Austria job seeker visa 2026: who qualifies, points, requirements and health insurance
The Austria job seeker visa is a six-month visa D only for Very Highly Qualified Workers; you need at least 70 of 100 points, apply in person at an Austrian embassy or consulate, and may not work until you hold a Red-White-Red Card (migration.gv.at, 2026). The official checklist asks for all-risk health insurance, for example comprehensive travel insurance. The visa cannot be extended in Austria.
The chip shows the 2026 price of Care Austria Standard. Unlimited Standard tariffs can be cancelled ordinarily only after 1 year, then only to 31 December with 1 month’s notice (AVB § 3), which means at least €1,860 (12 months; more if cover does not start on 1 January) even for a six-month job search, and they rise from 2028 under the policy terms. Care Austria is not required for the visa itself (see health insurance). Unlimited Standard age bands: the first price is set by the calendar year cover starts minus your birth year; after that, age = current calendar year minus birth year, and the next band applies from 1 January of the year you turn 50 or 65 (AVB premium table).
Is the job seeker visa your route?
The Austria job seeker visa is your route only if you reach at least 70 of 100 points as a Very Highly Qualified Worker and want to search for a job in Austria without an offer yet (migration.gv.at). Start with the situation below that matches yours.
I have a top profile (70+ points)
Your degree, experience, languages and age add up to at least 70 points as a Very Highly Qualified Worker. This visa gives you six months to search on the spot.
Check your score against the points table.
I am skilled, but not “very highly qualified”
This visa is not open to you. If your nationality may enter visa-free, you can job-hunt during the visa-free stay (migration.gv.at).
Other routes are explained on the Red-White-Red Card and work visa pages.
I already have a job offer
You do not need the job seeker visa. The employer route leads straight to the Red-White-Red Card.
Follow the RWR card steps.
My spouse or parents will follow
Relatives need their own permits. The family route we found is for the core family (spouse or registered partner, minor unmarried children) of RWR card holders (migration.gv.at); parents need their own settlement permit (§ 2 and § 44 NAG). Insurance for them works differently.
The details are under bringing your family.
The job seeker visa in 9 official facts
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Very Highly Qualified Workers only | migration.gv.at FAQ |
| What | A visa D “valid for six months, to look for work”; no job offer needed | migration.gv.at |
| Points | At least 70 of 100 | migration.gv.at |
| Where to apply | In person at the Austrian representation in your home country or country of legal residence | migration.gv.at |
| Who checks the points | The Public Employment Service (AMS) confirms whether the minimum points are met; the embassy decides the visa | migration.gv.at |
| Work | Employment not permitted on this visa; “The Job Seeker Visa itself is not a work permit” (Austrian Business Agency) | bmeia.gv.at; workinaustria.com |
| Extension | A visa D cannot be extended in Austria | bmeia.gv.at |
| Fee | €195 (visa D, from age 6) — all fees | bmeia.gv.at |
| Health insurance | All-risk cover: compulsory insurance or equivalent, “e.g. comprehensive travel insurance” | official checklist (PDF) |
Who can get the Austria job seeker visa?
Only Very Highly Qualified Workers (besonders Hochqualifizierte) can get the Austria job seeker visa, and migration.gv.at says it is “exclusively” for them. You prove that with the points system below, which asks for at least 70 of 100 points for qualifications, experience, languages and age. If the AMS confirms at least 70 points and the embassy grants the visa, you may come for six months without a job offer to look for work (migration.gv.at).
Skilled workers in shortage occupations, other key workers and graduates of Austrian universities use other Red-White-Red Card categories (Red-White-Red Card). If their nationality allows visa-free entry, they can look for work during that visa-free stay instead (migration.gv.at FAQ). The country guides explain the local embassy steps, for example Austria visa from India, Austria visa from Pakistan and Austria visa from Bangladesh. Americans job-hunting visa-free can read moving to Austria from the US, and for remote workers there is Austria digital nomad visa.
How do Austria job seeker visa points work?
Austria job seeker visa points come from five criteria (qualifications, work experience, languages, age and studies in Austria), and the minimum is 70 of 100 points (Annex A AuslBG, 2026). The AMS confirms the score to the embassy before the visa is granted (migration.gv.at). migration.gv.at offers a points calculator, but stresses that it “is a tool for you to estimate your eligibility”, so it is not an application. For a self-check with every criterion, use our Austria job seeker visa points calculator.
| Criterion | Points | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Four-year university degree | 20 | 40 (special qualifications and skills) |
| Degree in a MINT subject (maths, informatics, natural sciences, technology) | 30 | |
| Habilitation, doctorate or PhD | 40 | |
| Previous year’s gross salary in a senior management position: €50,000–€60,000 / over €60,000–€70,000 / over €70,000 | 20 / 25 / 30 | |
| Research and innovation (patents, publications); recognised award | 20 each | |
| Work experience matching your qualification, per half-year | 1 | 20 |
| Six months of work experience in Austria | 10 | |
| German or English at A1 / A2 | 5 / 10 | 10 |
| French, Spanish or Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian at B1 | 5 each | |
| Age up to 35 / 36–40 / 41–45 | 20 / 15 / 10 | 20 |
| Studies in Austria: second study section or half the ECTS / completed diploma, or bachelor’s plus master’s (see study in Austria) | 5 / 10 | 10 |
| Profile | Points by criterion | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Age 31, master’s in computer science, 6 years’ matching experience, English | MINT degree 30 + experience 12 + English at A2: 10 + age up to 35: 20 | 72 — above 70 |
| Age 42, PhD, 8 years’ matching experience, English | PhD 40 + experience 16 + English 10 + age up to 45: 10 | 76 — above 70 |
| Age 28, four-year degree (not MINT), 5 years’ experience, English | Degree 20 + experience 10 + English 10 + age up to 35: 20 | 60 — below 70 |
Is there an age limit for the Austria job seeker visa?
The Austria job seeker visa has no stated upper age limit; age only earns points, with 20 up to 35, 15 up to 40, 10 up to 45 and none above 45 (migration.gv.at). An older applicant can still reach 70 points through qualifications and experience. The exact birthday edge is worded “up to” on the German page and “under” on the English one; check it in the official calculator.
What are the Austria job seeker visa requirements and documents?
The Austria job seeker visa requirements are at least 70 points, a valid passport, proof of accommodation at least for your arrival, all-risk health insurance and proof of means of subsistence, filed in person with originals and copies (official checklist, Federal Chancellery). Documents not in German or English need a translation. The Austria job seeker visa application form is the general visa D form from bmeia.gv.at, filed together with the AMS data sheet. Check each item on this list before your appointment.
Can I work on the job seeker visa? No. Employment is not permitted while you hold it (bmeia.gv.at), and the Austrian Business Agency writes: “The Job Seeker Visa itself is not a work permit” (workinaustria.com, 28 September 2026). Work becomes possible with the Red-White-Red Card. Plan your savings for the whole search.
Austria job seeker visa timeline, from points check to your first job
The route has seven steps and the job search itself lasts at most six months (migration.gv.at; bmeia.gv.at).
- Check your points. You need at least 70 of 100 in the official points calculator, which is a self-estimate, not an application (migration.gv.at FAQ).
- Collect documents. You need the visa D form, the AMS Admission Criteria Data Sheet with proof for each point, your passport, proof of accommodation, all-risk health insurance and proof of means of subsistence (official checklist).
- Apply in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate for your home country or country of legal residence, and pay the €195 fee in 2026 (migration.gv.at; bmeia.gv.at).
- AMS confirms your points to the embassy, the embassy then decides the visa application, and a visa D decision must not take longer than 6 months (migration.gv.at; bmeia.gv.at).
- Enter Austria and search for up to six months. You may not work on this visa, and it cannot be extended in Austria (bmeia.gv.at).
- With a job offer, apply for the Red-White-Red Card at the residence authority in Austria (MA 35 in Vienna), pay the €218 fee (from 1 January 2026) and expect the process to take “approximately eight weeks” (migration.gv.at; oesterreich.gv.at).
- Start work with the card. Compulsory insurance through the job begins if the job is subject to it (migration.gv.at FAQ; a marginal job up to €551.10 a month in 2026 gives accident insurance only, ÖGK).
Can you apply for the Austria job seeker visa online?
The Austria job seeker visa cannot be applied for online, because you apply in person at the Austrian embassy or consulate responsible for your home country or country of legal residence (migration.gv.at); we found no online application for this visa. The Austria job seeker visa official website for the rules and the points calculator is migration.gv.at (the Austrian government’s migration portal); visa forms and embassy addresses are on bmeia.gv.at. Websites that offer to “apply online” for you are not the authority. The visa D itself is explained in our visa D guide.
How much money do you need for the job seeker visa?
We found no published fixed funds amount for the Austria job seeker visa; the embassy asks for “means of substance for living and travel expenses from own assets or income”, without a daily or monthly figure (bmeia.gv.at). As context only, the 2026 reference rate that Austria uses for residence permits is €1,308.39 net a month for a single person (base; more if regular costs such as rent exceed €386.43 a month, § 11 (5) NAG) (BMI). That is a permit rule, not a visa rule. For scale, six months at that reference rate would be €7,850.34 (our arithmetic, 6 × €1,308.39), but we found no such figure for this visa. Because you may not work for up to six months, budget rent, food, insurance and the trip from savings. Our cost of living in Austria page has official rent and spending figures.
What is the Austria job seeker visa processing time?
For the Austria job seeker visa processing time, the rule for a visa D is that the decision “must not take longer than a maximum of 6 months” (bmeia.gv.at); we found no separate figure for this visa. Once you have a job, the Red-White-Red Card process takes “approximately eight weeks” (migration.gv.at FAQ).
What is the Austria job seeker visa success rate?
We found no official success-rate figure for the Austria job seeker visa (searched October 2026).
What health insurance do you need for the job seeker visa, and after it?
All-risk health insurance is a requirement of the Austria job seeker visa; the official checklist names comprehensive travel insurance as an example, and the migration.gv.at FAQ accepts travel health insurance covering costs “well above €30,000” including rescue and return. You do not need Care Austria or any specific product to get the visa. The open question is timing: who covers you between arrival and the day your job’s compulsory insurance starts?
| Stage | What the rules say | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Visa application at the embassy | All-risk cover, e.g. comprehensive travel insurance (official checklist) | A travel policy meeting the checklist can be enough; the embassy decides |
| Job search in Austria (up to 6 months) | The visa itself gives no AMS benefits (earlier work in Austria: check separately); ÖGK self-insurance needs a residence permit | Our reading: private cover is what remains — check how long your travel policy runs and what it excludes |
| RWR card application in Austria | Proof needed at application; travel cover well above €30,000 incl. rescue and return accepted (migration.gv.at FAQ) | Your existing policy must still be valid on that day |
| Job starts with the RWR card | Compulsory statutory insurance through the employer if the job is subject to it, and with it your ÖGK e-card (marginal job up to €551.10 a month in 2026: accident insurance only) | Not needed for the permit any more. Care Austria’s terms do not insure people subject to compulsory ÖGK insurance, but whether a running unlimited contract ends early is not stated (minimum term 1 year, AVB § 3) — ask Care Concept AG. |
Care Austria is private health insurance, not a travel policy (the insurer is HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG), and prices by age are on Austria health insurance cost). Cover cannot start before you enter Austria, and you apply before the trip or within 1 year of entry (AVB § 2). It can be useful if you want health cover that is not tied to a trip, or if your travel policy’s length or exclusions do not fit a stay of several months. The trade-off is cost: Care Austria Standard unlimited is €155 a month under 50 in 2026 with a 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3), so at least €1,860 (12 months; more if cover does not start on 1 January), even if your job starts after three months. Whether the contract can end early when compulsory insurance starts is not stated in the documents, so ask Care Concept AG first. Whether Care Austria is accepted for a visa D has not been confirmed to us, so we make no claim about it. ÖGK self-insurance costs €565.25 a month (ÖGK, 2026) and needs a residence permit, so it is not an option on the visa (ÖGK self-insurance explained).
What happens on the way from job seeker visa to Red-White-Red Card?
The Austria Red-White-Red Card job seeker visa route ends with the card. Once you find a job, you apply for the Red-White-Red Card at the residence authority in Austria, which in Vienna is MA 35 (migration.gv.at; MA 35 Vienna in English). The Red-White-Red Card application fee is €218 (migration.gv.at), the flat fee for a first temporary residence permit from 1 January 2026, covering application and issue (Styrian state government fee list). If the visa expires while your application is pending, migration.gv.at says you can wait for the outcome if you filed in person in Austria, otherwise abroad (migration.gv.at FAQ). § 21 (6) NAG, which limits stays after filing in Austria for other groups, does not name Red-White-Red Card applicants, so ask the residence authority whether you may stay while it decides. Work becomes possible with the card, and a job subject to compulsory insurance brings ÖGK cover (a marginal job up to €551.10 a month in 2026 gives accident insurance only).
The steps and categories are explained on Red-White-Red Card and Austria work visa; the EU Blue Card is a separate route (EU Blue Card).
What changes when your spouse or parents follow later?
Spouses and children of a job seeker visa holder need their own family permits. As far as we found, the official family route is for relatives of RWR card and Blue Card holders, not of job seeker visa holders. Families of RWR card holders “are usually covered by their sponsors’ health insurance (co-insurance)” (migration.gv.at). Co-insurance needs residence in Austria, so there can be a gap at the start, and for a spouse a contribution of 3.4 % of your contribution base (§ 51d ASVG) is due unless an exemption applies (see ÖGK co-insurance). Parents are different. They are not “family members” (§ 2 (1) Z 9 NAG), so they have no family-reunification route through your visa and need their own quota settlement permit (§ 44 NAG). A separate exception (§ 46a (5) Z 2 and Z 3 NAG) covers only the parents of a recognised refugee, or of a minor with subsidiary protection, who was an unaccompanied minor when applying for protection. Parents can be co-insured only after at least 10 months in your household and under further conditions, so they must show qualifying all-risk cover and may need private cover if no statutory cover applies. Care Austria Standard unlimited costs €222 a month at 50–64 and €510 at 65–74 (2026, 1-year minimum term, AVB § 3). The routes are on family reunification and can I bring my parents to Austria?.
How a software engineer from Bengaluru plans the job seeker visa
Illustrative example: Arjun, 31, holds a master’s degree in computer science, has six years of matching work experience and speaks English at C1. On the official table he scores 30 for the MINT degree, 12 for twelve half-years of experience, 10 for English and 20 for his age, which makes 72 points, above the 70 minimum (his own estimate; the AMS confirms the score). He applies in person at the Austrian embassy in New Delhi with the AMS data sheet, the visa D form and the €195 fee (2026).
For insurance he compares two routes for a search he expects to take four to six months. One is a comprehensive travel policy that meets the checklist (all risks, well above €30,000, rescue and return), and for that he checks its maximum trip length and exclusions. The other is Care Austria Standard unlimited at €155 a month, health insurance that cannot start before entry (AVB § 2) and has a 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3), so it costs at least €1,860 (12 months; more if cover does not start on 1 January), rising to €187 a month from 2028 if he kept it. He finds a job in month four, applies for the RWR card in Vienna, and from his first working day is compulsorily insured through his employer, as his job is subject to compulsory insurance. Before choosing Care Austria he would ask Care Concept AG in writing how the contract ends once compulsory insurance starts.
Want health insurance that is not a travel policy?
- Care Austria Standard unlimited costs €155 a month under 50 (2026), with a minimum term of 1 year (AVB § 3), so a 6-month job 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). Whether the contract ends early when job insurance starts is not stated, so ask Care Concept AG.
- You do not need it 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)
Care Austria’s seller is Care Concept AG and its insurer is HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG). Read the full plan and limits first, then decide.
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
What health-insurance options exist if you are unemployed?
Health-insurance options for an unemployed person in Austria depend on your status, so compare them by criteria rather than a ranking. People who receive AMS benefits such as unemployment benefit are generally health-insured through the AMS (ams.at). Residents with a valid permit and no other cover can take ÖGK self-insurance at €565.25 a month (2026), with a 6-month waiting period unless waived. The job seeker visa itself gives no AMS-benefit cover (if you worked in Austria before, check separately whether you qualify), and it is a visa, not a residence permit, so those two statutory routes do not fit this scenario as a rule. The official checklist permits compulsory insurance or equivalent all-risk insurance, for example comprehensive travel insurance; confirm the individual policy with the consulate. Care Austria Standard unlimited costs €155 a month under 50 (2026), with a minimum term of 1 year (AVB § 3).
Is travel insurance enough for the Austria job seeker visa?
Travel insurance can be enough for the Austria job seeker visa application: the official document checklist asks for “health insurance covering all risks (compulsory health insurance or equivalent insurance, e.g. comprehensive travel insurance)” (migration.gv.at checklist), and the migration.gv.at FAQ accepts travel health insurance that covers costs “well above €30,000” including rescue and return. Whether a particular policy is enough is decided by the embassy or consulate, so check yours before you buy. This is a special rule for this route; for student, family and settlement permits travel insurance is not sufficient (BMI).
How much does health insurance cost for a job seeker visa?
We found no official price for health insurance for a job seeker visa, so the cost depends on the policy you choose. For comparison: Care Austria Standard unlimited (private health insurance, not travel insurance) costs €155 a month under 50 in 2026, and because it can be cancelled ordinarily only after 1 year, then only to 31 December with 1 month’s notice (AVB § 3), a 6-month job search still means at least €1,860 (12 months; more if cover does not start on 1 January). ÖGK self-insurance (€565.25 a month in 2026) needs a residence permit, so it is not available on a visa. The official checklist names comprehensive travel insurance as an example; we do not sell or compare travel insurance.
What happens if I do not find a job while my job seeker visa is valid?
You must leave Austria when the visa expires: the job seeker visa is a visa D valid for six months, and it cannot be extended in Austria (bmeia.gv.at). If you have already filed a Red-White-Red Card application in person in Austria, migration.gv.at says you can wait for the outcome; otherwise you wait abroad (migration.gv.at FAQ). § 21 (6) NAG, which limits stays after filing in Austria for other groups, does not name Red-White-Red Card applicants, so ask the residence authority whether you may stay while it decides. We found no official statement on whether a second job seeker visa can be applied for later.
Can I get a job seeker visa if I am not a very highly qualified worker?
You cannot get the Austria job seeker visa without qualifying as a Very Highly Qualified Worker; migration.gv.at answers: “this special visa is exclusively for persons who qualify as Very Highly Qualified Workers.” If you meet the criteria for another Red-White-Red Card category and your nationality allows visa-free entry, you can look for a job during your visa-free stay instead (migration.gv.at FAQ). Other categories are explained under Red-White-Red Card.
Can I stay in Austria if my Red-White-Red Card application is still open when my job seeker visa expires?
You may be able to wait in Austria, depending on where you filed the Red-White-Red Card application. For applications filed in person in Austria, migration.gv.at says “If your visa expires before the application process is complete, you can wait for the outcome.” Otherwise you must leave and wait for the decision abroad (migration.gv.at FAQ). § 21 (6) NAG, which limits stays after filing in Austria for other groups, does not name Red-White-Red Card applicants, so ask the residence authority (in Vienna MA 35) whether you may stay while it decides. The whole RWR card process takes “approximately eight weeks” according to the same FAQ. The job seeker visa itself is not a work permit (Austrian Business Agency); work becomes possible with the card.
Official sources
- migration.gv.at: Very Highly Qualified Workers and German version with the points table (page undated, checked 30 October 2026)
- migration.gv.at FAQ on eligibility, expiry, insurance at application and RWR processing time
- Documents for the Job Seeker Visa, RWR Card and EU Blue Card (PDF), the official checklist from the Federal Chancellery
- AMS Admission Criteria Data Sheet (PDF) and visa D application form (PDF)
- Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs: visa on visa D validity, no extension in Austria, no work, the fee and means
- AMS: health insurance while receiving AMS benefits (updated 5 November 2025)
- Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI): residence and health insurance on reference rates and travel insurance for permits
- Care Austria policy terms (AVB) and tariff page (insurer documents, read 30 October 2026)
Our editorial standards explain how we work; you can also read about this site or contact us. This page is general information, not legal or immigration advice; the embassy, the AMS and the residence authority decide. 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
The visa accepts comprehensive travel insurance. If you want health insurance that is not tied to a trip, check Care Austria’s prices and its 1-year minimum term first.
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age 0–49: €155/month in 2026 · unlimited, min. 1 year (AVB § 3)
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