Settlement in Austria
Overview
The Settlement and Residence Act (Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz in short NAG) regulates the stay of foreigners who are planning to stay or are staying in Austria for a longer time. Foreigners are all persons who are not Austrian citizens. The Settlement and Residence Act is in principle applicable for planned stays of more than six months. For stays of up to six months, a visa may be required. Some third country nationals can also enter Austria without a visa. You can find further information on the conditions of entry here: Fremdenpolizei und Grenzkontrollwesen (In German only)
The Settlement and Residence Act covers the right of residence for EEA citizens, Swiss nationals and their relatives for a planned stay of more than three months. The respective rights result from the laws of the European Union and are therefore called union rights of residence.
The Settlement and Residence Act also regulates the right of residence for all other foreigners. The Settlement and Residence Act refers to them as third country nationals. They receive residence permits.
The Settlement and Residence Act lays out the requirements for the granting, refusal and withdrawal of residence permits and Union rights of residence. This page gives an overview of these provisions.
Note
If you have any questions about your application, please contact the authority to which you submitted the application. Only this authority can provide you with information on the status of the proceedings.
For general questions regarding entry and visas in Austria (visas - planned stay up to six months), you can contact our hotline: +43(0)1-53126-3557 from 9.00 to 12.00.
For questions regarding entry (and stay) in connection with regulations relating to Covid-19 (testing, quarantine, etc.) you can contact one of the following:
- Ministry of Social Affairs: www.sozialministerium.at; buergerservice@sozialministerium.at; 0800 201 611, from outside of Austria dial +43 1 711 000
- Coronavirus Hotline (AGES): 0800 555 621, from outside of Austria dial +43 1 3860 555 (24/7 service).
For general questions regarding the right of settlement in Austria (residence permit - planned stay of more than six months) you can contact our hotline: +43(0)1-53126-2744 in the time from 8.00 to 12.00.
If the line is busy, we ask for your understanding. We are trying to answer all inquiries, but this may take some time.
Sampels of residence permits and documentations
Residence permits shall be issued in the form of an electronic residence permit (eAT) in the form of a plastic card like a credit card. In addition to the purpose of residence, the residence permit contains an entry on the holder's access to the labour market (on the back of the document).
The residence permit contains an electronic storage medium (chip) on which personal data and biometric features (photograph and fingerprints) are stored.
Documentations of the right of residence under EU law are partly issued in paper form (registration certificate and certificate of permanent residence) and partly as a plastic card in credit card format (residence card, permanent residence card for family members of EEA citizens and photo ID for EEA citizens). Since July 2020, the residence card and permanent residence card are also issued in the format of the residence permit.
Here you can download current and historical samples of residence titles and documentations issued by Austria under the Settlement and Residence Act.