Country

Pathways to Austrian Residency and Citizenship

Austria

Austria offers points-based skilled-worker routes, study options, and routes for those of independent means, most leading toward long-term residence. Austria generally requires you to give up other nationalities when naturalizing, though descendants of those persecuted by the Nazi regime have a dedicated route that permits dual nationality.

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Ways to qualify

Career & business

For people with a job offer, in-demand skills, or a business to build. Most of these routes lead to settlement, and in time to citizenship.

Austria Shortage-Occupation Work Residence Austria's Red-White-Red Card shortage-occupation route is for workers with a job offer in an occupation Austria lists as short of workers. It… residency Austria Skilled Worker Residence Card This is an EU Blue Card residence pathway for highly qualified workers with a qualifying job offer in Austria. It generally requires higher education… residency Austria Graduate Work Residence Austria's Red-White-Red Card graduate route is for graduates of Austrian higher-education programs who find qualifying skilled work in Austria. It… residency Austria Seasonal Worker Residence Austria's regular-worker route is for people who already have qualifying seasonal or regular work history and an Austrian job offer. It generally… residency Austria Self-Employed Worker Residence Austria's self-employed key-worker route is for applicants whose independent business activity creates significant economic benefit for Austria. It… residency Austria Startup Founder Residence Austria's startup-founder route is for founders building an innovative company with meaningful ownership and funding. It generally requires a… residency Austria Work Residence for Key Workers Austria's Red-White-Red Card for other key workers is for skilled employees with an Austrian job offer who meet the points and pay rules. It generally… residency Austria Work Residence for Skilled Workers Austria's very-highly-qualified route is for applicants with a strong points profile who can qualify for job search or a Red-White-Red Card after… residency

Retirement

For retirees and people of independent means who can show a pension, savings, or other passive income.

Austria Self-Funded Settlement Permit This residence pathway is for financially self-supporting applicants who want to live in Austria without relying on local employment. It generally… residency

Ancestry & heritage

A parent, grandparent, or birth in the country can make you a citizen already — or let you claim it, often without relocating.

Austrian Citizenship by Descent Austrian citizenship by descent is mainly for people who had an Austrian parent when they were born. It generally requires proof of the parent-child… citizenship Austrian Citizenship for Persecuted Families Austria's Section 58c declaration route is for a persecuted person or that person's direct descendants when the ancestor fits one of the law's precise… citizenship

Citizenship by residence

Once you've lived there long enough and settled, you can often apply to become a citizen.

Austrian Citizenship After Residence Austrian citizenship by award is for people who have built a long-term legal life in Austria and can meet its residence, resources, German-language,… citizenship