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Austria · Working

Points, not luck.
And no nomad loophole.

Austria admits workers through a points system — the Red-White-Red Card — with published thresholds and no quota. What it doesn't allow: working remotely for your US or Canadian employer on the retiree permit. Here's the 2026 system.

Last verified: 8 July 2026
The key numbers · 2026
  • Red-White-Red Card: 55–70 points required, depending on category — valid 24 months, then RWR Card plus
  • Other Key Workers minimum gross salary: €3,465/month in 2026 (was €3,225 in 2025)
  • Very Highly Qualified: 70 of 100 points, with a 6-month job-seeker visa to find the offer
  • 2026 shortage occupation lists: 64 nationwide + 66 regional occupations
  • Remote work on the retiree permit: not allowed — the permit excludes all gainful employment
  • Social security: totalization agreements with the US (1991) and Canada (revised, 2023) prevent double contributions

First, the hard no

The retiree settlement permit excludes gainful employment — including remote work. Austrian authorities treat work performed from Austrian soil for a foreign employer as gainful employment in Austria. There is no digital-nomad visa. If you intend to keep working — even part-time, even remotely for a Toronto or Denver employer — you need a work-entitled permit, and the route is the Red-White-Red Card. Get individual legal advice before assuming any arrangement is fine.

The Red-White-Red Card, by category

CategoryPoints neededKey 2026 condition
Very Highly Qualified Workers70 / 100Can enter on a 6-month job-seeker visa without an offer; points for qualifications, experience, language, age
Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations55 / 90Occupation on the 2026 lists: 64 nationwide + 66 regional; job offer at collective-agreement pay
Other Key Workers55 / 90Gross salary at least €3,465/month (2026); labour-market test applies
EU Blue Cardno pointsUniversity degree (or equivalent experience) + salary above the key-worker level

The card ties you to one employer for 24 months; after that, the RWR Card plus gives free labour-market access. Spouses and children come via family reunification with A1 German before arrival, and the RWR-plus for family members includes work rights. Points are scored on the official calculator at migration.gv.at before you spend money on anything.

For most of our readers, this hub is context, not a plan. If you're 55–70 and moving on retirement income, the RWR Card matters mainly as the answer to "what if I want to consult a little?" — and the honest answer is that Austria makes that hard. Factor it into the decision.

Social security: the agreements that protect your record

In this section

Guides

Coming soon

The Red-White-Red Card points tables

Score yourself honestly: qualifications, experience, German, English, and age — with the 2026 values.

Coming soon

The 2026 shortage lists, decoded

All 64 nationwide + 66 regional occupations, and what "collective-agreement pay" means in practice.

Coming soon

Consulting from Austria: the legal reality

Board seats, occasional advisory work, and rental income — what counts as gainful employment.

Sources

  1. Red-White-Red Card system, categories, and points: migration.gv.at
  2. 2026 salary threshold for Other Key Workers (€3,465 gross/month) and shortage lists (64 + 66): migration.gv.at; workinaustria.com (ABA, state agency), checked July 2026
  3. Retiree permit excludes gainful employment: oesterreich.gv.at
  4. US–Austria totalization agreement (1991): SSA
  5. Canada–Austria social security agreement (in force July 1, 2023): canada.ca
This page is general information, not legal advice. Whether specific work counts as gainful employment is a legal question — get individual advice.
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RWR salary levels, shortage-list updates, and permit changes — tracked against the official sources, weekly.