If you only want to stay in Austria temporarily and have no intention of settling here permanently, you can apply for a residence permit. The length of this residence permit depends on the length of the temporary activity. 

Info: If you already hold a specific residence permit but would like to stay for a longer period or carry out a different activity, you can submit a change of purpose application. In this application, you must indicate which residence title you would like to change to. In order to apply, you must prove that you already fulfil all the requirements for your desired title. 

Example: You are self-employed in Austria and hold a residence permit as a self-employed person. You would like to study in Austria instead and apply for a change of purpose to obtain a residence permit for students. 

Residence Permit - Student

If you want to study in Austria, you need a residence permit for students.

This permit is issued for one year and you must renew it regularly until you graduate. As part of international exchange programmes, it can also be granted for a period of 2 years (e.g. the Erasmus Programme). 

Requirements for the residence permit for students:

  • General requirements
  • Admission to a regular or non-regular study programme in Austria 

Regular studies lead to a recognised academic degree (e.g. bachelor's, master's, diploma, doctorate). To work towards one of these qualifications, you must enrol at one of the following institutions: 

  • Public university
  • Private university
  • University of applied sciences
  • Public or private teacher training college

You can find out which requirements you need to fulfil in order to enrol at one of these institutions on their respective websites. 

Info: For prospective artists, the Academy of Fine Arts, for example, may be an option.

Non-regular studies do not lead to a recognised academic degree. The following study programmes are eligible for a residence permit:

  • University course (at least 40 ECTS credits; no pure language courses)
  • Courses for supplementary examinations for admission to a degree programme
  • Attendance of individual courses in academic subjects, provided that the study programme mentioned in the previous point has been successfully completed and the admission or aptitude procedure cannot be completed until the following semester for reasons for which the third-country national is not responsible. This is the case if the selection procedure only takes place at the end of the following summer semester after the prescribed supplementary examinations have been completed, i.e. it is not possible to start the full degree programme in this summer semester
  • To establish the equivalence of a foreign degree (supplementary studies for nostrification)

A residence permit for students also entitles you to work as both an employed or self-employed person alongside your studies. 

You must apply for a work permit from the AMS for any salaried employment and may work a maximum of 20 hours per week. A labour market test will not be carried out in this case. This becomes necessary if you work more than 20 hours.

Info: What is the labour market test? If third-country nationals apply for a job, the AMS is obliged to check whether there is another person who is eligible for this job. This person must be registered as unemployed in Austria, hold either EU/EEA citizenship or be a third-country national with a valid residence permit that includes free access to employment, or be entitled to unemployment insurance benefits. Such a person would then be favoured, and you would not receive the work permit. 

Attention: If you are a freelancer, you also need a work permit. Freelance work constitutes employee-like self-employment. See the chapter on labour law. 

Once you have successfully completed your studies, you can extend your residence permit by one year in order to look for work in Austria. This is also issued in the form of a residence permit for students, but it is only possible to switch to a Red-White-Red Card, a Settlement Permit - Researcher, or a family member title derived from Austrian/EEA nationals, and not another permit for studying; instead, you can also register for a new degree programme and apply for a new residence permit for students. 

If you no longer wish to study in Austria or have completed your studies, you can change to the following residence titles: Red-White-Red Cards, the EU Blue Card, Settlement Permit – Artist or Settlement Permit – Researcher, or a residence title for family members (documentation under EU law if your partner is from an EEA state). To achieve this, you must submit an application for a change of purpose and prove that you fulfil the requirements for the new residence title. 

To do: Apply to the competent authority to change your purpose of residence and—if you fulfil all the requirements—have another residence permit issued. The responsible authority is based on your place of residence.   

Residence Permit - Self-employed Person

For cultural workers and artists who wish to be self-employed in Austria, the Residence Permit - Self-employed Person is an option. 

This residence permit is valid for the length of the contractually agreed self-employed activity, up to a maximum of 1 year. 

Example: An Austrian theatre has commissioned you to carry out a lighting installation for a new production. You work on a contractual basis and are therefore self-employed. The work contract stipulates that you start your work in May and that the installation be completed by mid-December at the latest. Your residence permit authorises you to stay from May until the end of December and is therefore valid for at least 8 months. If the assignment takes longer (because the project is more extensive than initially assumed), you can have it extended.

Example: You are a culture and event manager, and are given the task of organising a series of theatre or concert events in Austria lasting several months. This series lasts from mid-April for more than 6 months. Your residence permit is valid for this period. 

Prerequisites:

  • General requirements
  • Contract for self-employment in Austria

If the authorities are not sure whether your work is self-employed or employed, your application will be forwarded to the AMS. They will check which activity is involved.

To do: Make sure that you have your residence permit extended in good time if you want to stay longer. For other programmes, a "new initial application" is required, and it may be necessary to leave Austria temporarily