Austria: Self-Employed Key Worker Red-White-Red Card (Investment Visa)
People who own and operate businesses that make a major contribution to Austria can move there with a Self-Employed Key Worker Red-White-Red Card.
Benefits
- Bring family
- Path to Permanent Residence
- Renewable after 2 years
- Includes right to work at your business
- E.U. member
- High standard of living
Introduction
Austria continually appears on lists of the world’s best places to live, offering residents the dramatic natural beauty of the Alps, cultural centers like Vienna, rich traditions of foods like beer and chocolate, as well as a high standard of living, robust economy, and well-developed infrastructure.
Living in the most wooded nation in Europe, Austrians often spend their weekends outdoors and enjoy a great work-life balance.
Internet Speed
Fixed broadband: 108.94 Mbps download/22.78 Mbps upload
Mobile: 64.54 Mbps download/15.12 Mbps upload
Cost of living
No. 23 globally
Requirements
$119,000 capital invested in the business
or the business:
- creates or protects jobs in Austria,
- introduces new knowledge and technology, or
- has "considerable" regional significance.
Fees
- $142 application fee
- $47 fee upon visa granting
- $47 for biometrics
Application Process
Apply at your local Austrian embassy.
If you are permitted to enter Austria visa-free, you can also apply within Austria at your local Provincial Governor, Regional Administrative Authority, or Local Administrative Authority.
Documents Required
Documents required may include:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Passport photo (45 mm x 35 mm, taken in past six months)
- Proof of health insurance
- Proof of financial means of subsistence (could include personal assets, investment capital, pay stubs, employment contracts, insurance benefits, pension, or other sources)
- Proof of qualification for self-employment
- Business plan including market evaluation, competitor analysis, headquarters location, and detailed description of the business
- Evidence of investment capital transfer to Austria
- Proof of intention to create or secure jobs in Austria
- Proof of company contracts and agreements
- Craft authorizations (Gewerbeberechtigungen), if necessary and available
Other documents may be requested.
Police clearance from your home country may be requested later in the process—consider submitting this with your initial application.
Both originals and copies of documents should be available. Submit documents in English or German (or provide a certified translation). During the process, certified or notarized copies may also be requested.
