Sponsor income calculator Austria 2026: is your income enough for your spouse, children or parents?
This sponsor income calculator Austria 2026 checks your regular net income against €2,064.12 a month for a couple, plus €201.88 per child (BMI), as base amounts. Regular costs (rent, loans and maintenance) raise them by the part of their total above €386.43 a month (§ 11 (5) NAG). Parents follow different tests depending on the route. The result is an estimate; the authority decides.
Sponsor income calculator Austria 2026 (estimate)
Enter monthly net amounts in euros. Nothing you enter leaves this page. Estimate only — the immigration authority checks your documents and decides.
Enter your income to see the estimate.
Next step: spouse and children → family reunification in Austria; parents → can I bring my parents to Austria? Estimate only — the authority decides.
Formula (our reading of § 11 (5) NAG): needed = reference rate (€1,308.39 one adult, €2,064.12 couple, + €201.88 per child; settlement permit: €2,616.78 / €4,128.24) + the part of rent + loans + maintenance (in total) above €386.43, deducted once. With a Haftungserklärung: needed = €1,308.39 / €2,064.12; counted = parents’ own income + (your net − €1,308 provisional protected minimum) − the part of your and your parents’ rent + loans + maintenance (in total) above €386.43. The authority calculates the exact § 291a EO protected minimum, which rises with your income and dependants, so the counted figure is an upper limit. Not included: 13th/14th salaries, garnishments, savings, self-employed income.
Which income test applies to your family?
The income test depends on who moves. A spouse or child is checked against the § 293 ASVG reference rates. For a parent whom an Austrian citizen supports, the Austrian signs a liability declaration and only income above the protected minimum counts (§ 47 (3) NAG). A parent of a non-EU resident, as a rule, needs their own settlement-permit income. Pick yours before you trust any number.
Spouse or children join you
Your household income is checked against the reference rates of €2,064.12 net a month for a couple, plus €201.88 per child (2026). These are base amounts, and regular costs above €386.43 a month raise the requirement (§ 11 (5) NAG).
Read on in the family reunification guide.
Parent of an Austrian citizen
The national § 47 route is open to parents you actually support (§ 47 (3) Z 1 NAG) and possibly to parents as “other relatives” who already received maintenance from you in the home country, lived in your household there, or need your personal care for serious health reasons (Z 3). On it you sign a liability declaration, and only your income above the protected minimum counts. In § 57 cases, the EU-law route applies instead.
Read the guide for parents of Austrian citizens.
Parent of a non-EU resident
Parents are not family members (Familienangehörige, the core family of § 2 (1) Z 9 NAG), so the family-reunification rules of § 46 NAG do not cover parents of non-EU residents. The one exception is for 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); for both groups of parents, § 46a (4) NAG treats the housing, insurance and income conditions as met. Unless the resident’s spouse or registered partner is Austrian or an EEA/Swiss citizen (see the parents section below), the parent needs a settlement permit with own net income of €2,616.78 a month for one person or €4,128.24 for a couple (spouses or registered partners living together) (2026). These are base amounts; regular costs above €386.43 a month raise them (§ 11 (5) NAG).
More on the Niederlassungsbewilligung.
Family of an EU citizen
This is the EU-law route with the Aufenthaltskarte. There is no § 11 income test; the EU citizen’s own right of residence counts.
Read Aufenthaltskarte for spouses and children, or the same route for parents.
Sponsor income in Austria in 7 official facts
| Fact | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Legal test | The stay must not be a financial burden on a public body (§ 11 (2) 4) | § 11 NAG |
| Income level | Fixed, regular income equal to the § 293 ASVG reference rates | § 11 (5) NAG |
| Rates 2026, net per month | €1,308.39 single · €2,064.12 couple · + €201.88 per child (base; more if regular costs exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG) | bmi.gv.at |
| Outgoings | Rent, loans, garnishments, maintenance to third parties reduce the income | § 11 (5) NAG |
| Cost allowance 2026 | €386.43 a month of regular costs (in total, not per item) disregarded once; only the part above it raises the income needed | § 11 (5) NAG; § 292 (3) ASVG |
| Liability declaration | Only income above the protected minimum (§ 291a EO) counts, after regular costs; basic amount 2026 €1,308 (used here as a provisional figure — the authority calculates the exact amount) | § 11 (5) NAG; Justice Ministry |
| First applications | Benefits that would arise only through the permit do not count | § 11 (5) NAG |
How much income do you need to bring a spouse or children to Austria?
For a couple in 2026 you need at least €2,064.12 net a month, plus €201.88 per child, as a base before the part of your regular costs (rent, loans, maintenance in total) above €386.43 a month is added (bmi.gv.at; migration.gv.at). The figure is for your whole household after the move, net per month.
| Household after the move | Net income needed a month |
|---|---|
| You + 1 child (single parent) | €1,510.27 |
| You + spouse | €2,064.12 |
| You + spouse + 1 child | €2,266.00 |
| You + spouse + 2 children | €2,467.88 |
| You + spouse + 3 children | €2,669.76 |
Spouses and registered partners must be at least 21 when applying, and children count only if they are unmarried and under 18 at the time of application (migration.gv.at). To turn a gross salary into the net figure, use the Austria salary calculator. If you hold a Red-White-Red Card, your family’s permit is the Red-White-Red Card plus (explained on the Red-White-Red Card page).
How do rent, loans and maintenance change the income you need?
Rent, loans and maintenance raise the income you need euro for euro, except the first €386.43 a month of all regular costs together (2026). The law lists rent, loan repayments, garnishments and maintenance paid to people outside your household as outgoings that reduce your income, and leaves one amount up to the § 292 (3) ASVG figure out of account (§ 11 (5) NAG, our summary). The Interior Ministry’s English page adds that accommodation costs must be taken into account (bmi.gv.at).
| Rent a month | Counted rent | Net income needed |
|---|---|---|
| €300.00 | €0.00 | €2,064.12 |
| €600.00 | €213.57 | €2,277.69 |
| €900.00 | €513.57 | €2,577.69 |
| €1,200.00 | €813.57 | €2,877.69 |
The allowance applies once (“einmalig”) to the total, not to each cost. With rent of €300 and loan repayments of €200 a month, €113.57 is added, not €200. The calculator deducts the €386.43 (2026) once from the sum of rent, loans and maintenance (§ 11 (5) NAG); the authority decides. To look for a flat first, see how to find a flat in Austria.
How much must you earn to sponsor your parents?
The income needed to sponsor parents in Austria in 2026 depends on whether you are an Austrian citizen, a non-EU resident or an EU citizen. An Austrian citizen on the national § 47 route signs a liability declaration, and only income above the protected minimum counts. That route is open to parents the Austrian actually supports (§ 47 (3) Z 1 NAG) and possibly to “other relatives” under Z 3 (maintenance already received from the sponsor in the home country, household community there, or serious health reasons that make the sponsor’s personal care essential). An Austrian covered by § 57 NAG uses the EU-law route instead. As a rule, a non-EU resident cannot sponsor parents on their own permit (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); the parents need their own income, unless the resident’s spouse or registered partner is Austrian (§ 47 (3) Z 1 NAG) or an EEA/Swiss citizen (§ 52 (1) Z 3 NAG). The table compares the three parent routes.
| Your status | Parent’s permit | Whose income counts | Figure 2026 (net a month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian citizen not covered by § 57 NAG (did not both use an EU-law right of residence for more than 3 months in another EEA country or Switzerland and return not merely temporarily) | Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger + your Haftungserklärung (if you actually support the parent, § 47 (3) Z 1 NAG, or possibly if a Z 3 “other relatives” case applies — maintenance already received from you in the home country, household community there, or serious health reasons needing your personal care; otherwise the § 44 settlement permit with a quota place) | Parent’s own income + your income above the protected minimum | €1,308.39 one parent · €2,064.12 both (regular costs of you and your parents above €386.43 in total reduce the income counted, § 11 (5) NAG) |
| Non-EU resident (RWR card, Blue Card, Daueraufenthalt EU) | Settlement permit without employment (§ 44), quota place | Only the parents’ own income | €2,616.78 one · €4,128.24 couple (base; more if regular costs exceed €386.43, § 11 (5) NAG) |
| EU/EEA citizen using free movement, or 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 (§ 57 NAG) | Aufenthaltskarte | No § 11 income test; proof that you maintain the parent | — |
Sources: § 11 NAG, § 44 NAG, § 47 NAG, migration.gv.at, Justice Ministry 2026. The liability declaration must be certified by an Austrian notary or court, runs for at least five years (§ 2 (1) 15 NAG; the BMI form states five years) and cannot be withdrawn (see Haftungserklärung). All parent routes are compared on can I bring my parents to Austria?, and the quota dates for the settlement permit are on quota booking.
Three worked examples, one for each test
The three people below are illustrative examples, not real cases.
1. Rahul, Red-White-Red Card holder in Vienna, brings his wife (29) and their son (4). His regular net income is €2,900.00 a month, his rent €750.00 a month, and he has no loans. At the 2026 rates he needs €2,064.12 + €201.88 + (regular costs €750.00 − €386.43) = €2,629.57. He comes out €270.43 above. This is an estimate; the authority checks his payslips and contract.
2. Ayşe, an Austrian citizen in Linz who has never used EU free movement (no § 57 case), brings her widowed mother (68) from Turkey, whom she already supports (§ 47 (3) Z 1 NAG). Her mother has a pension of €300.00 a month and will live in Ayşe’s flat, where the rent is €700.00 a month; neither has loans. Ayşe’s net income is €3,000.00 a month. With the Haftungserklärung, at most €3,000.00 − €1,308 (provisional protected minimum) = €1,692.00 of it counts, and the rent above the once-only allowance comes off (€700.00 − €386.43 = €313.57). At most €300.00 + €1,692.00 − €313.57 = €1,678.43 is counted, against €1,308.39 for one parent (2026), so she is up to €370.04 above. The authority calculates Ayşe’s exact § 291a EO protected minimum, which is higher than the basic amount, so it will count less; the margin shown is the most she can expect.
3. Linda and Mark (66 and 67), US citizens, want to live near their daughter, an EU Blue Card holder in Graz. Her salary does not count, because they need their own settlement permit. Their pensions come to €3,800.00 a month together, and their rent is €900.00 a month. At the 2026 rates they need €4,128.24 + (regular costs €900.00 − €386.43) = €4,641.81, so they are €841.81 below. They also need a quota place and an A1 German certificate each; see Austria retirement visa.
What does this calculator leave out?
This sponsor income calculator leaves out the 13th and 14th salaries, garnishments, savings, self-employed income and your exact protected minimum, because they depend on your documents rather than on the 2026 figures. Check these points with the authority.
Is the income test the only money question in the file?
The income test is not the only money question: the same permit file needs all-risk health insurance that pays in Austria (§ 11 (2) 3 NAG), and for a national residence title the Interior Ministry calls travel insurance “in any case not sufficient” (bmi.gv.at, our translation). Co-insurance needs residence in Austria. A spouse or child filing from abroad is not on your ÖGK yet and can be co-insured only once they live here (ÖGK co-insurance). A parent can be co-insured only after at least 10 months in your household, plus further conditions, and only one relative can be co-insured on that ground (oegk.at).
For spouses, children and parents of Austrian citizens or non-EU residents, one private option is Care Austria Standard, unlimited tariff, at €155 a month under 50, €222 at 50–64 and €510 at 65–74 (2026 prices; from 1 January 2028 €187 / €268 / €617; 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3)). The insurer is HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG). For a parent, confirm in writing that a new contract can start at their age and ask about pre-existing conditions before you buy. The details are on health insurance for a residence permit and Care Austria plans. For family of EU citizens on the Aufenthaltskarte, see that page; we do not show a plan for that route.
Income checked — the insurance goes in the same file
A spouse, child or parent needs all-risk health insurance that pays in Austria for the permit. They are not on your ÖGK when they file; a parent waits at least 10 months in your household. Compare the plans and the 1-year minimum term first.
Referral link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you (how we are paid).
Frequently asked questions
How much income do I need to bring my wife or husband to Austria in 2026?
You need at least the 2026 reference rate for a married couple, €2,064.12 net a month, plus €201.88 for each child (bmi.gv.at). These are base amounts: regular costs — rent, loan repayments and maintenance you pay to people outside the household — count against that income, and only the part of their total above €386.43 a month (2026) raises the amount you need (§ 11 (5) NAG; § 292 (3) ASVG). Use the calculator above for your own numbers; the route is on family reunification in Austria.
Does my rent reduce the income the authority counts?
Yes, your rent reduces the counted income, after a one-off allowance. § 11 (5) NAG says regular outgoings such as rent reduce your income, and that once an amount up to the figure in § 292 (3) ASVG is left out of account (§ 11 (5) NAG). In 2026 that figure is €386.43 a month, the value of the freie Station (§ 292 (3) ASVG). It is disregarded once from the total of your regular costs — rent, loans and maintenance together, not per item — and only the part above it raises the income you need. This calculator deducts it that way.
How much extra income does each child add to the requirement?
Each child adds €201.88 net a month in 2026 on top of the rate for one adult (€1,308.39) or a couple (€2,064.12) (bmi.gv.at). For the settlement permit without employment (§ 44) the child figure is twice that: €403.76 (migration.gv.at). All are base amounts; regular costs above €386.43 a month raise them (§ 11 (5) NAG).
Do loans and maintenance payments count against my income?
Yes, both count as regular outgoings. The law names rent, loan repayments, garnishments and maintenance paid to people who do not live in your household as regular outgoings that reduce your fixed and regular income (§ 11 (5) NAG). Enter them in the calculator: it deducts the €386.43 allowance (2026) once from the total of rent, loans and maintenance, and adds only the part above it to the amount needed.
Why does only part of my income count when I sign a Haftungserklärung?
Because the law protects your own minimum: with a liability declaration only the part of your income above the protected minimum under § 291a of the Enforcement Act (EO) counts (§ 11 (5) NAG). The 2026 general basic amount is €1,308 a month, and the protected amount rises with your income and with people you support (Justice Ministry tables 2026). The calculator uses €1,308 only as a provisional protected minimum, so it shows an upper limit; the authority calculates your exact § 291a EO amount. It does deduct regular costs: your and your parent’s rent, loans and maintenance in total, minus €386.43 disregarded once (2026), reduce the income counted (§ 11 (5) NAG). More on the Haftungserklärung.
Do the 13th and 14th salaries count towards the income requirement?
The Interior Ministry’s page does not say how special payments are treated (bmi.gv.at), and we found no official rule on spreading them over twelve months. Enter your regular monthly net in the calculator and ask the immigration office how it treats your 13th and 14th salary before you rely on them. Your net from a gross salary: Austria salary calculator.
Do social benefits count as income for a first residence permit?
Social benefits that you could claim only once the permit is granted, in particular social assistance or the equalisation supplement, are not taken into account in first applications (§ 11 (5) NAG). The income must allow a life without social assistance.
Official sources
- § 11 NAG — general conditions, income, outgoings, liability declaration and § 44 NAG — settlement permit without employment (Federal Legal Information System, version 30 October 2026)
- Interior Ministry: means of subsistence 2026, health insurance (last update 10 February 2026) and English version
- § 292 (3) ASVG — value of the freie Station (2026: €386.43, BGBl. II 263/2025); OeAD: residence permit for students — same 2026 figure
- migration.gv.at: family reunification and other forms of settlement (income 2026)
- Justice Ministry: protected minimum (Existenzminimum) 2026
- ÖGK: co-insurance of relatives
How we work is described in our editorial standards. You can also read about this site or contact us. This calculator is an estimate and general information, not legal advice; the immigration authority checks your documents and decides. Figures are for 2026. Referral links on this site may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you (affiliate disclosure).