Residence permits for third-country nationals
Residence permits for third-country nationals are only issued for a specific purpose.
The most important residence purposes are residence permits for work/employment, residence permits for family reunification and residence permits for educational purposes. The residence permit "long term resident – EU" is intended for third-country nationals who are long-term residents in Austria.
A residence permit can only ever be granted if the conditions for granting it are met. General requirements for granting are always required. A third-country national has to show he has sufficient income, health insurance covering all risks as well as a locally customary accommodation and may not pose a danger to public order or security.
More detailed information on the calculation of sufficient income is available in German only in the Unterhaltsbroschüre zum NAG (pdf, 505 KB).
Detailed information on the general and special requirements or granting a residence permit, which are different for each residence permit, can be found on oesterreich.gv.at . There you will also find information about access to the labour market.
On the migration platform of the federal government (www.migration.gv.at ) you will find a Quick Check, which will guide you to the right residence permit with just a few questions.
If the Settlement and Residence Act does not contain a suitable residence permit (purpose) for the planned stay, immigration under the Settlement and Residence Act is not possible.
Last update: 7 August 2026