EU Blue Card in Austria: Requirements and Salary 2026

Last updated: October 2026 · Official sources linked

The EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU) is a residence permit for highly qualified professionals. It is based on an EU directive. For many graduates with a good salary, it is the most direct route. There is no points system. In return, the salary threshold is high. Our founders came to Austria themselves, one as a student and one as a refugee. We know the official procedures. Here we explain what matters in 2026.

Who is this route for?

The EU Blue Card is right for you if you:

• come from a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland,
• hold a university degree or, as an IT professional, bring relevant work experience,
• have a concrete job offer in Austria,
• receive an annual salary at the level of the Austrian average.

Typical candidates are software developers, engineers, doctors or finance professionals. If your salary is lower, the Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte) is often the better choice. Persons granted asylum (Asylberechtigte) and persons with subsidiary protection (subsidiär Schutzberechtigte) in Austria can also obtain the Blue Card.

Requirements

1. Degree or IT experience. You need a degree from a higher education institution lasting at least three years. There is an exception for IT professionals. For them, three years of relevant work experience are sufficient. The experience must be comparable to a degree. It must have been gained within the last seven years before the application.

2. Binding job offer. The offer must be for at least six months. The position must match your education.

3. Minimum salary. Your gross annual salary must correspond to the average gross annual salary of full-time employees. The basis is the most recently published figure from Statistics Austria (Statistik Austria). In 2026, that is €55,678 including special payments.

4. Labour market test. The AMS checks whether there is an equally qualified person registered as a job seeker.

5. General requirements. You need a valid passport. You must not pose a threat to public order. You do not have to prove accommodation or means of subsistence.

Regulated professions: Some professions require formal recognition. Examples are health professions and teachers at public schools (migration.gv.at). For most professions, no recognition is needed.

Worked example: is my salary enough?

Salary under the contract	Annual salary	Enough for 2026?
€3,977 gross x 14 salary payments	55.678 €	yes, exactly the threshold
€4,640 gross x 12 salary payments	55.680 €	yes
€3,700 gross x 14 salary payments	51.800 €	no

In the third case, look at the Red-White-Red Card. In 2026, Other Key Workers (Sonstige Schlüsselkräfte) need €3,465 per month plus special payments and 55 points.

Checklist: what to prepare before you apply

• Calculate your annual salary including all special payments
• Check the length of your studies: at least three years?
• Prove the status of your university, for example via the anabin database
• For IT without a degree: employment references showing tasks, duration and level
• Check whether your profession is regulated
• Check your passport: is it valid for at least two more years?
• Criminal record certificate, no more than three months old
• Have your employer fill in the employer’s declaration (Arbeitgebererklärung)

Documents

Typical documents are (oesterreich.gv.at, wien.gv.at):

• completed application form, in German or English
• valid travel document; for a first application, also a copy of the entire passport
• passport photo 45 x 35 mm, no older than six months
• university degree and proof of the university’s status
• for IT without a degree: employment reference and confirmation of employment
• employer’s declaration under the Foreign Nationals Employment Act (Ausländerbeschäftigungsgesetz)
• proof of health insurance
• for regulated professions: proof of authorisation to practise
• in individual cases: criminal record certificate, marriage certificate

Documents in foreign languages usually need a certified translation. Documents in English usually do not need a translation. An apostille may be required.

Process and timeline, step by step

1. Job offer and employer’s declaration: Your employer fills in the declaration. Check the annual salary together.
2. Submit the application: at least eight weeks before you start work. From abroad, at the embassy. In Austria, at the authority where you live. Your employer can also submit the application.
3. Review by the AMS: The AMS checks your degree, salary and the labour market.
4. Decision: within eight weeks. If you come with a Blue Card from another EU country, it is 30 days.
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. Your fingerprints are taken when you apply. You may only work once you have the card.

Costs and duration

• Application fee: €218. In Vienna, you pay when you apply.
• Decision: eight weeks; 30 days when moving from another EU country
• Validity: up to two years. If the contract is shorter, the card is valid for the term of the contract plus three months.
• Passport: If your passport expires sooner, the card is valid only as long as the passport.
• Extra costs: translations, certifications, possibly Visa D

Competent authority

From abroad, the Austrian embassy or consulate is responsible. In Austria, it is the authority at your planned place of residence (oesterreich.gv.at).

In Vienna, the MA 35 – Business Immigration Office is responsible. This also applies to your family. You need an appointment.

After approval: the next steps

1. Register your residence (Wohnsitzanmeldung): within three days of moving in.
2. Social insurance: Your employer registers you before you start work.
3. Change of job: Report it as soon as possible. In the first twelve months, a waiting period of 30 days applies. After twelve months, there is no waiting period and no labour market test.
4. Job loss: Report it to the AMS immediately. As a rule, you have six months to look for a new job.
5. Renewal: at the earliest three months before expiry. If you apply in time, you may continue working. To travel, you then need an emergency visa sticker (Notvignette).
6. After two years: Red-White-Red Card plus (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte plus) with 21 months of employment within the last 24 months.

Forms and online services

• BMI application forms and employer’s declaration (Form B and the “EU Blue Card” declaration)
• Appointment booking MA 35, Business Immigration Office
• Austrian embassies and consulates

Common pitfalls

• Annual salary miscalculated. The threshold includes special payments. Check that everything is stated in the contract.
• Degree too short. Less than three years is not enough. That leaves the IT exception or another card.
• IT experience poorly documented. Employment references should clearly show tasks, duration and level.
• Contract under six months. That is not enough.
• Change of job not reported. Then you risk a fine.

Related routes

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

FAQ

What is the minimum salary for the EU Blue Card in 2026? In 2026, it is €55,678 gross per year, including special payments. As of 26 October 2026, a figure for 2027 had not yet been published.

Which is better: the EU Blue Card or the Red-White-Red Card? That depends on your salary and qualification. The Blue Card requires no points, but a high salary. One advantage is changing jobs without a waiting period after twelve months. According to the WKO, your family also needs no German skills when applying.

Can I move with a Blue Card from another EU country? Yes, after at least 12 months with the card in the other country. If you previously held the card of yet another EU country, six months are sufficient.

Can my family come with me? Yes. Family members can receive a Red-White-Red Card plus. Your employer can also submit these applications.

When is permanent residence possible? In principle, after five years of settlement. Periods with a Blue Card in other EU countries count if you have spent two years in Austria. The fee is €275.

Sources and legal basis

• migration.gv.at – EU Blue Card
• migration.gv.at – Other Key Workers
• oesterreich.gv.at – EU Blue Card
• oesterreich.gv.at – Red-White-Red Card plus
• oesterreich.gv.at – Long-term Resident – EU (Daueraufenthalt EU)
• oesterreich.gv.at – Registering your residence
• wien.gv.at – EU Blue Card
• usp.gv.at – Registering employees
• WKO – Residence permits and German skills
• Legal basis according to oesterreich.gv.at: § 42 NAG (EU Blue Card), § 50a para. 1 NAG, § 12c para. 2 AuslBG (IT work experience), § 41a NAG (Red-White-Red Card plus), § 45 NAG (Long-term Resident – EU)
• 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.