🇦🇹 Austria · Entrepreneur
Red-White-Red Card for Self-employed Key Workers — requirements, costs & how to apply
Who is eligible
| Minimum annual salary | €100,000 |
| Minimum investment | €100,000 |
Costs
| Application / consular fee | €218 |
Duration & renewal
Initial stay: 24 months.
Documents
- Valid travel document (e.g. passport)
- Photo (dimensions: 45x35mm) not older than six months
- Evidence of health insurance covering all risks (compulsory health insurance or equivalent insurance policy)
- Criminal record extract from the country of origin or previous habitual residence (many authorities require it; recommended to be less than three months old)
- Documents which allow an analysis and evaluation of the market and competitive situation and the headquarter location, including a detailed description and the objectives of the intended professional undertaking (business plan)
- Evidence of the transfer of investment capital to Austria and of the intended creation of new jobs or securing of existing jobs in Austria
- Evidence of the qualification necessary for the self-employed professional activity
- Possibly company agreements and/or Craft authorisations (Gewerbeberechtigungen), where necessary
Who can apply
Open to all nationalities.
How to apply
- Confirm you meet the eligibility above.
- Gather documents and apply via the official portal: https://www.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/self-employedkeyworkers.
- Typical processing: ~180 days.
Sources & verification
Every figure on this page is taken from an official government source and dated. Nothing is inferred.
Minimum annual salary
Minimum investment
“your intended occupation involves a sustained transfer of investment capital to Austria amounting to € 100.000 minimum”
Application fee
Open to all nationalities
Not sure if you qualify?
Get a free, source-backed verdict on every route you're eligible for — in 3 minutes.
Get Your Free Verdict →Other Austria routes
Citizenship for Victims of the National Socialist Regime and their Direct Descendants — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)Declaration pursuant to § 58c of the Austrian Citizenship Act — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)Citizenship — Holocaust Descendants (§ 58c StbG, BGBl. I 96/2019) — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)Niederlassungsbewilligung — Künstler (Artist) — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)residence permit volunteer (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Freiwilliger) — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)Social Service Employee — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)Volunteers — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)Residence permit social service workers — Austria: requirements, costs & how to apply (2026)Compare all Entrepreneur programs →
More about emigrating to Austria →
Informational only, not legal or immigration advice. Requirements change — always confirm on the official government source linked above before applying. Last verified 2026-06-09.