Work

Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card in Austria

Skilled workers from third countries can work in Austria with the Red-White-Red Card – in shortage occupations, as other key workers or very highly qualified – mostly through a points system; highly qualified people can also get the EU Blue Card.

Last updated: 6 October 2026 · Draft – not yet editorially reviewed.

If you are a third-country national and want to work in Austria, the Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte and the Blaue Karte EU are residence titles based on a concrete job offer and an assessment by the Arbeitsmarktservice (AMS) 1 2. Which title fits depends on your qualification, the job offer, and the specific requirements listed by the authorities 1 2.

Who needs this

The Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte is available, for example, for graduates of Austrian universities or universities of applied sciences, for workers in shortage occupations (Fachkräfte in Mangelberufen), for other key workers (sonstige Schlüsselkräfte), and for especially highly qualified workers (besonders Hochqualifizierte) from third countries 1 3 4 5.
The Blaue Karte EU is for third-country nationals who have completed a university degree of at least three years, have a binding job offer in Austria for at least six months that matches their education, receive the required annual salary, and pass the AMS labour market test 2.
The Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte plus can be granted if you were employed for at least 21 months within the last 24 months under the relevant admission conditions 1 2 4 5.

Step by step

Check whether your case is covered by a Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte category or by the Blaue Karte EU requirements 1 2 3 4 5.
Make sure you have a concrete job offer and, where required, the employer declaration (Arbeitgebererklärung) 1 2 4 5.
Submit the application either at the Austrian representation abroad or, in Austria, at the competent residence authority; in some cases you may also apply after lawful entry and during lawful stay in Austria 1 2 3 4.
The authority forwards the application to the AMS, which checks the relevant qualification, salary, and labour market requirements 1 2 3 4.
If approved, the residence authority issues the title 1 2 3 4.

Documents

Valid travel document, such as a passport 1 2 3 4 5
Recent passport photo, not older than six months, size 45 x 35 mm 1 2 3 4 5
Health insurance covering all risks, or proof of compulsory insurance or equivalent policy 1 2 3 4 5
Job-related documents, including the employer declaration where required 1 2 4 5
Proof of the relevant qualification: for example, university degree, study completion, vocational diploma, or proof of professional experience where accepted 1 2 3 4 5
If relevant, proof of marriage, divorce, partnership, adoption, kinship, or death for family-status documents 2
For many first-time applications, authorities may ask for a criminal record certificate from the country of origin or previous country of residence; if you lived elsewhere for more than six months before Austria, that certificate may be needed too 1 2 3 4 5
Documents not in German or English must be translated into German or English for the Blaue Karte EU 2
The authority may require originals, copies, and certified documents 2 4 5

Cost and time

Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte: application fee €218 1 2 3 4 5
Blaue Karte EU: application fee €218 2
Arbeitssuche-Visum for especially highly qualified workers: fee €195 3
The Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte is generally issued for 24 months, or up to 24 months 1 2 3 4 5
The Blaue Karte EU is issued for 24 months 2

Deadlines

If you already hold a Student residence permit and want to switch to a Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte, you must apply personally and in time, at the latest three months before your current title expires 1.
In case of employer change, a new application is required; after 45 days from filing a new application for a further title with labour market access, you may start the new job provisionally if the required documents were submitted in full 1 3 4 5.
For the Blaue Karte EU, if you are already in Austria on a Blaue Karte EU for at least 12 months, you may start the new job immediately after changing employer; there is no waiting period 2.
After filing a Blaue Karte EU employer-change application, the waiting period is 30 days if the required documents are complete 2

City by city

Niederösterreich: competent residence authority is the Amt der Niederösterreichischen Landesregierung 1 2 4
Other federal states: the Bezirkshauptmannschaft is competent 1 2 4
Statutarstädte: the Magistrat is competent 1 2 4
Wien: MA 35 1 2 4
Graz: the Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung 1 2 4