A free PDF guide — an income from €2,617 a month
A guide to Austrian residencefor living on your income
The most demanding country in this section: an annual quota, German at A1 before filing and an evidenced income. We set out how to prepare from the autumn and what decides the outcome of the January filing.
- PDF in English
- Free of charge
- Verified on 12.08.2026
- Sent by email, WhatsApp or Telegram
Preliminary information is not a guarantee of approval. The number of permits is capped by the annual quota.
01 / The essentials first
What to know before the January filing
Four things that decide your chances of getting into the quota.
- Applications once a year
There are few places in the quota and applications are taken in the first days of January. Miss the window and the next chance is a year away — so the file is built from the autumn.
- German is needed before you file
A certificate at level A1 goes with the application. It is not a formality: without it the case will not be accepted.
- The income is counted from the statutory figures
The requirement is tied to the social insurance figures: €2,617 a month for the applicant, that is €31,401 a year.
- You may not work on this status
This is a status for living on your own means. Work in Austria is arranged on other grounds.
02 / Income
What income your family needs
Set out the family: the requirement is counted from the social insurance figures.
03 / The family
How the requirements grow with the family
Besides the income, the language requirement grows too: every adult needs a certificate.
The values were checked against the official material on 12.08.2026. Only the rows for which there is no official wording are marked separately.
| Criterion | OneA single applicant | A coupleThe applicant and a spouse |
|---|---|---|
| The income for the year | €31,401 | €49,539 |
| A month | €2,617 | €4,128 |
| The German language | A1 | A1 for each adult |
| The quota | applies | applies |
| The permit | 1 year | 1 year |
| Renewal | for 3 years | for 3 years |
| EU long-term status | after 5 years | after 5 years |
- The income for the year
- €31,401
- €49,539
- A month
- €2,617
- €4,128
- The German language
- A1
- A1 for each adult
- The quota
- applies
- applies
- The permit
- 1 year
- 1 year
- Renewal
- for 3 years
- for 3 years
- EU long-term status
- after 5 years
- after 5 years
The quota is allotted among the provinces: the odds turn not only on the file but on the region chosen.
04 / The country
What the country looks like
Briefly about the country and about what sets the terms of the status.
- The essentials firstThe key facts of the programme: what decides the matter.
- A comparisonThe thresholds and the terms of the programme in one table.
- How the work runsThe process step by step — from the check to the documents.
- The analysisWhat is checked before the status is granted.
- The limitsWhat affects the timings, the costs and keeping the status.
- Your teamWho runs the case and what each specialist answers for.
05 / The order of work
How the process runs
Everything turns on the preparation: by January the file has to be complete.
- Preparing from the autumn
The German certificate, the certificates, the translations and the housing are all prepared in advance: in January there is no time left to gather them.
- Housing in Austria
A lease or property, with the floor area evidenced for every member of the family.
- Filing in the first days of January
The application goes to the Austrian mission as soon as the quota opens.
- The quota is allotted
The province allots the places: some applications are refused precisely because the quota has run out.
- The D visa and the entry
Once approved a visa is issued for the entry and for collecting the card in Austria.
- The card and the renewals
A permit for 1 year, then renewals for 3 years. The whole process takes 3-6 months.
07 / The check
What is examined in the application
The income and how steady it is, the German, the housing and the insurance.
- The income and its source
Statements and certificates over a long period: what is examined is steadiness, not the balance on the day of filing.
- The German language
A A1 certificate from a recognised centre for every adult applicant.
- Housing
A contract with floor area sufficient under the province’s standards for the whole family.
- Insurance and no criminal record
A policy valid in Austria, and certificates with an apostille and a sworn translation.
Where places are contested the complete files win: a missing document means a year lost.
08 / The limits
What to take into account in advance
Five limits that bear on your chances and on living with the status.
The quota limits itFew places, and filing in January
Even a perfect file can fail if the province’s quota has run out. That is the chief risk of this country.
You may not workA status for living on income
Employment and business in Austria need another ground.
The language is requiredA A1 certificate before filing
Preparing takes months, so it has to start long before January.
Residence is requiredA status for moving
A long absence puts the renewal of the permit in doubt.
Tax residenceIt begins on the move
Austria taxes the worldwide income of its residents — the regime is worked out in advance.
09 / Your team
Who runs your case
The work is led by specialists who deal with the Austrian missions and provinces.
The editorial record
The material was prepared and checked by
- First published
- 12 August 2026
- Last updated
- 12 August 2026
The official sources
- The migration portal of AustriaBundesministerium für Inneres · checked 12.08.2026The category for the financially independent: the requirements, the quotas and how to file.
- The official portal oesterreich.gv.atThe Government of Austria · checked 12.08.2026The requirements on income, housing and knowledge of German.
- The ASVG figuresSozialversicherung, Austria · checked 12.08.2026The figures the income requirement is counted from.
10 / Common questions
Questions about Austrian residence
How much income is needed?
€2,617 a month for the applicant — €31,401 a year. For a couple the requirement is €49,539 a year.
What is the quota?
The annual number of permits in this category is capped and allotted among the provinces. Applications are filed in the first days of January.
Is German needed?
Yes, a certificate at level A1 goes with the application for every adult.
May I work?
No. This is a status for living on your own means; there are other grounds for work.
Who is included in the application?
A spouse and minor children take the status together with the applicant.
How long is the permit granted for?
The first one for 1 year, then renewals for 3 years.
When does permanent residence open?
EU long-term status after 5 years of lawful residence.
How long does the process take?
3-6 months from the filing, but the preparation starts in the autumn of the previous year.
Free of charge
Take the guide and a plan for preparing
We will send the PDF with the requirements and a schedule for preparing for the January filing.
- The income thresholds by the make-up of the family
- How the quota works and what turns on the province
- The language requirement and how long preparing takes
- What is examined in the housing and the documents