Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine

Information in other languages: German • Ukrainian • Russian (190 KB PDF)

You are a displaced person from Ukraine and have an ID card for displaced persons (Ausweis für Vertriebene), the so-called "blue card". Since 1 October 2024 you can apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine. Answer the following questions to find out if you are eligible for a Red-White-Red Card plus.

General information

You are a displaced person from Ukraine and have an ID card for displaced persons (Ausweis für Vertriebene), the so-called "blue card". For more information on the ID card for displaced persons, please see the following pages:

Since 1 October 2024 you can apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine.

You can only apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons if you meet the following requirements:

  • You were employed in Austria with full insurance for at least twelve months during the 24 months preceding the application. This means that you were employed in more than minimal employment and each month earned more than the income threshold for compulsory social insurance.
    or
  • You were insured as a self-employed person. That means you were self-employed, earned more than the insurance threshold and were insured with the SVS Public Health Insurance for Self-Employed Individuals (German).

and

and

  • You have to show how you can cover your living costs and those of your family members in Austria and that you have a certain income.

You can expect the following fees for the Red-White-Red Card plus:

  • EUR 160 for each Red-White-Red Card plus
  • An additional fee of EUR 14.30 or EUR 7.20 may apply to travel documents or civil status documents, depending on the type of document.

The Red-White-Red Card plus permits you to live in Austria and work as a self-employed person or be employed by a company or organisation.

The Red-White-Red Card plus is valid for a maximum of twelve months if your passport is valid for at least that long. Your Red-White-Red Card plus can be extended as long as you meet the requirements.

If you meet the following requirements, you can immediately get a Red-White-Red Card plus that is valid for three years:

  • You meet all other requirements.
  • You have lived in Austria legally and continuously for at least two years. This means, you have continuously lived in Austria for the last two years with an ID card for displaced persons (Ausweis für Vertriebene) or a different residence permit, like a Red-White-Red Card plus.
  • You have completed Module 1 of the Integration Agreement.
  • Your passport is valid for at least three more years.

If you are granted the Red-White-Red Card plus for Displaced Persons and you have not yet completed Module 1 of the Integration Agreement, you commit to completing Module 1 of the Integration Agreement within two years.

Your Red-White-Red Card plus also allows the following persons to derive a right of residence in Austria from you:

  • Your spouse or registered partner, if you both are over 21 years of age.
  • Your children, including adopted or stepchildren, if they are under 18 years of age and unmarried.

If you and your family members meet the requirements, your family members will also receive the Red-White-Red Card plus. The requirements include showing how you will cover your living costs in Austria. You must have a certain income and you must pay the fees for the residence permits.

First-time application

You file a first-time application if you do not yet have a residence title under the Residence and Settlement Act (NAG) and this is your first time applying for a Red-White-Red Card plus. If you had a residence permit for Austria previously but it has expired, it also counts as a first-time application.

Application for extension

You have to apply for extension of the Red-White-Red Card plus before its validity ends. The validity of your Red-White-Red Card plus depends on the validity of your passport.

If you have been living in Austria with a Red-White-Red Card plus for at least two years, have completed Module 1 of the Integration Agreement and have a passport that is valid for at least three more years, you will receive a Red-White-Red Card plus that is valid for three years.

If you have completed Module 2 of the Integration Agreement and meet the requirements for Permanent Residence-EU (German) you can apply for it after five years. These five years include the time you lived in Austria with an ID card for displaced persons. More information is available at Permanent Residence-EU (German) .

Data protection

For information on data protection and your data protection rights as an individual please visit: Data Protection Notice (German)

Requirements

You must meet all of the following requirements:

ID card for displaced persons

  • You are a displaced person from Ukraine and have an Austrian ID card for displaced persons.

Fully insured gainful employment

  • You were employed in Austria with full insurance for at least twelve months during the 24 months preceding the application. Fully insured means that you have health, accident and pension insurance coverage in the Austrian social security system.

    This means that you were employed in more than minimal employment and earned more than the income threshold for compulsory social insurance each month.
    • Income threshold 2022: EUR 485.85 per month
    • Income threshold 2023: EUR 500.91 per month
    • Income threshold 2024: EUR 518.44 per month

or

  • You were insured as a self-employed person. This means you were self-employed, earned more than the insurance threshold and were insured with the SVS Public Health Insurance for Self-Employed Individuals (German).
    • Insurance threshold 2022: EUR 5,830.20 per year
    • Insurance threshold 2023: EUR 6,010.92 per year
    • Insurance threshold 2024: EUR 6,221.28 per year

The Public Employment Service AMS will determine whether you meet this requirement. Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) will contact the AMS directly to verify this.

German language skills at A1 level

  • You have to provide proof that you have German language skills at A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) before you apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus.
  • Only language diplomas from the following organisations are considered proof of language skills of at least A1 level: Österreichischer Integrationsfonds (ÖIF), Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch (ÖSD), Goethe Institut, Telc GmbH.

The language diploma may be no older than one year and can have been issued in Austria or abroad.

You are automatically considered to have German skills at A1 level if you meet the following requirements:

  • You have a language diploma for a higher level. The language diploma may be no older than one year.
  • You have completed Module 1 or Module 2 of the Integration Agreement. Module 1 of the Integration Agreement is also deemed completed if you have an Austrian school-leaving certificate with general eligibility for admission to university or corresponding to a school-leaving certificate of an intermediate secondary technical or vocational school. The integration exam certificate may be no older than two years.

In the following cases, you are exempt from proof of German skills:

  • You declare in writing that you will not stay in Austria for more than 24 months within a three-year period. In that case your Red-White-Red Card plus cannot be extended.

Adequate means of subsistence

  • You have to show how you will cover your living costs and those of your family members in Austria and that you have a certain income.

You can calculate whether you have adequate means of subsistence in Austria using the following method:

Step 1

Start with your monthly net income. Your net income is the income you are left with once social insurance contributions and taxes have been deducted.

Multiply your net income by 14 and divide it by 12. This is your average net income.

Example:
You make a net amount EUR 1,500 a month.
Your monthly net income EUR 1,500 multiplied by 14 = EUR 21,000
EUR 21,000 divided by 12 = EUR 1,750

Your average net income is EUR 1,750.

Step 2

For spouses or registered partners, the other person's income counts as well. This also includes, for example, documented money transfers to you from the person you are married to or in a registered partnership with. For children, the income of the parents is used. Money transfers from third persons, for example grandparents or other relatives, are not considered part of your income.

Add to this any other regular income that you get every month. Money on savings or checking accounts, mortgage saving plans (Bausparvertrag) or life insurances are also considered part of your income. The money can also be on an account abroad. In that case you have to provide evidence that you are able to access it from Austria at any time.

Divide the total balance of these by 12 and add the result to your average monthly net income.

Example:
You have a savings account balance of EUR 1,200.
Divide your savings by 12: EUR 1,200 divided by 12 = EUR 100
Add EUR 100 to your average monthly net income:
EUR 100 and EUR 1,750 = EUR 1,850

Your average monthly income is EUR 1,850.

Step 3

Now add all your regular monthly expenses for rent, wage garnishments, loan payments and alimony together. Alimony is maintenance payment for persons who do not live in your household.

If the total of all these expenses is more than EUR 359.72, deduct EUR 359.72 from these expenses. Then deduct the remaining amount from your monthly income.

Example:
Monthly rent EUR 500 plus monthly loan payment EUR 200 = Expenses: EUR 700
EUR 700 minus EUR 359.72 = EUR 340.28

Deduct these EUR 340.28 from your monthly income:
EUR 1,850 minus EUR 340.28 = EUR 1,509.72

EUR 1,509.72 is the amount that you have left over each month.

If the total of these expenses is less than EUR 359.72, you do not deduct expenses from your monthly income. In this case your entire monthly income is considered.

Example:
Monthly rent EUR 250 plus monthly loan payment EUR 50 = EUR 300 expenses
Do not deduct anything from your monthly income. Your entire monthly income is considered.

EUR 1,850 is the amount that you have left over each month.

Step 4

You are considered to have adequate means of subsistence if you have the following amount left over each month (values for 2024):

  • For singles: at least EUR 1,217.96 per month
  • For married couples or registered partners who live together in the same household: at least EUR 1,921.46 per month
  • For each child in the family additionally: EUR 187.93 per month

Example:
You are a single adult with one child: EUR 1,217.96 plus EUR 187.93 = you must have EUR 1,405.89 left over each month.

Example:
You live in a shared household with your spouse or registered partner. You have two children: EUR 1,921.46 plus EUR 187.93 plus EUR 187.93 = your household, i.e. you and your partner or spouse together, must have EUR 2,297.32 left over each month.

If you and your spouse or registered partner or your children are not living together in Austria, you only need to provide evidence of means of subsistence for a single person. If your spouse or registered partner or your children want to move to Austria later, you will have to show that you have adequate means of subsistence for a couple and your children.

Required documents

You have to provide the required documents

Deadlines

You can only apply for the Red-White-Red Card plus if you are a displaced person with an ID card for displaced persons and were employed with full insurance or insured as a self-employed person for at least twelve months within the last 24 months.

The Red-White-Red Card plus is valid for a maximum of twelve months. If your passport is not valid for twelve months, your Red-White-Red Card plus is issued only until the end of the validity of your passport.

You have to extend your Red-White-Red Card plus before the end of its validity period.

  • If you have been living in Austria with a Red-White-Red Card plus for at least two years, have completed Module 1 of the Integration Agreement and have a passport that is valid for at least three more years, you will receive a Red-White-Red Card plus that is valid for three years.
  • If you do not meet these requirements, you will receive a Red-White-Red Card plus that is valid for one year.
  • If your passport is not valid for that long, your Red-White-Red Card is issued only until the end of the validity of your passport.

If you have a Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine and have been living in Austria for at least five years, you can apply for Permanent Residence-EU (German). These five years include the time you lived in Austria with an ID card for displaced persons.

Contact

First-time application

You can apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus while lawfully residing in Austria with an ID card for displaced persons.

If you live in Vienna, the relevant office is Support Referate Einwanderung (German) of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35).

Find information on how to book an appointment under: Procedure.

If you will be living in another federal province in Austria, please contact the relevant department in that province.

Application for extension

If you live in Vienna:

Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) has several branch offices.

  • If you live in Vienna in districts 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, the relevant office is Referat 4.1 (German).
  • If you live in Vienna in districts 2, 21 or 22, the relevant office is Referat 4.2 (German).
  • If you live in Vienna in districts 3, 11 or 20, the relevant office is Referat 4.3 (German).
  • If you live in Vienna in districts 12, 13, 15 or 23, the relevant office is Referat 4.4 (German).
  • If you live in Vienna in districts 10 or 14, the relevant office is Referat 4.5 (German).
  • If you live in Vienna in districts 16, 17, 18 or 19, the relevant office is Referat 4.6 (German).

Find information on how to book an appointment under: Procedure

If you live in another federal province in Austria, please contact the relevant department in that province.

Procedure

First-time application

You must submit the application in person. Applications for persons younger than 18 years of age must be submitted by a legal guardian.

You must book an appointment at Support Referate Einwanderung of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35).

To book an appointment, click the link below. There you first have to select from which date onwards you would like to book your appointment and how many applications you want to submit.

Then choose the date and time of your appointment. Next, enter your name, date of birth, address, e-mail address and phone number.

At the end, you can review all the information and book the appointment.

You will get an e-mail that confirms that you booked the appointment. If you booked the wrong appointment, you can cancel it.

Make sure to check for available appointments in time.

Online appointment booking at Support Referate Einwanderung (German)

If you have no internet access, you can also book an appointment by phone at +43 1 4000-3535.

If you cannot make it to your appointment, please cancel it on time.

When you apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus, your fingerprints will be scanned.

You will receive the physical Red-White-Red Card plus in person. You keep your ID card for displaced persons.

If you do not meet the requirements, you will receive a negative decision. But you will still have the right of residence for displaced persons and can live and work in Austria.

Application for extension

You have to apply in person before your Red-White-Red Card plus expires.

If you live in Vienna, you have to make an appointment at the Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) branch office for the district you live in.

Make sure to check for available appointments in time.

If you have no internet access, you can also book an appointment by phone at +43 1 4000- 3535.

If you cannot make it to your appointment, please cancel it on time.

When you apply for extension of your Red-White-Red Card plus, your fingerprints will be scanned.

If you submitted your application for extension in time, you can continue to live and work in Austria even if your Red-White-Red Card plus has expired. You will get a confirmation that you have submitted the application, which you can use to prove that you are allowed to live in Austria if your papers are checked. If you have to travel abroad during this time, you must apply for an emergency vignette (German).

If you meet the requirements for extension of the Red-White-Red Card plus, you will be given an appointment for collecting your Red-White-Red Card plus. You will receive the physical card in person.

For information on your case please contact the service centre of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) by phone +43 1 4000-3535 or e-mail: servicecenter@ma35.wien.gv.at.

Documents required

  • Completed and signed application in German or English
  • ID card for displaced persons
  • Valid travel document, e.g. passport
  • Current biometric passport photo (German), no older than six months
  • Proof of health insurance coverage that provides benefits in Austria and covers all risks
  • Proof of adequate accommodation. For example a tenancy agreement, a deed of sale or an accommodation agreement.
  • Proof of adequate means of subsistence in Austria
    For example payslips, confirmation of remuneration, employment contract or confirmation of pension payments. In the case of savings: declaration stating where the money comes from.
    and
    Proof of regular expenses such as rent, utilities, loan payments or alimony, i.e. maintenance payments.
  • If you are self-employed, additionally:
    • Business licence
    • Salary for managing director, withdrawals from company accounts, profit and loss accounting statement or cash-basis accounting.
      This requires a confirmation from your chartered accountant.
    • If available: Income tax statement
  • Proof of A1 level German skills or of completing the Integration Agreement
  • For persons 18 or over: Current records statement from a creditor association
    Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) accepts, for example, the free records statement of Kreditschutzverband - KSV 1870 Information GmbH
  • For persons age 14 or over: Police clearance certificate from their country of origin, no older than three months
    A police clearance certificate, or criminal record certificate, is an official extract from the register of convictions that shows any criminal record and previous convictions. The country of origin is the country whose citizenship you have. If, before coming to Austria, you lived in another country for more than six months, you will need a police clearance certificate from that country.

Please bring both the originals and copies of all documents to your appointment.

If your documents are in another language than German or English, you will also need a German translation. This translation must be certified by a court-certified translator or interpreter.

International multilingual documents do not need to be translated.

Many foreign original documents need a diplomatic certification or apostille. They confirm that your documents are real.

List of countries for apostilles and diplomatic certifications (German)

You may need to provide additional documents.

If you have to provide additional documents, please send them exclusively by post or e-mail to the relevant office. E-mails that are sent to the personal e-mail address of employees are not considered to have been submitted officially.

And you have to use the document formats supported by the City of Vienna (German) for your e-mails and attachments. Documents that are sent as download links cannot be opened. If you send your attachments in a format that is not supported for security reasons, you will receive an e-mail alerting you to the problem.

Information on how to properly send communication and documents can be found at: "Electronic communication with the City of Vienna" (German).

Fees

  • EUR 160 for each Red-White-Red Card plus
  • An additional fee of EUR 14.30 or EUR 7.20 may apply to travel documents or civil status documents, depending on the type of document.

You will only receive your Red-White-Red Card plus after you have paid the fees.

Please use the payment form you receive from Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) or pay at one of the city's cashier's offices (German).

Billing is done by the accounting department Buchhaltungsabteilung 40 (German) Municipal Department 6 - Accounting Services, Duties and Charges (MA 6).

Form

Further information

Contact for this page:
City of Vienna | Immigration and Citizenship
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