Start-up Founder Card: €30,000, 50 Points, Business Plan

Last updated: October 2026 · Official sources linked

You have a new idea and want to put it into practice in Austria. For this, there is the Red-White-Red Card for Start-up Founders (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte für Start-up-Gründer). It requires less capital than the route for Self-employed Key Workers (selbständige Schlüsselkräfte). In return, your idea must be innovative. You also need points. Our founder came to Austria as a student in 2011. In 2017, he founded his own company in Vienna. We know this path first-hand.

Who is this route for?

This route is for founders from countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. It fits if you:

• are building a new company with an innovative product, process or technology,
• yourself have significant influence on the management and exercise it in person,
• can prove the necessary capital.

A conventional business without anything new usually does not qualify. One example is yet another shop or a restaurant. In that case, look at the Self-employed Key Worker route.

Requirements

1. An innovative venture. You found a new company. It develops innovative products, services, processes or technologies and brings them to market.

2. A coherent business plan. It must cover both the start-up phase and ongoing operations. The City of Vienna offers a template for this.

3. Capital. At least €30,000, at least half of it equity.

4. At least 50 points. The points are based on Annex D (Anlage D) to the AuslBG. The table according to migration.gv.at:

Criterion	Points
Qualification (max. 30)
Vocational training or special skills	20
Degree programme lasting at least three years	20
Degree or vocational training completed in Austria	30
Work experience (max. 10)
per half-year of relevant experience	1
Languages (max. 15)
German A2 / B1–B2 / C1–C2	5 / 10 / 15
English B2	10
French, Spanish or Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian B1	5 each
Bonus points (max. 30)
additional investment capital of at least €50,000	10
Admission to a start-up incubator (Gründerzentrum) or funding from an Austrian start-up funding agency	10
Age up to 35	10
Maximum total / minimum points	85 / 50

Worked examples

• Founder, aged 34, master’s degree from abroad: degree (20). Six years of experience (10). English B2 (10). Age up to 35 (10). Result: 50 points. Just enough.
• The same founder at 36: The 10 points for age are lost. Result: 40 points. German B1 (languages then max. 15) brings 5 more points. A start-up incubator brings 10 points. With both, the total is 55 points.
• Graduate of an Austrian university, aged 28: degree in Austria (30). Two years of experience (4). German B1 (10). Age up to 35 (10). Result: 54 points.
• Capital: €30,000 in capital, of which €15,000 is your own money. €15,000 can come from investors, for example.

Test your points with the official points calculator for start-up founders.

Checklist: what to prepare before you apply

• Calculate your points honestly, with some margin
• Make €30,000 available and document the equity share
• Write a business plan: what is new? Who pays? When will there be revenue?
• Collect evidence of innovation, for example patents or market analyses
• With several founders: articles of association (Gesellschaftsvertrag) showing your management role
• If a trade licence is needed: apply for the certificate from the trade authority
• Language certificate, no older than five years
• Criminal record certificate, no more than three months old

Documents

According to oesterreich.gv.at and wien.gv.at:

• completed application form, in German or English
• valid travel document and a copy of the entire passport
• passport photo 45 x 35 mm, no older than six months
• health insurance covering all risks, for example SVS or a private insurer
• proof of education, work experience and language skills
• proof of capital including equity
• if available: contract with a start-up incubator or funding commitment
• business plan and evidence of innovation
• trade-law authorisation, if required
• articles of association (not required for a one-person company)
• criminal record certificate from your country of origin

Documents in English usually do not need a translation. Other languages usually require a certified translation. An apostille is often required.

Process and timeline, step by step

1. Preparation (several weeks): points, capital, business plan and evidence of innovation.
2. Submit the application: at least eight weeks before you start. From abroad, at the embassy. After lawful entry, also in Austria.
3. AMS expert opinion: The authority forwards the application to the AMS. The AMS reviews it within three weeks.
4. Decision: If the expert opinion is positive, the authority checks the remaining requirements. It decides within eight weeks.
5. Visa D: If needed, apply for it within three months of the notification.
6. Collection: within a further three months, in person, by appointment. Only then may you start your activity.

Costs and duration

• Application fee: €218 (as of 2026). In Vienna, you pay when you apply.
• AMS expert opinion: within three weeks
• Decision: within eight weeks
• Validity: usually up to two years. If your passport expires sooner, the card is valid only as long as the passport.
• Capital: The €30,000 is not a fee. But it must be available to your company.
• Extra costs: company formation, translations, possibly Visa D

Competent authority

You submit the application in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate. After lawful entry, you can also do so at the authority in Austria (oesterreich.gv.at).

In Vienna, the MA 35 – Business Immigration Office is responsible. You need an appointment. According to the City of Vienna, if you apply in Vienna, you may stay until the decision is made. This applies if your visa-free period ends before then.

After approval: the next steps

1. Register your residence (Wohnsitzanmeldung): within three days of moving in.
2. Found your company: You can set up a single-member GmbH via eGründung. You then do not need a notarial deed (Notariatsakt).
3. Self-employed work only: The card permits self-employed activity only. Report any employment as soon as possible. Otherwise, you risk a fine.
4. Document your progress: Collect evidence of revenue, customers and employees. Later, the AMS issues a notification for the next card.
5. Renewal: at the earliest three months before expiry. Otherwise, the application counts as a first application.
6. After two years: Red-White-Red Card plus (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte plus) with a written notification from the AMS. It is valid for a maximum of three years. After five years, Long-term Resident – EU (Daueraufenthalt EU) status is possible.

Forms and online services

• BMI application forms (Form B and the “Red-White-Red Card” declaration)
• Points calculator for start-up founders
• Business plan template and information from the City of Vienna
• Appointment booking MA 35, Business Immigration Office
• WKO Founder Service: business plan

Common pitfalls

• Innovation not documented. A good idea is not enough. The authority needs evidence.
• Too little equity. At least half of the €30,000 must be your own money.
• No significant influence. Without a management role, you usually do not meet the requirement.
• Points calculated too tightly. A birthday can cost you 10 points. Build in a margin.
• Renewing too late. After expiry, you lose your continuous right of residence.

Related routes

• Self-employed Key Worker
• Staying after your studies
• Red-White-Red Card 2026

FAQ

How much money do I need for the Start-up Card? At least €30,000, at least half of it equity. A further €50,000 of investment capital brings 10 bonus points.

What counts as innovative? The official websites do not give a fixed definition. It refers to new products, services, processes or technologies. The AMS assesses this in its expert opinion. Possible evidence includes patents or market analyses.

Do I get points for studying in Austria? Yes. A degree or vocational training in Austria brings 30 points. That is the maximum in this category.

Can I work as an employee later? Yes, with an application for a change of purpose (Zweckänderungsantrag). You then need to meet the requirements of another card and have a job offer.

Can I found a company together with partners? Yes. You then need articles of association. They must show that you have significant influence on the management.

Sources and legal basis

• oesterreich.gv.at – Red-White-Red Card for Start-up Founders
• oesterreich.gv.at – Red-White-Red Card plus
• migration.gv.at – Start-up Founders, points table (English)
• migration.gv.at – Points calculator for start-up founders
• wien.gv.at – Red-White-Red Card for Start-up Founders
• wien.gv.at – MA 35 Business Immigration Office
• usp.gv.at – eGründung
• WKO – Trade activities by third-country nationals
• Legal basis according to oesterreich.gv.at: § 41 NAG (Red-White-Red Card), § 41a NAG (Red-White-Red Card plus), § 24 AuslBG with Annex D (start-up founders), § 24 para. 4 AuslBG (AMS notification)
• Settlement and Residence Act (Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz, NAG) in the RIS
• Foreign Nationals Employment Act (Ausländerbeschäftigungsgesetz, AuslBG) in the RIS

General information based on official sources. Leading Viennese law and tax firms review your individual case, and we guide you personally all the way to your goal.