where it applies. Birth and marriage certificates have to be official documents, translated and legalised.<\/p>\n<h2>How to apply<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The first application is filed at the Austrian embassy or consulate in your own country, in person.<\/li>\n<li>Biometric data, including fingerprints, is taken as part of that appointment.<\/li>\n<li>The file is assessed. Processing times vary, so apply well before any intended travel date.<\/li>\n<li>If it succeeds, a national visa (type D) is issued, which allows entry to Austria.<\/li>\n<li>After arrival, you apply for the residence permit itself at the local authority (Magistrat) or the provincial governor&#8217;s office.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The limits<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>German at A1 before entry, unless you fall into one of the exemptions above.<\/li>\n<li>Access to the labour market depends on which permit you hold, and is not automatically unrestricted.<\/li>\n<li>In some cases a separate work authorisation is needed.<\/li>\n<li>The permit is time-limited and has to be renewed against the same conditions.<\/li>\n<li>The sponsor must keep meeting the income requirement without recourse to social assistance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What family members may do in Austria<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Live in Austria for the period the permit covers.<\/li>\n<li>Enrol in Austrian schools, universities and vocational institutions, subject to each institution&#8217;s own admission rules.<\/li>\n<li>Work without restriction, if they hold a Red-White-Red Card plus.<\/li>\n<li>Be self-employed, within the rules that govern business activity in Austria.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What it costs, and how long the permit lasts<\/h2>\n<p>The application fee is <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bmeia.gv.at\/en\/travel-stay\/entrance-and-residence-in-austria\/settlement-and-residence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&euro;218<\/a><\/strong> from 1 January 2026. That figure comes from the Austrian Foreign Ministry and replaced an older schedule, so any &euro;80 or &euro;100 you find elsewhere predates 2026.<\/p>\n<p>As a matter of principle the first residence title is granted for <strong>twelve months<\/strong>. A Red-White-Red Card plus or Family Member title can then be extended for <strong>three years<\/strong>, if the holder has completed Integration Agreement Module 1 and has lived in Austria lawfully and without interruption for the previous two years.<\/p>\n<h2>The annual quota<\/h2>\n<p>Austria caps how many family reunification permits it issues each year. You can meet every condition and still wait for the next year&#8217;s allocation to open.<\/p>\n<p>The cap does not apply to everyone. Family of Red-White-Red Card holders, EU Blue Card holders, Austrian citizens and researchers are exempt and do not queue. Which category the main applicant is in can therefore be worth months, and it is the first thing to establish.<\/p>\n<h2>Practical points<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Book the consulate appointment early and have the documents complete before you attend.<\/li>\n<li>Be ready for an interview about the purpose of the move and the family relationship.<\/li>\n<li>Apply for renewal in good time; the first permit is short.<\/li>\n<li>Check the legal position before accepting work or enrolling, because what you may do depends on your specific permit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Common questions<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Can children over 18 come on this route?<\/strong> No. The child must be under 18 on the date the application is lodged.<\/li>\n<li><strong>When can the family apply?<\/strong> Once the main applicant&#8217;s own permit has been granted.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Can family members work?<\/strong> Those holding a Red-White-Red Card plus may work without restriction. Otherwise it depends on the permit, and a separate authorisation may be needed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>How long is the permit valid?<\/strong> Twelve months as a rule, extendable to three years once Integration Agreement Module 1 is complete and two years of lawful continuous residence have passed.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Is there a queue?<\/strong> Yes, unless the sponsor is a Red-White-Red Card or EU Blue Card holder, an Austrian citizen or a researcher.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Family reunification lets your spouse and children join you in Austria, but the conditions are exact: both partners at least 21, children under 18 on the date the application is lodged, German at A1 before anyone travels, and a sponsor income of \u20ac\u06f1,\u06f3\u06f0\u06f8.\u06f3\u06f9 a month for a single person or \u20ac\u06f2,\u06f0\u06f6\u06f4.\u06f1\u06f2 for a couple. The fee is \u20ac\u06f2\u06f1\u06f8 from 1 January 2026, the first permit runs twelve months, and places are capped each year unless the sponsor holds a Red-White-Red Card, an EU Blue Card, Austrian citizenship or researcher status.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-immigration-to-austria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28055"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28058,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28055\/revisions\/28058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}