Austria's Red-White-Red Card: The Points, the Salary and Which Jobs Qualify

What is Austria's Red-White-Red Card for Shortage Occupations?

The Red-White-Red Card lets a third-country citizen move to Austria to take up a job in an occupation officially listed as a shortage occupation. To get one, you need a binding job offer from an Austrian employer who agrees to pay at least the minimum pay set by law, regulation or collective agreement, and to match any higher pay that is customary at that company. The card is generally issued for 24 months. After that, if you have been employed under the eligibility criteria for a minimum of 21 months of the preceding 24 months, you can apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus, which comes with unlimited labour market access.

How the points system works

To qualify, a candidate must reach a minimum of 55 points, drawn from categories that together can add up to a maximum of 90 points.

Qualification carries the most weight: completed vocational education or training in the shortage occupation earns the maximum allowable 30 points on its own.

Work experience matching the applicant's qualification is capped at 20 points: 1 point per half-year of relevant experience gained anywhere, or 2 points per half-year of that experience gained in Austria.

Age is capped at 15 points: candidates under 30 years of age get 15 points, those under 40 get 10 points, and those under 50 get 5 points.

On top of these categories, an applicant can also pick up an additional 5 points for English language skills if English is the predominant language of the employing company.

Language points add up fast

Language skills are capped at 25 points and reward several languages, not only German. German counts for 5 points at basic A1 level, 10 points at the more intensive A2 level, and 15 points at independent B1 level. English brings 5 points at A2 level or 10 points at B1 level. French, Spanish, and Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian each bring 5 points at independent B1 level.

In the official worked example, a Serbian roofer with completed professional training, over 10 years of work experience, who is 29 years old and has basic knowledge of German, reaches 70 points: 30 for qualification, 20 for work experience, 5 for German language skills and 15 for age - above the required minimum of 55.

Salary, qualifications and which jobs qualify

There is no fixed euro salary figure attached to the card itself. Instead, the employer must commit to paying at least the minimum set by law, regulation or collective agreement for the role, and to pass on any higher pay that is standard practice at the company. Shortage occupations are published every year; the lists referenced for this card cover Austria-wide and regional shortage occupations for 2025.

Depending on the occupation, applicants need training comparable to a multi-year apprenticeship in Austria, and some shortage occupations require higher education or a university degree instead. Formal recognition of the qualification is only required for regulated professions, such as health professions and teaching at a public school or as a preschool teacher. For most other professions, no formal recognition or equivalence is required, and the qualification is assessed from the documents submitted with the application.

Applying: documents, fees and timing

Applications go either to the Austrian embassy or consulate in the applicant's home country or country of residence, or the prospective employer can file with the competent residence authority in Austria, together with an employer's declaration covering the specific place of employment.

Required documents include a valid travel document, a photo no older than six months, and evidence of health insurance covering all risks. Authorities typically also ask for a criminal record extract, recommended to be no more than three months old, and language diplomas or course certificates should not be older than five years.

The application fee is 218 euros. Once submitted, the Public Employment Service checks whether the applicant reaches the points threshold, has completed the required training, and will be paid adequately, before the residence authority issues the card.

If you change employer while holding the card, you may provisionally start the new job after a 45-day waiting period from submitting the application to change the permit's purpose, provided all required documents are submitted in full.