Moving to Austria from the US in 2026: visas, residence permits and health insurance
Moving to Austria from the US in 2026 starts visa-free. Americans may stay up to 90 days in 180 without working (bmeia.gv.at). Longer stays need a residence permit for a job, studies, family or your own means, filed at an Austrian consulate in the US or, after visa-free entry, in Austria (no stay beyond 90 days). A first permit costs €218 in Austria; medicare.gov says Medicare usually does not pay abroad, so you need all-risk cover paying in Austria.
These are Care Austria’s 2026 prices for residence permits of non-EU citizens. On the unlimited tariffs, ordinary cancellation is possible only after 1 year, then only to 31 December with 1 month’s notice (AVB § 3), and the 2026 prices of the unlimited Standard tariff rise from 2028 per the policy terms. For Vienna’s MA 35, the 364-day tariff needs an extra declaration. Cover cannot start before entry into Austria. Care Austria’s first price follows your age in the calendar year cover starts (that year minus your birth year); after that, unlimited Standard moves to the next band from 1 January of the year you turn 50 or 65, and Standard 364 from 1 January of the year you turn 65. For students 12–35, Care Austria Education costs €56 a month (unlimited, 1-year minimum term, AVB § 3).
Can a US citizen move to Austria, and on which route?
Yes, a US citizen can move to Austria with a residence permit tied to one purpose. Moving to Austria from the USA has no general “move to Austria” visa for Americans. As a rule a permit needs proof of income, housing and qualifying health insurance (as a rule all-risk cover that pays in Austria); the exact conditions depend on the title, and some work titles are exempt from some general conditions (bmi.gv.at). Find your case in the boxes below.
Retiring or living on savings
The settlement permit except gainful employment mainly requires a quota place, income of €2,616.78 a month single or €4,128.24 as a couple (2026; base, more if regular costs such as rent exceed €386.43), accommodation, all-risk insurance and German A1 unless exempt (§ 21a NAG). Work is not allowed.
Read on under retiring in Austria.
Job offer in Austria
The permit is a Red-White-Red Card (employed types) or an EU Blue Card. A job subject to compulsory health insurance gives ÖGK cover through the employer from the first working day. A marginal job at or below €551.10 a month (2026) gives accident insurance only, not health cover.
Compare the routes.
Spouse of an Austrian or of a worker
Family permits need German A1 with the first application unless exempt (§ 21a NAG) and a spouse aged at least 21 (national routes; spouses of EU citizens using free movement, or of Austrians returning from another EEA state or Switzerland, § 57 NAG, apply under EU law via the Aufenthaltskarte). Co-insurance may follow once you live in Austria.
See the routes for family titles.
Degree studies
The Residence Permit – Student needs funds of €722.58 (under 24) or €1,308.39 a month (2026; base; + regular costs above €386.43).
More on study in Austria.
Austria visa requirements for US citizens in 9 official facts
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Visa for visits | United States: EU visa requirement “Nein” (no), airport transit visa “Nein” (as of 16 October 2026) | Interior Ministry |
| Visa-free stay | “a maximum of 90 days per 180 days”, without gainful employment | Embassy Washington |
| Longer stays | More than six months: residence permit | Embassy Washington |
| Where to file | In person at “the Consulate of the applicant’s domicile prior to entry”, or in Austria after visa-free entry | bmeia.gv.at, § 21 (2) 5 NAG |
| Waiting for the decision | Filing in Austria gives no right to stay beyond the visa-free period; first decision awaited abroad | bmeia.gv.at |
| Fees | €218 temporary permit; in the US USD 249 (October 2026 table) | settlement, consular fees |
| Health insurance | All-risk, pays in Austria; for a residence title travel insurance is not sufficient (exceptions: Red-White-Red Card application with travel cover well above €30,000 incl. rescue and return costs; first student permit: OeAD statement on ÖGK student insurance plus travel insurance until ÖGK cover starts, ask your residence authority) | § 11 NAG, bmi.gv.at |
| Medicare | “Medicare usually doesn't cover health care while you're traveling outside the U.S.” | medicare.gov, “Travel outside the U.S.” |
| Vienna | MA 35 is competent if you plan to live in Vienna and may enter visa-free | wien.gv.at |
Do US citizens need a visa for Austria?
US citizens need no visa for visits to Austria. The Interior Ministry’s list shows “Nein” for the United States in both the EU visa and the airport transit visa columns (bmi.gv.at), and the Austrian embassy in Washington describes visa-free entry for “a maximum of 90 days per 180 days” without gainful employment (bmeia.gv.at). So the Austria visa for US citizens question only arises when you want to stay longer, work or study, and then the rules are those of a residence permit. The embassy’s visa page also links its own information on the EU’s new entry systems (EES and ETIAS). We do not restate dates here, so check the page before you fly.
Austria visa from the USA: where do Americans file the permit?
Americans file the first permit either in person at the Austrian consulate for their US home address or, after visa-free entry, at the residence authority in Austria (§ 21 (2) 5 NAG). The standard route is in person at the Austrian consulate responsible for your US home address before you move. “In principle, it is mandatory to submit the initial application for a residence permit in person”, and not through an external service provider (bmeia.gv.at). The second route is open because you may enter visa-free: the law lets you file at the residence authority in Austria after a lawful entry (RIS). The catch is that filing does not let you stay beyond the 90 visa-free days (§ 21 (6) NAG), and the decision on a first application “has to be waited for abroad”.
| Point | At the consulate in the US | In Austria after visa-free entry |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Applicants domiciled in the consulate’s area | US citizens (visa-free nationals) |
| Fee | USD 249 for a temporary permit card (October 2026 table) | €218 |
| Payment | US dollars: cash, postal money order or cashier’s check | In euros at the residence authority |
| Stay during the decision | You wait in the US | Only within the 90 visa-free days; no extra right to stay |
| After approval | Return visa-free to collect the card; a visa D (USD 223, applied for within 3 months) only if a visa is required for entry, e.g. for visa-required family members | Collect the card at the authority |
| Health insurance proof | Must already cover the stay in Austria | Same |
Which US states belong to which Austrian consulate is published by the embassy. We did not verify the list for this page, so check the Washington consular section. How embassy filing works in other countries is on Austrian embassy visa application. If you are moving to Vienna as an American and may enter visa-free, MA 35 handles the file (MA 35 Vienna in English). General moving steps such as address registration within three days are on moving to Austria. British citizens follow the same visa-free logic, explained on moving to Austria from the UK.
Does Medicare or a US health plan cover you in Austria?
Medicare generally does not cover you in Austria. Medicare.gov says “Medicare usually doesn't cover health care while you're traveling outside the U.S.”, and its exceptions are tied to US territory, such as a foreign hospital that is closer than the nearest US hospital (medicare.gov, “Travel outside the U.S.”). The permit itself needs health insurance that covers all risks and pays in Austria (§ 11 NAG), and travel health insurance is “in any case not sufficient” for a residence title (bmi.gv.at, our translation). The Red-White-Red Card application is the stated exception, with travel cover well above €30,000 incl. rescue and return costs (migration.gv.at). For a first student permit, OeAD allows a written statement on later ÖGK student insurance, with travel insurance only until then. Whether the authority accepts a particular US or international plan is not stated anywhere we checked. Vienna’s MA 35 publishes a list of insurers for residence permits. ÖGK self-insurance costs €565.25 a month (oesterreich.gv.at, 2026), but for non-EU citizens it needs residence in Austria and a valid permit, with a 6-month waiting period unless waived, so it does not cover the first application. ÖGK counts earlier cover in a treaty state towards the waiver only if that state’s agreement adds up insurance periods (oegk.at); the US agreement is pension-only, so a Medicare-only record does not qualify. Once you are in the Austrian system, health care in Austria explains how it works.
| Option | Works for the first permit? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare / Medigap | No — medicare.gov: Medicare “usually doesn't cover” care outside the US | — |
| Travel insurance | No for settlement and family permits; the Red-White-Red Card application is the stated exception (well above €30,000 incl. rescue and return costs); first student permit: OeAD’s written statement on ÖGK student insurance plus travel insurance until ÖGK cover starts (ask your residence authority) | — |
| Job in Austria (ÖGK) | Only from the first working day of a job with compulsory insurance (not a marginal job); before then you need the cover your permit route requires | Deducted from pay |
| ÖGK self-insurance | No — needs residence and a valid permit; 6-month waiting period unless waived | €565.25 |
| Care Austria Standard unlimited | Care Concept AG on Vienna’s MA 35 list; elsewhere: ask | €155 under 50 · €222 at 50–64 · €510 at 65–74 |
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) (wien.gv.at). Care Austria’s insurer is HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG), and Care Concept AG sells it. Cover begins when you enter Austria; take it out before the trip or within one year of entry (later only with proof of continuous prior cover); contracts end, for example, when you receive Daueraufenthalt – EU or another unlimited residence permit (AVB § 6), or leave Austria for good (AVB). Ask about pre-existing conditions in writing before you apply. The full rule is on health insurance for a residence permit.
What does the permit ask when moving to Austria as an American retiree?
US retirees use the settlement permit except gainful employment (Niederlassungsbewilligung – ausgenommen Erwerbstätigkeit), which asks for own regular income of €2,616.78 a month for a single person or €4,128.24 for a married couple or registered partners living together in 2026, plus €403.76 per child (base amounts; more if regular costs such as rent exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG), housing, all-risk insurance, German at A1 level with the first application (exemptions in § 21a NAG) and a quota place; work is not allowed (migration.gv.at). Places are limited by a quota, and Vienna says its places are reserved “in the first minutes of the first working day” of the year. The requirements in full are on Austria retirement visa, daily life, places and costs on retire in Austria, and the permit family on Niederlassungsbewilligung. Owning a home in Austria counts only as proof of accommodation for this permit and gives no residence right of its own; approval rules and buying costs for non-EU buyers are on buy property in Austria as a foreigner.
Which routes work for Americans moving to Austria?
An American moving to Austria needs a permit for one purpose (a job with a Red-White-Red Card or EU Blue Card, retirement on own means, family or degree studies). The route follows your purpose, not your passport. Still, the US passport lets you file some permits inside Austria after visa-free entry and look for work during a visa-free stay if you meet the Red-White-Red Card criteria (migration.gv.at FAQ).
| Situation | Permit | Key condition | Health insurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job offer (skilled worker) | Red-White-Red Card (€218) | Points and a positive AMS check; 8-week legal decision limit | Job with compulsory insurance: ÖGK from the first working day (a marginal job up to €551.10 a month gives accident insurance only) |
| Job offer, degree, high salary | EU Blue Card | At least €55,678 gross a year (2026) | Job with compulsory insurance: ÖGK from the first working day (a marginal job up to €551.10 a month gives accident insurance only) |
| Retired / own means | Settlement permit except gainful employment | Quota; €2,616.78 single / €4,128.24 couple a month (base; + regular costs above €386.43) | Private all-risk for the first permit; Medicare not valid |
| Spouse of a Red-White-Red Card or Blue Card holder | Red-White-Red Card plus | Spouse at least 21; German A1 unless exempt (§ 21a NAG; e.g. families of Blue Card holders) | Own proof; co-insurance once resident, if the ÖGK conditions are met |
| Degree studies | Residence Permit – Student | Admission; funds for 12 months | All-risk (or the OeAD route: written statement on later ÖGK student insurance, travel insurance only until it starts; ask your authority); students 12–35: Care Austria Education €56 |
Each route is explained in more detail on Red-White-Red Card, family reunification and all permit types, and the fees are on Austria visa fees.
What moving to Vienna from the USA looks like for a retired couple
Illustrative example: Linda, 60, and Mark, 62, from Ohio, want to retire to Vienna on their pensions and savings. Their joint regular income must reach €4,128.24 a month (2026; base; more if regular costs such as rent exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG), and they need a quota place, a flat, German A1 certificates and all-risk health insurance; neither may work. They enter visa-free, file at MA 35 on the first working day of the year, and fly home before their 90 days end to wait for the decision.
Medicare generally does not cover them in Austria, and ÖGK self-insurance is open to them only once they live there with a valid permit. The US–Austria social security agreement covers pensions only (Austria social security agreements by country), so ÖGK does not count US cover towards waiving the self-insurance waiting period; how US years count towards an Austrian pension is on Austria pension for foreigners. With Care Austria Standard unlimited at €222 each, they pay €444 a month, or €5,328 for the first 12 months for both (more if cover does not start on 1 January, AVB § 3). From 1 January 2028 the rate for their age band rises to €268 each per the policy terms; both stay in the 50–64 band through 2028. The permit fee is €218 per person.
Health insurance for your move from the US
- Care Austria Standard unlimited costs €155 a month under 50, €222 at 50–64 and €510 at 65–74 (2026), with a minimum term of 1 year (AVB § 3).
- Cover cannot start before you enter Austria.
- Under 65, the 364-day tariff (€95 a month) is an option only with an extra MA 35 declaration.
- 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)
HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG) is the insurer and Care Concept AG the seller. Read the full plan and limits first, and ask in writing about pre-existing conditions before you apply.
Go to Care Concept’s application
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Frequently asked questions
Is it difficult for Americans to move to Austria?
Entering Austria takes no visa for Americans, but settling there takes a residence permit. US citizens need no visa for visits of up to 90 days in any 180 days (Interior Ministry visa list), but a stay of more than six months needs a residence permit for a specific purpose — a job, studies, family or your own means — as a rule with income, housing and all-risk health insurance that pays in Austria, depending on the title (bmi.gv.at). The retiree route has an annual quota: Vienna reports that its places are reserved “in the first minutes of the first working day”. We found no official ranking of how hard it is; the conditions per route are on Austrian residence permits.
Is it cheaper to live in Austria or the USA?
We found no official like-for-like comparison of living costs in Austria and the USA, so we do not give a verdict. On the Austrian side, Statistik Austria reports that people living alone spend about €2,700 a month on average (household budget survey 2024/25), that rent including operating costs averaged €10.5 per m² in the second quarter of 2026, and that inflation was 3.6 % in September 2026. For a first permit without a job you may also need private health insurance (first student permit: the OeAD statement route is an alternative), for example €155 a month under 50 (1-year minimum term, AVB § 3). Details: cost of living in Austria.
Does Medicare cover me if I live in Austria?
No, Medicare as a rule does not cover you in Austria. Medicare.gov states: “Medicare usually doesn't cover health care while you're traveling outside the U.S.”; the few exceptions are tied to the US, such as a foreign hospital closer than the nearest US hospital (medicare.gov, “Travel outside the U.S.”). An Austrian residence permit needs health insurance that covers all risks and pays in Austria (§ 11 NAG), so Medicare cannot be your permit insurance. Whether you keep paying Medicare premiums while abroad is a US decision we do not cover here.
Can a US citizen apply for the residence permit in Austria instead of at a consulate in the US?
Yes, the law lets a US citizen file in Austria after visa-free entry, with a catch. § 21 (2) 5 NAG lets “Fremde, die zur visumfreien Einreise berechtigt sind” — foreigners entitled to visa-free entry — file in Austria after a lawful entry (RIS). But the Austrian embassy warns that filing in Austria “does not create a right of residence beyond the visa-free period”, and that the decision on a first application “has to be waited for abroad” (bmeia.gv.at). In Vienna, MA 35 handles applications from people who may enter visa-free (wien.gv.at).
How do American retirees get health care in Austria if they are not working?
American retirees who do not work need private all-risk insurance for the first permit. A retiree’s settlement permit needs health insurance that pays in Austria (bmi.gv.at), and Medicare generally does not cover care in Austria. ÖGK self-insurance costs €565.25 a month in 2026 and pays benefits in kind only after a six-month waiting period unless waived (oesterreich.gv.at); the US–Austria social security agreement covers pensions only, so US cover does not count towards a waiver; for non-EU citizens ÖGK self-insurance needs an Austrian residence and a valid permit, so it is not an option for the first application. Care Austria Standard unlimited costs €222 a month at 50–64 and €510 at 65–74 (2026; minimum term 1 year, AVB § 3). More: retire in Austria.
Can I work in Austria during the 90 visa-free days as an American?
No, visa-free entry does not include work. It is for stays of up to 90 days per 180 days “in case of no gainful employment” (Austrian Embassy Washington). To work you need a residence permit with labour market access, for example a Red-White-Red Card in an employed category or an EU Blue Card with a job offer (migration.gv.at). If you meet the Red-White-Red Card criteria, migration.gv.at says you can use the visa-free stay to look for a job (migration.gv.at FAQ).
Do I pay the Austrian residence permit fee in dollars?
If you file at the consulate in the US, you pay in dollars. The Washington consular section’s fee table (“Consular Fees, October 2026”) lists USD 249 for a temporary residence permit card and USD 223 for a national visa D, payable in US dollars by cash, postal money order or cashier’s check — no personal checks or credit cards (bmeia.gv.at: consular fees). The euro fee is €218 for a temporary permit (bmeia.gv.at). The table is dated October 2026 — check it before you go.
Official sources
- Interior Ministry: visa-required countries (as of 16 October 2026)
- Austrian Embassy Washington: visa, settlement and residence and consular fees (checked 30 October 2026)
- § 21 NAG and § 11 NAG (RIS)
- Interior Ministry (BMI): general requirements, on all-risk insurance and on travel insurance not being sufficient for a residence title
- migration.gv.at: other forms of settlement, permanent immigration and the FAQ
- City of Vienna: immigration and residence; oesterreich.gv.at: ÖGK self-insurance
- medicare.gov, “Travel outside the U.S.” (US government page, cited as text)
- Care Austria policy terms (AVB) and tariff page (insurer documents, read 30 October 2026)
For our method, see the editorial standards and the page about this site. This page is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice; the consulate and the residence authority decide. Referral links may earn us a commission from Care Concept AG at no extra cost to you (affiliate disclosure).
Health insurance for Americans moving to Austria
Medicare generally does not follow you to Austria, and your permit needs all-risk cover that pays there. Check Care Austria’s price by age and its 1-year minimum term before you file.
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age 0–49: €155/month in 2026 · unlimited, min. 1 year (AVB § 3)
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