An Austrian residence permit allows you to travel to all Europe’s Schengen Area states without a visa. A residence permit is initially issued for one year and can then be renewed without problems or interruptions. After 10 years of legal residence, and in certain circumstances after six years, it is possible to apply for Austrian citizenship.

Benefits

• Opportunity to establish residence as a person of independent means
• Visa-free access to all Europe’s Schengen Area states
• Possibility for citizenship eligibility after 10 years of residence
• Attractive lifestyle and healthy environment
• Excellent transport and communications

Qualification Criteria and Requirements

Only a select number of applicants will be chosen, due to the strict annual quota of around 300 individuals in place. To acquire residence under the Austria Private Residence Program, applicants must fulfill all the following requirements. They must:

• Have a minimum of EUR 40,000 in liquid funds on a bank account, the amount of which will increase depending on the size of their family.
• Provide proof of permanent residential real estate (either purchased or leased), where they and their dependents will live.
• Have private healthcare insurance.
• Have documented German language skills (at A1 level).

Applicants are also required to:

• Personally submit the mandatory documentation to the Austrian consular or diplomatic representation in their current country of residence.
• Obtain a special visa at the Austrian embassy, once their residence application has been approved, which will enable them to travel to Austria to collect their residence permit from the relevant authority.

Procedures and Timeline

In the course of the application process, applicants must personally submit mandatory documentation to the Austrian consular or diplomatic representation in their current country of residence. Due to the strict quota constraints for some residence permits, timing of the submission of the application is of prime importance. Once the permit is granted, the applicant must pick up a special visa at the Austrian embassy, which allows the applicant to travel to Austria to collect the residence permit at the relevant authority.

There is a minimum processing period of one month, but applications usually take three months to be approved. Once the residence permit is issued, it must be collected in person from the issuing authority in Austria. In addition, all non-EU and non-EFTA citizens must sign an integration agreement if they will be residing in Austria for more than 24 months. The residence and settlement permits are issued in the form of a card and can be renewed each year.