Red-White-Red Cards

As an artist or cultural worker, you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers (key workers). Key workers are highly qualified specialists who are integrated into the Austrian labour market due to their special qualifications and professional experience. 
Whether someone is a very highly qualified key worker is assessed according to the points system for very highly qualified workers:

Example: You are an art historian, 41 years old, and have a PhD. You have also published scientific articles and won a prize for your research. You are fluent in Spanish and English. 

Example: You are 34 years old and have 8 years’ professional experience as a freelance artist. You have completed both bachelor's and master's degrees at an art university and speak German at A2 level. You have won an award for an artistic project.

Requirements for the Red-White-Red Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers:

• General requirements
• Minimum score (at least 70 out of 100 points)
• Concrete job offer
  • This must correspond to your training, qualifications, and experience.
  • Your working conditions must comply with the collective agreement applicable in the sector. 

Info: There is no statutory, standardised minimum wage in Austria, but rather collective agreements and minimum wage tariffs. Collective agreements are concluded for the respective industry between the workers' representative organisation and the employers' representative organisation. They then agree on a minimum income. You can also find out more about the fair pay guidelines in the cultural sector on the Austrian Cultural Council’s website. 

How do I get a concrete job offer?

If there are no visa requirements for your nationality, you can enter Austria without a visa and search for work for three months.

If you fulfil the requirements for the desired Red-White-Red Card, but do not yet have a job offer, you can apply for a job search visa at the relevant Austrian embassy. This visa is valid for six months. It allows you to enter Austria and look for suitable work during this period. This is particularly necessary if you are not allowed to enter Austria without a visa, and once you have found a suitable job during this period, you can apply for the Red-White-Red Card in Austria. This means that you can look for work in Austria for any Red-White-Red Card.

 

Eligibility criteria for very highly qualified persons	Points
Special qualifications and skills	Maximum allowable points: 40
Graduation from an institution of higher education, minimum duration of programme: four years	20
- in the subjects mathematics, informatics, natural    sciences or technology (MINT subjects)	30
- Post-doctoral qualification (habilitation) or PhD	40
Gross salary of previous year earned in a senior management position with a company listed on the stock exchange or a company for which the Austrian foreign trade office in charge issued a positive report about its activities or business segment: - €50,000 to 60,000 - €60,000 to 70,000 - More than €70,000	20 25 30
Research and innovation activities (Patent applications, publications)	20
Awards (recognised prizes)	20
Work experience (adequately reflecting applicant’s qualification or senior management position)	Maximum allowable points: 20
Work experience (per half-year) Six months of work experience in Austria	1 10
Language skills	Maximum allowable points: 10
German or English language skills for the elementary use of the language on a basic level – (A1 level)	5
German or English language skills for the intensified elementary use of the language – (A2 level)	10
French language skills for the intependent use of the language – (B1 level)	5
Spanish language skills for the intependet use of the language – (B1 level)	5
Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian language skills for the intependet use of the language – (B1 level)	5
Age	Maximum allowable points: 20
Up to 35 years of age Up to 40 years of age up to 45 years of age	20 15 10
Studies in Austria	Maximum allowable points: 10
Second part of diploma programme (Diplomstudium) or half of the required total ECTS points	5
Completed diploma programme (Diplomstudium) or Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programme	10
Sum total of maximum allowable points:	100
Required minimum:	70

If you do not fulfil the requirements of the two categories mentioned above, a Red-White-Red Card for Other Key Workers may be an option. Qualification requirements are somewhat lower for this card. The following points system is used to assess whether you fit into the category of Other Key Worker: 

Example: You are in your mid-thirties, have studied violin at a foreign university (achieving both bachelor's and master's degrees) and have worked in your national symphony orchestra for 6 years. You can't speak German but speak English at a B1 level . 

Example: You are 37 years old, have not studied, but can demonstrate in a comprehensive portfolio that you work successfully as a freelance artist and have already received several commissions. You have 10 years’ professional experience, 1 year of which was in Austria. You are fluent in English and German at an A2 level.

Example: You are a freelance artist and 26 years old. You speak English and German at a B1 level. You studied sculpture for 5 years at an art university, graduated with a master's degree, and have 2 years’ professional experience outside of Austria.

Requirements for the Red-White-Red Card for Other Key Workers:

• General requirements
• Minimum number of points (at least 55 out of 100 points)
• Concrete job offer
  • Your work must be remunerated with a gross amount of at least €3225.00 plus special payments (2025).
  • Labour market test: If an EU/EEA citizen or a third-country national with a valid residence title is registered as unemployed with the AMS and this person could accept the job instead of you, they have priority. Your residence title will not be granted in such cases. 

Info: You receive special payments from your employer in addition to your regular monthly salary. These include, for example, an extra monthly salary for the summer (holiday pay) and for Christmas (Christmas bonus). They are often referred to as the 13th and 14th salaries.

Eligibility criteria for key workers	Points
Qualification	Maximum allowable points: 30
Completed vocational education/training or special know-how or skills* in the prospective occupation	20
General eligibility for university admission	25
Completion of a programme of studies with a minimum duration of three years at an institution of tertiary education	30
Work experience	Maximum allowable points: 20
Work experience (per half-year)	1
Work experience in Austria (per half-year)	2
Language skills	Maximum allowable points: 25
Elementary use of the German language on a basic level (A1 level)	5
German language skills for the intensified elementary use of the language (A2 level)	10
German language skills for the independent use of the language (B1 level)	15
English language skills for the intensified elementary use of the language (A2 level)	5
English language skills for the independent use of the language (B1 level)	10
French language skills for the independent use of the language (B1 level)	5
Spanish language skills for the independent use of the language (B1 level)	5
Bosnian, Kroatian or Serbian language skills for the independent use of the language (B1 level)	5
Age	Maximum allowable points: 15
Up to 30 years of age	15
Up to 40 years of age	10
Sum total of maximum allowable points:	90
Additional points for English language skills, if English is the predominant language of the respective company	5
Bonus points for professional athletes and professional sports coaches	20
Required minimum:	55

Third-country nationals who have done a degree in Austria are granted easier access to residence permits.

During your studies, you stayed in Austria with a residence permit for students (see the section on residence permits for students). After graduating, you can extend your residence permit (student) by one year in order to look for a job in Austria during this period.

Attention: Theoretically, you have one year to look for a job. However, as the processing time for the Red-White-Red Card takes a few weeks, you should have found a job and submitted your application for the Red-White-Red Card for Graduates no later than 10 months after graduation. 

There are exemptions surrounding Red-White-Red Cards for graduates. The following requirements must be met:

• General requirements
• Completed a degree in Austria
• Concrete job offer that corresponds to what you studied in Austria
• Adequate employment and remuneration according to qualifications

As a student, you do not have to fulfil a minimum number of points, and the AMS does not carry out a labour market test. This means that the AMS does not even check whether a person registered as unemployed in Austria with EU/EEA citizenship or a third-country national registered as unemployed with a residence permit would be suitable for "your" job. 

If you have not found suitable work for a Red-White-Red Card or an EU Blue Card after graduating, you can instead 

• apply for a residence permit as a researcher,
• apply for a residence permit as a family member of Austrian or EEA citizens, or
• start a new degree programme and have your student residence permit renewed or extended.

If you would like to work as a self-employed person in Austria, you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card for Self-employed Key Workers. This is aimed at highly qualified people who will create a macroeconomic benefit in Austria through their self-employment, or whose work is of regional importance. 

Info: Unlike for employed applicants, the points system does not apply here. You can still take a look at it to see who is considered to be highly qualified in Austria. 

It is assumed that your activity has a macroeconomic benefit or regional significance if it fulfils one of the following conditions: 

• Your self-employment would result in at least €100,000 being invested in Austria;
• Your intended gainful employment creates new jobs or secures existing jobs;
• Your company has significant importance for the region in which you work.

Example: You are a freelance artist and specialise in casting bronze figures. You produce your sculptures using a special technique that is rarely practised anymore. You want to settle in Salzburg and set up a company to cast your own bronze figures, accepting commissions from other artists. There is no bronze foundry in the entire region. You would invest €100,000 in setting up and equipping your business, employing two people to pass on your expertise. 

Info: If you have already worked in Austria for two years with a Red-White-Red Card for Self-employed Key Workers, you can apply for a settlement permit for self-employed individuals. This is then valid for three years.

The Red-White-Red Card for Start-up Founders is aimed at entrepreneurs who want to set up a new company in Austria and develop innovative products, services, processes, or technologies. The investment capital in this case is €50,000. A business plan must be submitted, and personal management is required

Click on this link for more information: Start-up founders.

The Red-White-Red Card Plus entitles you to a stay of up to 3 years and gives you free access to the labour market in Austria. This means that you are not tied to a particular employer and can change jobs without losing your residence permit. 

The following groups of people are entitled to the Red-White-Red Card Plus:

• Holders of a Red-White-Red Card if they have fulfilled the criteria of their Red-White-Red Card for at least 21 months over the two years prior to submitting their application;
• Holders of an EU Blue Card if they have fulfilled the criteria of their Red-White-Red Card for at least 21 months in the two years prior to submitting their application;
• Family members including: spouses and registered partners (aged 21 and over), minor unmarried children, stepchildren, and adopted children of
  • Permanent residents (e.g. permanent residence in the EU)
  • Holders of the Red-White-Red Card
  • EU Blue Card holders
  • Holders of the Red-White-Red Card Plus who previously had a Red-White-Red Card or a Settlement Permit - Researcher
  • Holders of a settlement permit, certain individuals holding the "Settlement Permit - Special Cases of Gainful Employment" or a "settlement permit - researcher"

The EU Blue Card was introduced by the EU. The intention is to make it easier for qualified workers from non-EU/EEA countries to stay and work in the EU in a standardised manner.

It is similar to the Red-White-Red Card - Other Key Workers, but requires a higher minimum wage. Click on this link for more information: detailed information on the EU Blue Card.