Preparing the application for a Red-White-Red Card – Plus as a family member
Family members can either immigrate to Austria together with the skilled worker or come to Austria at a later date. The Austrian employer can not only submit the skilled worker's application for the Red-White-Red – Card or the EU Blue Card in Austria to the Immigration and Residence Authority but also the family members' Red-White-Red – Card Plus applications simultaneously.
Where does one apply for a Red-White-Red – Card Plus?
Depending on factors such as citizenship, current country of residence, residence and joint or separate family immigration, the application for the Red-White-Red – Card Plus must either be submitted to the Austrian Embassy/Consulate in the country of residence or can be submitted to the correct branch of the Austrian Immigration and Residence Authority in Austria, the location of which depends on the (future) Austrian place of residence.
Application form
This application form needs to be filled in and signed. Please choose the option "(2) Red-White-Red - Card plus".
Documents to be prepared
In order to obtain the residence permit, a variety of documents needs to be submitted.
- Passport, valid for a minimum of 1.5 years
The residence permit will otherwise only be valid until the expiry date of the passport. - One EU passport sized photo, not older than 6 months (with invoice)
- Application form
- Birth certificate, only for children
- Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
- Passport copy of the skilled worker in the family
- Police clearance certificate, not older than 3 months
- {translate.from} {contryOfResidenceName}
- {translate.from} {nationalityName}
- Proof of long-term accommodation in Austria
e.g, rental agreement or excerpt from land registry - Proof of health insurance coverage in Austria
In many cases, family members can be included with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse - ÖGK) via co-insurance. - Proof of German language skills at an A1 level for family members over the age of 14
OR suitable substitute, if available
- Please note that German certificates are usually only recognized when they are not older than one year and issued by ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, Telc GmbH, or Österreichischer Integrationsfonds.
- Family members who completed studies at a recognised university or can present proof of general university entrance qualification or completed a vocational secondary school do not need a German A1 certificate. Instead, relevant proof must be submitted to the immigration authority. Legalisation Legalisation ()may be necessary depending upon the country of issue. It is important that the educational institution from which the university diploma or general university entrance qualification or school leaving certificate from the vocational secondary school is recognized and that the relevant document was issued in German or English or underwent translation by a court-certified translator. This proof is valid both as a substitute for the German Certificate A1 upon initial immigration of family members as well as for the Integration Certificate A2 (Module 1 of the Integration Agreement).
- If the family member in Austria holds a Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers, Blue Card, Settlement Permit – Researcher, a Red-White-Red – Card Plus (if the family memer held a Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers, a Blue Card or a Settlement Permit – Researcher beforehand), or a Long-Term Resident EU permit (if the skilled worker held a Red-White-Red – Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers, an EU Blue Card or a Settlement Permit – Researcher in the past), one neither has to show a German certificate nor a substitute.
Please note that personal documents that are not in English or German need to be translated by a court-certified translator. Depending on the country the documents were issued in, they must also have verificationsverifications ().