Austria joined the EU (European Union) in 1995 – therefore it is very easy for all EU-citizens to live and work in Austria. If you are not an EU-citizen, be prepared for a lot of paperwork and some bureaucratic hurdles during the process of getting a working and residence permit. The situation differs from country to country – but in general the rules and requirements have become stricter and the quota for foreigners coming to Austria has been lowered every year.
If you are an EU-citizen, you can just come to Austria and live and work here. Within three days of arrival you have to register at your local police station – a quick and easy process. This applies also for people from non-EU-countries. Be careful – if you are not an EU-citizen, all formalities have to be processed BEFORE you register with the police! This means you will have to start and finish the process from your home country - there is no other way to do it.
The process for EU-citizens
You can come to Austria without a visa or stay permit. You also don’t need a work permit. If you stay longer than three months, you have to apply for a special ID-card ( EWR-Lichtbildausweis), which includes a residence permit. If you do not have a job at this time, you will be granted a 6-month residence permit; with a job, you get a 5-year permit. Your only initial obligation is to register at a local police station or the district’s registration office within three days of arrival.
The process for non EU-citizens
The process for receiving full rights to stay and work in Austria includes several steps and depends on what you plan to do there. Please keep in mind, all visa applications have to be issued from outside Austria, before you travel.
There are several visa options for coming to Austria:
Class C visa - the Tourist Visa
This is the most common visa for visitors; it is issued for a three month stay and allows you to travel through all EU-countries that are part of the Schengen Area. The required documents for the class C visa are:
- 1 passport - size photo
- Valid passport (minimum 6 months)
- Travel ticket or booking confirmation
- Confirmation of hotel booking or invitation
- Proof of sufficient funds
- Proof of health insurance for the duration of your stay
It is recommended to present a ‘visa support letter’ from an institution or company you know in Austria. Please note that you are not allowed to work in Austria with a class C or class D visa!
Class D visa
This is a visa especially for Austria. It is issued for a maximum 6-month stay. With the class D visa you can travel through other Schengen countries – but only for 5 days in order to reach Austria. You have to contact the Austrian consulate in your country of residence to acquire the visa.
The Schengen Convention
Austria is a signatory to the Schengen Convention, which includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. If you have a visa issued by one of the Schengen countries, it is automatically valid for all other Schengen countries. Even if you have a class C visa (tourist visa), you can visit other Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days – which is a nice way of getting to know Europe!