Austria job seeker visa points calculator: check your 70 points
In 2026 this Austria job seeker visa points calculator uses the official table for Very Highly Qualified Workers (Annex A AuslBG). You need at least 70 of 100 points (migration.gv.at). Points come from qualifications (up to 40), work experience (20), languages (10), age (20) and studies in Austria (10). Your result is an estimate; only the AMS confirms the score.
Red-White-Red Card Austria points calculator (Very Highly Qualified Workers)
Choose what you can prove with documents. Values from Annex A AuslBG and migration.gv.at; group caps applied as printed. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
Choose your age bracket to complete the estimate.
Our reading of the table: one degree level counts (the MINT and PhD lines are sub-cases of the degree line); a level above A2 is entered as A2; the Austrian six months are added to your half-years, within the cap of 20. The age brackets say “up to 35/40/45” on the German page and “under” on the English one — check the birthday edge in the official calculator. The AMS confirms the points.
The chip gives the 2026 price of Care Austria Standard, health insurance for the time before your job’s compulsory insurance starts. Care Austria is not required for the visa; all-risk cover is. Unlimited Standard tariffs can be cancelled ordinarily only after 1 year, then only to 31 December with 1 month’s notice (AVB § 3), so you pay at least €1,860 (12 months; more if cover does not start on 1 January), and these tariffs rise from 2028 under the policy terms. See health insurance.
How does the Austria job seeker visa calculator count your points?
The Austria job seeker visa calculator adds the points of the official table for Very Highly Qualified Workers and caps each group at its maximum, exactly as Annex A of the Act on the Employment of Foreign Nationals prints it (AuslBG, RIS). § 12 AuslBG admits very highly qualified foreigners “who reach the required minimum points for the criteria in Annex A”, without a labour-market test. The minimum for Very Highly Qualified Workers is 70 of 100 points (Annex A AuslBG, 2026). In that sense it is a Red-White-Red Card points calculator for one category only.
Three scoring rules change the result. The qualifications group stops at 40, so a PhD (40) plus a recognised award (20) still gives 40. Experience counts per half-year, so six years of matching work give 12 points, and six months of work in Austria add 10, up to 20 in total. Age is worth up to 20 points (20 up to 35, 15 up to 40, 10 up to 45, none above), and no upper age limit is stated for the visa itself. migration.gv.at runs its own points calculator; it is “a tool for you to estimate your eligibility” (FAQ), as is this one.
The official table of Red-White-Red Card Austria points
These are the red white red card points for Very Highly Qualified Workers, the only category with a job seeker visa (migration.gv.at; Annex A AuslBG).
| Group (maximum) | Criterion | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Special qualifications and skills (40) | Degree from a tertiary institution with a minimum duration of four years | 20 |
| — in mathematics, informatics, natural sciences or technology (MINT) | 30 | |
| — with habilitation or an equivalent qualification (e.g. PhD) | 40 | |
| Last year’s gross annual salary in a senior management position of a listed company or a company with a positive opinion of the foreign trade office: €50,000–€60,000 / over €60,000–€70,000 / over €70,000 | 20 / 25 / 30 | |
| Research or innovation (patent applications, publications) | 20 | |
| Awards (recognised prize) | 20 | |
| Work experience, matching or in senior management (20) | Per half-year | 1 |
| Six months of work experience in Austria | 10 | |
| Languages (10) | German or English at A1 / A2 | 5 / 10 |
| French at B1 | 5 | |
| Spanish at B1 | 5 | |
| Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian at B1 | 5 | |
| Age (20) | Up to 35 / 36–40 / 41–45 | 20 / 15 / 10 |
| Studies in Austria (10) | Second study section or half of the required ECTS / complete diploma, or bachelor’s and master’s | 5 / 10 |
| Maximum / required minimum | 100 / 70 | |
What does your calculator result mean?
A calculator result of 70 or more points is the threshold to apply for the Austria job seeker visa, not a decision, because the AMS checks each point against your documents before the embassy grants the visa (migration.gv.at).
| Your estimate | What it means | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| 70 or more | You may apply for the job seeker visa (visa D, six months) as a Very Highly Qualified Worker | Fill in the AMS data sheet, collect proof, apply in person at the embassy; fee €195 (bmeia.gv.at, 2026) — job seeker visa guide, visa documents |
| 70 or more, and you already have a job offer | You do not need the job seeker visa | Apply for the Red-White-Red Card directly |
| Below 70 | No job seeker visa in this category | Check other categories with their own tables — shortage occupations, other key workers (work visa routes) — or the EU Blue Card |
| Close to 70 | Some criteria can still change | Languages, experience, studies in Austria and research output are the criteria that can still change (see below) |
Are the red white red card points the same for every category?
Red-White-Red Card points are not the same for every category. Each category has its own points table in the AuslBG annexes, and only Annex A leads to a job seeker visa. Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations need 55 of 90 points (Annex B AuslBG, 2026). Use the right table before you rely on any red white red card calculator (AuslBG Annexes A–C).
| Category | Legal basis | Minimum / maximum | Job seeker visa? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very Highly Qualified Workers | § 12, Annex A | 70 / 100 | Yes |
| Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations | § 12a, Annex B | 55 / 90 (+5 for English where English is the company language) | No (job offer needed) |
| Other Key Workers | § 12b no. 1, Annex C | 55 / 90 (+20 for professional athletes and coaches, +5 for English) | No (job offer needed) |
Shortage-occupation and key-worker tables score German up to B1 and a completed vocational training, and their age bands differ. Their steps are on Red-White-Red Card; the austria work visa points calculator question is answered there too, because those routes start with a job offer.
Which criteria can still change your score?
Languages, experience, studies in Austria and research output (publications, patent applications) can still change your job seeker visa score, because they change over time. Your degree, last year’s salary and age are fixed on the day you apply.
Age works the other way. The bracket can drop on a birthday (for example from 20 to 15 points after 35). If you are close to a bracket edge, check it in the official calculator before your embassy appointment.
What do sample profiles score on the official table?
Four sample profiles score from 66 to 73 points on the official Annex A table; two reach the 70-point minimum and two do not, scored exactly as the calculator does it (our arithmetic; the AMS confirms). The people in the table are illustrative examples.
| Profile | Points by group | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Nadia, 38, PhD in chemistry, 4 years of postdoc research with publications, English C1 | Qualifications 40 (PhD 40 + research 20, capped) + experience 8 + English 10 + age up to 40: 15 | 73 — above 70 |
| Rahul, 34, four-year engineering degree (MINT), 3 years’ experience, English B2, German A1 | MINT 30 + experience 6 + languages 10 (capped) + age 20 | 66 — below 70 |
| Rahul one year later, with German A2 and two more half-years | MINT 30 + experience 8 + languages 10 + age 20 (if still up to 35) | 68 — still below 70 |
| Elena, 47, senior manager earning over €70,000 at a listed company, four-year degree, 20 years’ experience, English B2 and Spanish B1 | Qualifications 40 (degree 20 + salary 30, capped) + experience 20 + languages 10 + age 0 | 70 — at the minimum |
Rahul shows the limit of language points. With English already at A2 or above, German adds nothing because the group stops at 10. His remaining levers would be a research publication (qualifications rising from 30 to 40 would lift his first score from 66 to 76) or a different category with a job offer. Elena, at 47, earns no age points but still reaches 70 because qualifications, experience and languages are all at their caps.
What health insurance do you need once you reach 70 points?
The Austria job seeker visa requires all-risk health insurance, and the official checklist names “comprehensive travel insurance” as an example (official checklist). For RWR applications, the migration.gv.at FAQ accepts travel health insurance covering costs “well above €30,000” including rescue and return. The checklist names travel insurance only as an example; the embassy decides whether a policy is enough. On the Red-White-Red Card, employment subject to compulsory health insurance gives you ÖGK cover from your first working day (a marginal job up to €551.10 a month in 2026 gives accident insurance only).
| Stage | Rule | Cost note |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application | All-risk cover, e.g. comprehensive travel insurance (checklist) | The embassy decides whether a policy is enough |
| Job search, up to 6 months | No job insurance yet; ÖGK self-insurance needs a residence permit | ÖGK self-insurance costs €565.25 a month (ÖGK, 2026); not available on a visa |
| Optional private health insurance | Care Austria Standard unlimited, under 50 | €155 a month; min. 1 year (AVB § 3) = at least €1,860 (12 months; more if cover does not start on 1 January); acceptance for a visa D not confirmed to us |
| Job starts with the card | Compulsory insurance through the employer if the job is subject to it (marginal job up to €551.10 a month in 2026: accident insurance only) | Private cover no longer needed; ask Care Concept AG how a running contract ends |
Details and the full timeline are on Austria job seeker visa; the stricter rule for student, family and settlement permits is on health insurance for a residence permit. There are also country guides for India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Health insurance that is not a travel policy
- Care Austria Standard unlimited costs €155 a month under 50 (2026) and has a minimum term of 1 year (AVB § 3), so even a short search costs at least €1,860 (12 months; more if cover does not start on 1 January).
- Cover cannot start before entry into Austria (AVB § 2).
- It is not required for the visa, and its acceptance for a visa D has not been confirmed to us.
- Care Concept AG is on Vienna's MA 35 list: unlimited Care Austria tariffs need no extra declaration, 364-day ones do (checked 30 October 2026)
The seller is Care Concept AG and the insurer is HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG). Read the full plan and limits before you sign up.
Go to Care Concept’s application
Referral link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you (how we are paid).
Frequently asked questions
If the calculator shows 70 points, do I automatically get the job seeker visa?
No — a calculator score of 70 points does not automatically give you the job seeker visa: migration.gv.at says the points calculator “is a tool for you to estimate your eligibility” — it “does not constitute an application and it does not replace the evaluation by the Austrian authorities” (migration.gv.at FAQ). The authorities assess the documents you submit, and the job seeker visa is granted only once the Public Employment Service (AMS) confirms your points to the embassy. The same applies to this calculator: it uses the official table, but it is your own estimate.
Which university degrees count for the job seeker visa points?
For Very Highly Qualified Workers, programmes with a minimum duration of four years are recognised (migration.gv.at FAQ). You can check your university in the anabin database: universities with status “H+” are recognised; if yours is not listed as H+, you file a confirmation of status from the competent authority, for example the education ministry of that country. A three-year bachelor’s degree does not earn the 20 degree points in this table.
Does my foreign degree need nostrification before I can claim the degree points?
No — a foreign degree does not need nostrification before you claim the degree points: migration.gv.at answers that “formal recognition (nostrification) of the foreign degree in Austria is not required”, with exceptions for regulated occupations such as medical professions (migration.gv.at FAQ). For the points, the four-year minimum duration and the university’s status count. If you later want to work in a regulated profession, recognition is a separate step — see Austria work visa.
Do I still need a job offer if I reach 70 points?
You do not need a job offer for the job seeker visa itself: it exists so that Very Highly Qualified Workers can look for a job in Austria for six months (migration.gv.at). For the Red-White-Red Card itself, yes — “you also need an employment offer with an Austrian employer” meeting Austrian wage and working conditions (migration.gv.at FAQ). So the sequence is: points → job seeker visa → job offer → card.
How many points do other Red-White-Red Card categories need?
Each category has its own table in the Act on the Employment of Foreign Nationals (AuslBG): Very Highly Qualified Workers need 70 of 100 points (Annex A), Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations 55 of 90 (Annex B) and Other Key Workers 55 of 90 (Annex C), each with different criteria — for example German up to B1 and age bands up to 30, 40 and 50 or 30 and 40. This calculator covers only Annex A, the table for the job seeker visa.
How do I prove the points I entered in the calculator?
You prove calculator points with documents for every criterion you claim, listed on the AMS “Admission Criteria Data Sheet” for the job seeker visa (migration.gv.at, PDF): degree certificates, employment records for each half-year of experience, salary evidence for the management bands, language certificates, proof of publications, patents or awards, and transcripts for studies in Austria. You file them in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate together with the visa D application (visa documents checklist).
Official sources
- Act on the Employment of Foreign Nationals (AuslBG), RIS (§ 12 and Annexes A, B, C; version of 30 October 2026)
- migration.gv.at: Very Highly Qualified Workers (German, points table) and English page (checked 30 October 2026)
- migration.gv.at: official points calculator and FAQ on the self-estimate, degrees, recognition and the job offer
- AMS Admission Criteria Data Sheet for the job seeker visa (PDF)
- Documents for the Job Seeker Visa, RWR Card and EU Blue Card (PDF), the official checklist
- Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs: visa on visa D and the fee
- Care Austria policy terms (AVB) and tariff page (insurer documents, read 30 October 2026)
To see how we work, read our editorial standards; you can also read about this site or contact us. This calculator is a self-estimate and general information, not legal or immigration advice; only the AMS and the Austrian authorities assess your points. Referral links may earn us a commission from Care Concept AG at no extra cost to you (affiliate disclosure).
Covered until your job insurance starts
Reached 70 points? The official checklist names comprehensive travel insurance as an example of all-risk cover; the embassy decides. If you want health insurance that is not tied to a trip, check Care Austria’s price and its 1-year minimum term first.
Referral link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you (how we are paid).
age 0–49: €155/month in 2026 · unlimited, min. 1 year (AVB § 3)
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