Red-White-Red Card: Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations
Who it's for: People trained in a listed shortage occupation who have a binding job offer in Austria and reach the required points.
Information, not immigration advice. This page summarises what the government publishes. Confirm every figure on the official page before you pay or apply.
Last checked 3 Nov 2026
Requirements at a glance
- Job offer needed: Yes
- Minimum education: Vocational qualification
- Main fee: €218
- Family can join: Yes
- Occupation list: Official occupation list
Figures and costs
| Item | Amount | In your currency | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main fee | €218 | — | migration.gv.atOfficial · 3 Nov 2026 |
Figures marked check could not be confirmed on a live official page, or come from a secondary source.
What the official pages say
5 points recorded from official pages. Open a point to see the official wording.
Job offer neededYesOfficial wording
“you have received a binding job offer in Austria”
Minimum educationVocational qualificationOfficial wording
“you must have completed at least a vocational training programme comparable to a multi-year apprenticeship in Austria”
Main fee€218Official wording
“Application fee: € 218”
Family can joinYesOfficial wording
“Family members of "Red-White-Red Card" holders or "EU Blue Card" holders”
Occupation listOfficial occupation list ↗Official wording
“Shortage occupations are promulgated each year in a regulation”
We have not yet recorded: Study place needed; Work experience; Language; Age limit; Money to show; Salary threshold; Can lead to permanent residence; Decision time. That does not mean there is no rule — confirm on the official page. Official page.
Other work with a sponsor routes in Austria
- Stay permit - cross-border worker
- EU Blue Card
- Intra-corporate Transfer (ICT)
- Mobile ICT - mobile intra-corporate transferee
- Posting and hiring out of workers
- Project Staff
- Stay permit - researcher mobility
- Red-White-Red Card: Other Key Workers
- Red-White-Red Card: Regular Workers in Tourism, Agriculture and Forestry
- Seconded employee
- Settlement permit – researchers
- Stay permit - special cases of dependent gainful occupation
All visa types in Austria
Every visa type we have listed, grouped by purpose, with links to the official pages.
Austria visa typesBefore you pay anyone
- Nobody can guarantee a visa. Only the government of the country you apply to decides.
- UK employers must not charge you for a Certificate of Sponsorship.
- German missions say you don't need an agent to get a visa appointment.
- Check any adviser or recruitment agent on an official register before you pay.