Red-White-Red Card plus

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

General information

You can get the Red-White-Red Card plus for family members if you are a third-country national. Third countries are all countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) (German) and Switzerland. And you want to live in Austria for more than six months and are married to or in a registered partnership with a so-called sponsor. Or if you are an unmarried child, including adopted or stepchild, of the sponsor and you are younger than 18.

And the sponsor is a third-country national and has a certain type of residence permit. Third countries are all countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) (German) and Switzerland.

You must also fulfil all requirements.

If the sponsor has a Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine and you are already in Austria, you will also need an ID card for displaced persons. More information on the ID card for displaced persons is available at Residence regulations for displaced persons from Ukraine in Vienna (German) - StartWien

If the sponsor has a residence permit "Article 50 EUV" (Brexit) (German), you may also be eligible for an Article 50 EUV residence permit.

The validity of the Red-White-Red Card plus depends on the residence permit that the sponsor has currently or had in the past. Your Red-White-Red Card plus can be extended as long as you meet the requirements.

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.

If you are granted the Red-White-Red Card plus, you commit to completing Module 1 of the Integration Agreement within two years.

In some cases, the Red-White-Red Card plus is subject to the general immigration quota, i.e. the federal government decides every year how many Red-White-Red Card plus each federal province may issue for such cases.

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. Or if you are staying in Austria with an ID card for displaced persons from Ukraine. If you had a residence permit for Austria previously but it has expired, it also counts as a first-time application.

Application for extension

If you want to stay in Austria for longer, you must apply for extension of the Red-White-Red Card plus before it expires. The validity of the Red-White-Red Card plus depends on the residence permit that the sponsor has currently or had in the past and for how long your passport is valid.

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 meet all requirements, 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.

You can apply for extension no earlier than three months before the expiry of your current Red-White-Red Card plus.

Changing the purpose of stay

If your life circumstances change during your stay, your purpose of stay changes.

You must inform Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) of this as soon as possible and apply for a change of your purpose of stay. If you do not do this, the municipal district office will decide on a fine. The fine can be between EUR 50 and EUR 250.

You can file an application for a change of your purpose of stay to Permanent Residence-EU (German), if you have had legal residency in Austria continuously for at least five years, e.g. if you have been living in Austria for five years with a Red-White-Red Card plus, and want to stay in Austria for longer. The residence permit Permanent Residence-EU allows you to live and work in Austria for an unlimited period.

You have to submit the application before your Red-White-Red Card plus expires, i.e. no later than the last date of validity of your current Red-White-Red Card plus.

Data protection

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

Requirements

and

  • You are married to or in a registered partnership with a person who is a third-country national and has one of the following residence permits:
    • Red-White-Red Card
    • Red-White-Red Card plus
    • Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine
    • Settlement permit and the sponsor used to have a Red-White-Red Card for Self-Employed Key Workers
    • Settlement permit for special cases of employment – only for scientific staff and executives with special status
    • Settlement Permit Researcher
    • Blue Card EU
    • Permanent Residence-EU
    • Residence card or permanent residence card
    • Residence permit Article 50 EUV (Brexit) and you and the sponsor married or registered your partnership only after 31 December 2020.
    • The sponsor is eligible for asylum.

and

  • You are both 21 years or older.
    or
  • You are the child, including adopted or stepchild, of such a person and you are unmarried and under 18 years old.

and

  • You speak German at A1 level (German) before you apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus and come to Austria

You also have to present the required documents.

Only when applying for an extension:

Deadlines

There are no dates or deadlines for the Red-White-Red Card plus. That means you can always apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus if you meet the requirements.

The validity of the Red-White-Red Card plus depends on the residence permit that the sponsor has currently or had in the past. You will only get a Red-White-Red Card plus for the time that your passport is valid. You can only receive a Red-White-Red Card plus for the maximum possible duration if you renew your passport before your case has been decided.

If you want to apply for extension or change of purpose of stay to Permanent Residence-EU, you have to submit the application before the Red-White-Red Card plus expires, so no later than the last date of validity of your current Red-White-Red Card plus. You can apply for extension no earlier than three months before the expiry of your current Red-White-Red Card plus.

Contact

First-time application

If you want to stay in Austria for less than six months, you need a visa. Please contact the Austrian embassy or the Austrian consulate general in your country of residence.

If you want to stay in Austria for more than six months, apply from abroad. Please contact the Austrian embassy or the Austrian consulate general in your country of residence.

Only if you are allowed to enter Austria without a visa can you file your application in Austria during your admissible visa-free stay. You may enter Austria without a visa if your country is not a country for which a visa is required (German), or if you have a residence permit of another EU member state.

If the sponsor has a Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine and you are already in Austria and have an ID card for displaced persons, you can file your application in Austria. More information on the ID card for displaced persons is available at Residence regulations for displaced persons from Ukraine in Vienna (German) - StartWien.

If the sponsor has a Blue Card EU or a Settlement Permit Researcher or applies for one, you can also file your application if you entered the country legally and are currently legally staying in Austria. This is the case if you are from a country for which a visa is required (German) and have a valid visa.

If the sponsor applies for a Blue Card EU and you file your application at the same time, the company or organisation that the sponsor will be working for can file the application for you in Austria.

If you will be living in Vienna and the sponsor has one of the following residence permits, the relevant office is the Business Immigration Office of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35):

  • Red-White-Red Card
  • Settlement permit for special cases of employment - only scientific staff and executives with special status
  • Settlement Permit Researcher
  • Blue Card EU

If you will be living in Vienna and the sponsor used to have a Red-White-Red Card and switched to a Red-White-Red Card plus or Permanent Residence-EU, the relevant office is also the Business Immigration Office of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35).

If you will be living in Vienna and the sponsor has one of the following residence permits, the relevant office is Referat 1.1 (German) of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35):

  • Red-White-Red Card plus
  • Permanent Residence-EU
  • Residence card or permanent residence card
  • Residence permit Article 50 EUV (Brexit)
  • Or the sponsor is eligible for asylum.

How you or the company or organisation can file the application is described below under Procedure.

If you are or will be living in Vienna and the sponsor has a Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine, the relevant office is Support Referate Einwanderung (German) of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35).

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).

Information on how to book an appointment there is provided below under Procedure.

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

Procedure

First-time application

File your application at the Austrian embassy or the Austrian consulate general in your country of residence and wait there until the proceedings have been concluded.

Only if you are allowed to enter Austria without a visa can you file your application in Austria during your admissible visa-free stay. You may enter Austria without a visa if your country is not a country for which a visa is required (German), or if you have a residence permit of another EU member state.

If the sponsor has a Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine and you are already in Austria and have an ID card for displaced persons, you can file your application in Austria. More information on the ID card for displaced persons is available at Residence regulations for displaced persons from Ukraine in Vienna (German) - StartWien.

If the sponsor has a Blue Card EU or a Settlement Permit Researcher or applies for one, you can also file your application if you entered the country legally and are currently legally staying in Austria. This is the case if you are from a country for which a visa is required (German) and have a valid visa.

Or the sponsor's company or organisation files the application for you. This is only possible if the sponsor is filing an application for a Blue Card EU or a Red-White-Red Card as key worker at the same time.

Applications for children younger than 18 years of age must be submitted by a legal guardian.

If you will be living in Vienna and you want to file the application in person, you have to make an appointment at Referat 1.1 (German), Business Immigration Office or Support Referate Einwanderung (German) of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35).

Make sure to check for available appointments in time.

Book an appointment online at Referat 1.1 (German)

Book an appointment online at the Business Immigration Office (German)

Book an appointment online at Support Referate Einwanderung (German)

The sponsor's company or organisation can file the application for you in writing if you are filing your applications at the same 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 a Red-White-Red Card plus, your fingerprints will be scanned. Children over the age of six will also have their fingerprints scanned.

If you applied in person in Vienna and the application cannot be processed in the time that you can stay in Austria without a visa or that your visa is valid for, you must leave Austria and wait for the proceedings to be concluded abroad. If you have an ID card for displaced persons from Ukraine, you can continue to legally stay in Austria and do not have to leave.

If you meet the requirements for the Red-White-Red Card plus, you will be informed by the Austrian embassy, the Austrian consulate general or the Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35). If you need a visa to enter Austria, the Austrian embassy or Austrian consulate general will issue you a visa so you can come collect your Red-White-Red Card plus.

Please contact Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) as soon as possible after entering Austria. They will give you an appointment to collect your Red-White-Red Card plus. You will receive the physical Red-White-Red Card plus in person. Children over the age of 14 also receive the card in person.

Only once you have the Red-White-Red Card plus can you live and work in Austria as a family member.

Application for extension

You have to apply in person before your Red-White-Red Card plus expires. Applications for children younger than 18 years of age must be submitted by a legal guardian.

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.

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).

When you apply for an extension of your Red-White-Red Card plus or apply for a change of purpose of stay, your fingerprints will be scanned. Children over the age of six will also have their fingerprints scanned.

If you meet the requirements for the extension or change of purpose of stay of the Red-White-Red Card plus, you will be given an appointment to pick up your residence permit in person. You will receive the physical card in person. Children 14 or over also receive their residence permit in person only.

If you do not meet the requirements, you will receive a negative decision.

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
  • Valid travel document, e.g. passport
  • Current biometric passport photo (German), no older than six months
  • Proof of how you are related to the sponsor
    For example marriage certificate, partnership certificate, birth certificate or adoption certificate
  • Proof of adequate accommodation
    For example a tenancy agreement, a deed of sale or an accommodation agreement
  • Proof of health insurance coverage that provides benefits in Austria and covers all risks. For example voluntary self-insurance with the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK) or a private health insurance provider.
  • Proof of adequate means of subsistence in Austria
    For example payslips, confirmation of remuneration, employment contract or confirmation of pension payments for you or the sponsor. 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
    For example tenancy agreement, bank statement or a court order on alimony.
  • Proof of German language skills at A1 level (German)
  • If the sponsor is 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
  • If the sponsor is already living in Austria: current records statement from a creditor association for the sponsor
    Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship (MA 35) accepts, for example, the free records statement of Kreditschutzverband - KSV 1870 Information GmbH
  • If the sponsor has a Red-White-Red Card plus for displaced persons from Ukraine and you are already in Austria: ID card for displaced persons from Ukraine (German)

Only for first-time applications additionally:

  • Copy of the entire passport
  • 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 6 months, you will need a police clearance certificate from that country.

Only when applying for extension also:

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

  • For persons under the age of six: EUR 75 for each Red-White-Red Card plus
  • For persons age six or over: EUR 120 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 fee is higher if you file an application for extension and an application for change of purpose of stay at the same time, i.e. as a combined application.

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

Legal basis

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