General program requirements

To qualify for the Person of Independent Means visa, an applicant must demonstrate an annual income of

€24,000 for an individual applicant
€38,000 for a married couple
€45,000 for a family of four
€3,700 per additional dependent

A €150 application fee per dependent applies. Wholly dependent parents, siblings, and children may be included. Children need to intend to permanently reside and attend an education Institution in Austria.

The applicant must maintain suitable accommodation (bought or rented) for the duration of the residency period and must also hold an Austrian health insurance policy covering the whole family.

Program benefits

• Freedom of movement (but not settlement) within Schengen;
• No investment or donation requirement;
• Path to citizenship;
• Enhanced business access to large economies;
• Enhanced education opportunities;
• Safety and security;
• Short processing time

Requirements to qualify for citizenship

To be accepted for the initial Independent Means visa, the applicant will need to be competent in German at a A1 (basic) level. If the application is approved, the initial visa is valid for 90 days. After moving to Austria, the applicant will be issued a one-year residence permit, which is renewable annually if the conditions of the residency are maintained.

After five years of continuous residence (80% of 5 years) applicants may apply for Permanent Residence (PR). They will need to prove German language competence at a B1 (intermediate) level at the time of applying for PR.

After holding PR for five years (total of 10 years’ residency) the applicant may apply for citizenship. This may be reduced to a period of one year after obtaining PR if the applicant has a German language proficiency at B2 level or is “exceptionally involved” in an Austrian society.

Dual citizenship is, in most cases, not permitted, though some notable exceptions apply.

Applications for this program may be directed to:

Ministry of Labour, Interior and Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs

Legislation upon which this program is based: