Aufenthaltskarte Österreich: the residence card for parents of EU citizens, and their health insurance
The Aufenthaltskarte Österreich is the residence card in Austria for non-EU parents whom an EU citizen living there actually supports: five years (or the planned shorter stay), no quota, no own-income test and a fee of €91 in 2026, applied for in person within four months of entry (oesterreich.gv.at, § 54 NAG). Health insurance is a legal condition only if the child is retired, self-sufficient or a student (§ 51 NAG).
Information only. This page shows no private insurance price and no application link. Whether a private permit tariff such as Care Austria can insure a parent who holds an EU-law residence card is not confirmed to us; we have asked Care Concept and will update this page when they answer in writing. Facts checked 30 October 2026.
Which route fits your parents? Start with your own status
The route depends on who the child is, and the insurance rule depends on what the child does. Your parents’ nationality matters only for the entry visa. Find your box below.
You are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen and you work in Austria
Your parents use the Aufenthaltskarte if you actually support them. The law sets no insurance condition, but your parents are not insured on arrival, so plan cover anyway.
Read on under health insurance.
You are an EU citizen who is retired, self-sufficient or studying
Your parents use the Aufenthaltskarte if you actually support them, and sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance for the whole family are a legal condition (§ 51 (1) 2 NAG). If you are a student, ask the authority first whether parents qualify.
The rules are under health insurance.
You are Austrian
If you used an EU-law right of residence for more than 3 months in another EEA country or Switzerland and returned not merely temporarily, your parents use the Aufenthaltskarte if you actually support them (§ 57). If you do not meet these § 57 conditions, the route is the Angehöriger permit for parents you or your spouse actually support (§ 47 (3) NAG).
See who qualifies.
You are not an EU citizen
Parents of non-EU residents get no family route under the NAG (one exception: parents of a recognised refugee, or a minor with subsidiary protection, who was an unaccompanied minor when applying for protection, § 46a (5) Z 2 and 3 NAG), unless your spouse is an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in Austria under EU law: then your parents are the spouse’s parents-in-law and can use the Aufenthaltskarte if you or your spouse actually support them (§ 52 (1) 3 NAG). If your spouse is Austrian, your parents are the spouse’s parents-in-law and can get the quota-free Angehöriger permit if you or your spouse actually support them (§ 47 (3) 1 NAG). Otherwise they need their own settlement permit with a quota place, or they visit (how to invite parents to Austria for a visit).
Compare the three parent routes.
Aufenthaltskarte Österreich for parents: 9 official facts
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Parents and parents-in-law of the EU citizen or of the spouse, “sofern ihnen von diesen Unterhalt tatsächlich gewährt wird” — if actually maintained by them | § 52 (1) 3 NAG |
| Card | Residence card for five years or the planned shorter stay, on application | § 54 (1) NAG |
| Proof | Proof of the actual provision of maintenance | § 54 (2) NAG |
| Deadline | Apply in person within four months of entry into Austria | oesterreich.gv.at |
| Fee | €91 (€39 under 16) | oesterreich.gv.at |
| Quota | None — the residence card is not a quota title; it is absent from the categories in the 2025 Settlement Regulation | NLV (RIS, PDF) |
| Work | Free access to the Austrian labour market | oesterreich.gv.at |
| Insurance | Required for the family only if the EU citizen is economically inactive or a student | § 51 (1) NAG |
| After 5 years | Permanent residence card on application, valid 10 years | oesterreich.gv.at |
What is the Aufenthaltskarte (residence card) in Austria?
The Aufenthaltskarte is the residence card that confirms the right of residence of a non-EU family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who lives in Austria under EU free-movement law. Austria’s Settlement and Residence Act (NAG) gives these family members the right to stay for more than three months and a residence card for five years or the planned shorter stay (§ 54 NAG). It is not one of Austria’s national permits such as the Niederlassungsbewilligung. The card confirms a right that comes from EU law, which is why there is no quota and no national income test for the parent.
For a family thinking about an older parent, three points stand out. The card covers parents and parents-in-law, so a non-EU mother-in-law can qualify through the EU citizen’s spouse (§ 52 (1) 3 NAG). The parent may work, but does not have to. If the EU child dies, leaves Austria or divorces, special rules decide whether a non-EU parent keeps the card (§ 54 NAG), so ask the authority. EU citizens themselves get a different document, the registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung); their non-EU spouses and children use the same residence card as the parents (family reunification in Austria).
Who qualifies: which parents can get an Aufenthaltskarte?
A non-EU parent or parent-in-law qualifies for an Aufenthaltskarte if the EU citizen (or the citizen’s spouse or registered partner) actually supports them and the EU citizen lives in Austria under EU law. The key word is support. The law calls it maintenance (Unterhalt) that must actually be provided (§ 52 (1) 3 NAG), and the application needs proof of it (§ 54 (2) NAG). Neither the law nor the official portal sets an amount, so ask the authority which evidence it accepts. A parent you do not support cannot get the card under § 52 (1) 3. Such a parent may possibly count as an “other relative” under § 52 (1) 5 NAG (you already supported them in the home country, they lived in your household there, or they need your personal care for serious health reasons); that route leads to a quota-free settlement permit with your liability declaration (§ 56 NAG), not to the card, so ask the authority first.
| The child in Austria is … | Route for the parent | Quota? | Own page |
|---|---|---|---|
| An EU/EEA/Swiss citizen working or self-employed here | Aufenthaltskarte, if the citizen or the spouse actually supports the parent | No | This page |
| An EU citizen who is retired or lives on own means | Aufenthaltskarte, if actually supported; sufficient resources and health insurance for the family required (§ 51 (1) 2) | No | This page |
| An EU citizen who is a student | Ask the authority: Your Europe says parents of students are treated as “more distant relatives” | No | This page |
| An Austrian who used an EU-law right of residence for more than 3 months in another EEA country or Switzerland and returned not merely temporarily | Aufenthaltskarte, if the Austrian or the spouse actually supports the parent (§ 57 NAG) | No | This page |
| An Austrian who does not meet those § 57 conditions | Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger, if the Austrian or the spouse actually supports the parent (§ 47 (3) NAG) | No | Parents of Austrian citizens |
| A non-EU citizen (Red-White-Red Card, Blue Card, permanent residence) not married to an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen living here under EU law or to an Austrian (married to an Austrian: Angehöriger permit for the spouse’s parents-in-law, § 47 (3) 1 NAG) | Own settlement permit; €2,616.78 a month income (single, 2026 base; more if regular costs exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG) | Yes | Can I bring my parents? |
The EU-level guidance treats dependent non-EU parents like non-EU spouses and children “as long as they are dependent on you”; if the EU citizen is a student, parents count as “more distant relatives”; and an EU citizen in their own country falls under national rules only (Your Europe: parents, last checked 1 July 2026), unless they used an EU-law right of residence for more than 3 months in another EEA country or Switzerland and returned not merely temporarily (§ 57 NAG). The Austrian text of § 52 contains no student exception, so a student family should ask the authority first. Spouses, partners and children have their own page, Aufenthaltskarte for EU family members.
How do parents apply for the Aufenthaltskarte, step by step?
Parents apply for the Aufenthaltskarte in person at the residence authority in Austria within four months of entry; the card cannot be applied for from abroad. The official portal names the competent Niederlassungsbehörde and the four-month deadline (oesterreich.gv.at). In Vienna that is MA 35 (MA 35 Vienna in English).
- 1Check the two conditions
You (or your spouse) are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in Austria under EU law, or an Austrian returning after more than 3 months of EU-law residence in another EEA country or Switzerland (§ 57 NAG), and you or your spouse actually maintain your parent.
- 2Collect the documents at home
Passport, photo, birth certificate showing the family link, proof of your support (for example regular transfers) and your own registration certificate.
- 3Visa, if your parent needs one
Apply for the entry visa as the family member of an EU citizen; under EU rules it should be free of charge and issued under an accelerated procedure.
- 4Arrange health cover before travel
Required by law if you are retired, live on your own means or study; a practical need if you work, because your parent is not co-insured on arrival.
- 5Register the address and apply within 4 months
In person at the residence authority for the new address (MA 35 in Vienna) and pay the card fee.
- 6Five years later
Apply for the permanent residence card (Daueraufenthaltskarte), valid for ten years.
Documents named on the official portal and in § 54 (2) NAG, plus proof of health insurance, in the order to collect them:
This list comes from oesterreich.gv.at (updated 10 August 2026), § 54 (2) NAG (registration certificate) and Your Europe. The authority can ask for more. We found no official processing time for the card. Every fee is listed on Austria visa fees.
Do parents need health insurance for the Aufenthaltskarte?
Health insurance is a legal condition for the Aufenthaltskarte only if the EU child is economically inactive or a student. A parent is not automatically insured in Austria, though, so cover is needed in every case. The NAG gives EU citizens who work or are self-employed a right of residence without an insurance clause (§ 51 (1) 1 NAG). EU citizens who live on their own means, such as pensioners, and students must have sufficient resources and “einen umfassenden Krankenversicherungsschutz” (comprehensive health insurance) for themselves and their family members (§ 51 (1) 2 and 3 NAG). The official document list for the card does not name insurance, but the list may not be complete.
| The EU child … | Is insurance a legal condition? | Is the parent insured on arrival? | What to plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works or is self-employed in Austria | No (§ 51 (1) 1) | No — not co-insured for at least 10 months | Private cover as a practical need |
| Is retired or lives on own means | Yes, comprehensive cover for the family (§ 51 (1) 2) | No | Show comprehensive cover with the application |
| Is a student | Yes (§ 51 (1) 3), and the parent’s eligibility itself is uncertain | No | Ask the authority first |
| Parent starts a job in Austria | — | Yes, compulsory ÖGK insurance through the job if the job is subject to compulsory insurance; a marginal job up to €551.10 a month (2026) gives accident insurance only | Employer registers the parent |
Why “not required” does not mean “not needed”. A parent who arrives on this card is not automatically in Austria’s public system. The ÖGK can co-insure a parent only after at least 10 months in the child’s household, and only if the parent runs that household unpaid or raises a child there and no able-bodied spouse of the insured person lives there (oegk.at; § 123 ASVG); the details are on ÖGK co-insurance. ÖGK self-insurance costs €565.25 a month in 2026, needs residence in Austria and pays benefits only after a six-month waiting period, unless enough recent statutory cover in Austria, the EU/EEA or a treaty state whose agreement adds up insurance periods waives it (oegk.at). We found no ÖGK statement on whether it treats the EU-law card as the “valid residence title” it asks third-country nationals for, so ask the ÖGK (ÖGK self-insurance). The Interior Ministry’s statement that travel insurance is “in any case not sufficient” (bmi.gv.at, our translation) concerns national residence titles, not this card. For the Aufenthaltskarte, § 51 NAG decides. Where § 51 requires insurance, ask the authority which evidence it accepts.
We found no definition of what “comprehensive” has to cover for this card on the official pages we read. For national permits the rule is cover for all risks that pays in Austria (health insurance for a residence permit); it gives you a reference point when you ask an insurer. Once your parent is insured, health care in Austria explains how public care works.
What happens after five years on the card?
Your parent can apply for the permanent residence card (Daueraufenthaltskarte), valid for ten years, after five years of continuous lawful residence (oesterreich.gv.at); its fee in 2026 is €91. National permanent residence for other non-EU citizens works differently and is explained on Austria permanent residence permit.
Worked example: a mother from Colombia joins her Spanish daughter in Vienna
Illustrative example: Rosa, 68, from Medellín, is widowed; her daughter Lucía, a Spanish citizen, works as a nurse in Vienna and has sent her money every month for three years. Rosa is a non-EU parent of an EU citizen who works in Austria and maintains her, so she can use the Aufenthaltskarte. Lucía keeps the bank statements of her transfers as proof of maintenance and orders Rosa’s birth certificate and Lucía’s own as proof of the family link.
Rosa first checks whether her nationality needs a visa; if it does, it should be free of charge and issued under an accelerated procedure as the parent of an EU citizen. She then enters Austria, registers at Lucía’s address and, within four months, applies in person at MA 35 with her passport, photo, documents and the €91 fee (2026). Because Lucía works, the law does not make health insurance a condition. But Rosa is not insured in Austria when she arrives, and she cannot be co-insured on Lucía’s ÖGK for at least ten months, and then only if further conditions are met. The family therefore arranges private cover before the flight and asks the insurer, in writing, about Rosa’s age and pre-existing conditions. After five years Rosa can apply for the permanent residence card.
How does the Aufenthaltskarte compare with the other parent routes?
The Aufenthaltskarte has no quota, no national own-income test for the parent and a €91 fee (2026), unlike the two national parent routes shown below.
| Point | Aufenthaltskarte (EU child) | Angehöriger (Austrian child) | Settlement permit (non-EU child) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quota | No | No | Yes |
| Fee | €91 | €218 | €218 |
| Where to apply | In Austria, within 4 months of entry | As a rule abroad, before entry; in Austria only if visa-free (§ 21 (1), (2) Z 5 NAG) | As a rule abroad, before entry; in Austria only if visa-free (§ 21 (1), (2) Z 5 NAG) |
| Income test | No own-income test; proof of the child’s support (a retired, self-sufficient or student child needs sufficient resources for the family, § 51 (1) 2 NAG) | Liability declaration and income rules | €2,616.78 a month single (2026 base; more if regular costs exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG) |
| Health insurance | Legal condition only if the child is inactive or a student | All-risk cover that pays in Austria | All-risk cover that pays in Austria |
| Work | Allowed | Not allowed | Not allowed |
Each route is covered in more detail on can I bring my parents to Austria?, parents of Austrian citizens, Austria retirement visa and all Austrian residence permits. The sponsor income calculator estimates the income for the two national routes. For a British parent whose child holds an EU passport, read moving to Austria from the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Where and when do my parents apply for the Aufenthaltskarte?
In Austria, in person, within four months of entering. Austria’s citizen portal says: “Die Beantragung der ‘Aufenthaltskarte’ muss binnen vier Monaten ab Einreise nach Österreich erfolgen” — the card must be applied for within four months of entry — at the residence authority (Niederlassungsbehörde) for the address where your parents live (oesterreich.gv.at). In Vienna that is MA 35 (MA 35 Vienna). Your parents need a valid passport, a recent photo, a birth certificate showing the family link and proof that you (or your spouse) maintain them, plus your registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) or certificate of permanent residence (§ 54 (2) NAG).
Do my parents need health insurance for the Aufenthaltskarte?
Health insurance is a legal condition for the Aufenthaltskarte only in some cases, depending on your own status. If you work or are self-employed in Austria, the law sets no health-insurance condition for your family (§ 51 (1) 1 NAG), and the official document list does not ask for one. If you are retired, live on your own means or are a student, you must have sufficient resources and “comprehensive health insurance” for yourself and your family members (§ 51 (1) 2 and 3 NAG) — then it is a legal condition. Either way your parents are not automatically insured in Austria when they arrive, so they need cover from day one.
Are parents of an EU worker co-insured with the ÖGK when they arrive?
No, parents of an EU worker are not co-insured with the ÖGK when they arrive. The ÖGK can co-insure a parent only if the parent has lived in the insured person’s household for at least 10 months and has run that household unpaid for those 10 months or raises a child there — and only if no able-bodied spouse of the insured person lives in the household (oegk.at; § 123 ASVG). The insured child then pays an extra contribution of 3.4 % of the child’s contribution base (§ 51d ASVG) unless an exemption applies. So co-insurance can be a later option, never the cover for the first months. Details: ÖGK co-insurance.
Do my non-EU parents need a visa to join me in Austria?
That depends on their nationality. The European Commission’s Your Europe portal says a non-EU family member “may need a visa” depending on the country they are from, and that such a visa “should be free of charge and issued under an accelerated application procedure” (Your Europe: non-EU family members, last checked 28 October 2026). For the visa they show a valid passport, your EU passport or ID card, proof of the family link and proof of dependency. After entry, the four months for the Aufenthaltskarte start running.
What proof of maintenance do parents need for the Aufenthaltskarte?
Proof that you, or your spouse or registered partner, actually support them. For parents and other relatives in the ascending line the law asks for “ein Nachweis über die tatsächliche Unterhaltsgewährung” — proof of the actual provision of maintenance (§ 54 (2) NAG). The official portal lists “Nachweis über Unterhaltsgewährung” among the documents (oesterreich.gv.at), but neither source sets an amount or a period. We found no official list of accepted proofs, and regular bank transfers to your parents are only an example of what you could offer, so ask your authority before your parents travel.
Can my parents stay permanently after five years on the Aufenthaltskarte?
Yes, your parents can get a permanent card. The portal says: “Nach fünf Jahren ununterbrochenem rechtmäßigem Aufenthalt in Österreich erhalten sie auf Antrag eine ‘Daueraufenthaltskarte’” — after five years of continuous lawful residence they receive a permanent residence card on application, valid for ten years (oesterreich.gv.at). The fee for the permanent card in 2026 is €91, the same as for the first card.
I am Austrian and lived in another EEA country or Switzerland: can my parents get the Aufenthaltskarte?
Yes, your parents may get the Aufenthaltskarte if you used your EU right of residence in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland for more than three months and now return to Austria not merely temporarily. Then § 57 NAG applies the EU rules “sinngemäß” — accordingly — to your relatives (§ 57 NAG), so a parent you maintain may qualify for the Aufenthaltskarte instead of the national permit. Austrians who do not meet these § 57 conditions can sponsor parents they actually support for the “Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger” with its own income, German A1 and insurance rules (§ 47 NAG; parents of Austrian citizens).
Official sources
- oesterreich.gv.at: Aufenthaltskarte (updated 10 August 2026), on the deadline, documents, fee, the 5 and 10 years and the labour market
- § 51, § 52, § 54, § 57 and § 47 NAG (RIS)
- Settlement regulation (NLV), BGBl. II 309/2025, on the quota categories
- § 123 ASVG (RIS) and ÖGK: co-insurance of relatives; ÖGK: self-insurance
- BMI: insurance requirements for national residence titles (not the Aufenthaltskarte standard)
- European Commission, Your Europe: travel documents for non-EU family members (last checked 28 October 2026) and parents (last checked 1 July 2026)
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