What you need to prepare for your application
Red-White-Red – Card for Self-Employed Key Workers or Red-White-Red – Card for Start-Up Founders
Red-White-Red – Card for Self-Employed Key Workers or Red-White-Red – Card for Start-Up Founders
Documents you need to prepare
In order to obtain your residence permit, you need to submit a variety of documents. Some of them are related to your personal status, others to your qualifications.
- Application form check "(1) Red-White-Red – Card for Self-employed Key Workers" or "(1) Red-White-Red – Card for Start-up Founders"
Application Form - Passport, valid for a minimum of 2.5 years
Your residence permit will only be valid until the expiry date of your passport. - One EU passport sized photo, not older than 6 months (with invoice)
- Police clearance certificate (“Strafregisterbescheinigung”), not older than 3 months
- Proof of health insurance covering all risks
- compulsory health insurance in Austria or a private insurance policy
- Proof of a secure livelihood or sufficient means of subsistence this can be salary slips, wage statements, confirmation of insurance benefits, proof of pension payments, retirement and other benefits, investment capital or a sufficient amount of own assets.
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 verifications. Find out more about that!
Special documents to prepare for each permit
Documents to prepare for the Red-White-Red – Card for Self-Employed Key Workers
- Documents on implementing a market, competitor and location analysis: description and objectives of the intended corporate activities ("business plan")
- Proof of the transfer of investment capital or the intend creation and safeguarding of jobs
- Proof of qualifications required to work on a self-employed basis
- Articles of association or shareholder agreement, if necessary
- (Already existing) licenses to pursue a specified trade, if necessary
Documents to prepare for the Red-White-Red - Card for Start-Up Founders:
- Proof of qualifications or education (university diploma, etc.), including those qualifications which are specifically relevant to your work as a self-employed person
- Proof of professional experience (references or testimonials, etc.)
- Language certificates
- A business plan and other documents highlighting the innovations with respect to products, services, processes or technologies
- Proof of investment capital including the available equity capital
- If applicable, a contract with the founder’s centre or proof of funding by a start-up funding agency in Austria
- Articles of association or shareholder agreement of the planned company to prove that you exercise a significant influence on the by-laws (exception: one-person company)
- Required licenses to pursue a specified trade
You apply for the Red-White-Red – Card for Self-Employed Key Workers or the Red-White-Red - Card for Start Up Founders as follows:
- If you are not allowed to enter the country without a visa, you apply to the Austrian representative authority (embassy or consulate) in your country of residence.
- If you are allowed to enter the country without a visa, you may apply personally to the Immigration and Residence Authority (“Aufenthaltsbehörde”) in Austria
Do you have questions that have not been covered?
Our experts offer support before, during and after immigration and permit extension processes. We are happy to answer all your questions and to support you, your family and your future Austrian employer every step of the way. As ABA Work in Austria has an official mandate by the Austrian Government, all our services are free of charge.
