Red-White-Red Card Shortage Occupations

The Red-White-Red Card for Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations is the strand of Austria's flagship skilled-migration scheme aimed specifically at occupations where Austria has a documented lack of qualified labour.

Like the Key Workers route, this category uses the Red-White-Red (RWR) Card points system - scoring qualifications, work experience, language skills, age and Austrian study. What sets it apart is the shortage list: each year Austria publishes a list of occupations in demand, both at federal level and, increasingly, at the level of individual provinces (Bundesländer), which can add regionally specific shortage roles. If your job appears on the relevant list, you apply through this route, which generally requires a lower points total than the Key Workers category because the labour-market need is already established.

In 2026 the shortage list spans technical trades, engineering, IT, healthcare and other in-demand fields, and the provincial lists have widened access in regions such as Styria, Upper Austria and Vienna. The route leads, like other RWR cards, to a Red-White-Red Card plus and eventual settlement.

To use the Shortage Occupations route your job offer must be for an occupation that appears on Austria's federal shortage list or the relevant provincial shortage list for the year and region in which you apply. Because the lists are reviewed annually, confirm the occupation is listed before applying.

You must also reach the minimum points score for the category - points are awarded for qualifications, work experience, German and English language ability and age - and the threshold for shortage occupations is generally lower than for Key Workers. You need a binding job offer from an Austrian employer with a gross salary meeting the prescribed minimum and consistent with Austrian standards. The Public Employment Service (AMS) verifies the criteria. Qualifications may require recognition, and regulated trades or professions need the appropriate Austrian authorisation.

Step one: check the current federal and provincial shortage-occupation lists and confirm your job title appears on the list relevant to where you will work.

Step two: secure a binding job offer with a qualifying salary, and confirm you meet the points threshold for the shortage category.

Step three: assemble documents - passport, qualification certificates with recognition where required, proof of work experience, language certificates and the signed employment offer.

Step four: lodge the Red-White-Red Card application at the Austrian embassy or consulate abroad, or have the employer initiate it with the regional immigration authority in Austria.

Step five: the authority consults the AMS, which verifies the points, salary and that the occupation is on the shortage list.

Step six: provide biometrics and pay the fees.

Step seven: once approved, the Red-White-Red Card is issued for 24 months, tied to the employer; travel to Austria, register your residence and collect the card. Family members may apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus.

The Austrian Red-White-Red Card application and card-issuance fees together total around EUR 160, with comparable fees for family members on the Red-White-Red Card plus. As with other RWR routes, the larger costs are preparatory: recognition of foreign qualifications, certified German translations, and language certificates used to score points. Budget also for biometric-appointment travel and private health insurance until statutory cover begins through your employer. After arrival, the principal practical costs are housing deposits and living expenses, which are more moderate in provincial cities than in central Vienna.

Red-White-Red Card applications under the Shortage Occupations route are generally decided within around eight weeks of a complete submission. Because the labour-market need is already established by the shortage list, the AMS assessment can be more straightforward than for Key Workers, but the timeline still depends on complete documentation and any pending qualification recognition. Applying when the relevant shortage list is freshly published avoids the risk of an occupation being removed mid-process. Family applications for the Red-White-Red Card plus filed alongside the main applicant are usually processed in parallel.

On arrival in Austria, register your residence (Meldezettel) with the local registration office within three days and collect your Red-White-Red Card. Your employer enrols you in the Austrian social-insurance system, which provides statutory health cover via an e-card.

Open an Austrian bank account, complete tax registration so payroll withholding is correct, and set up any digital identification needed for public services. Accompanying family members holding the Red-White-Red Card plus complete their own registration, and the plus card gives spouses free labour-market access; children should be enrolled in school. Investing early in German-language courses supports integration, daily life and the later steps toward a Red-White-Red Card plus and permanent settlement. Keep your residence and employment continuous and well documented for renewal.