The Red-White-Red Card plus: any employer, anywhere in Austria
The Red-White-Red Card plus is the settlement title that ends the tie to one employer: its holder may work for anyone, or for himself/herself, anywhere in Austria.
It sits in § 41a of the Settlement and Residence Act (Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz, NAG); § 17 of the Act Governing the Employment of Foreign Nationals (Ausländerbeschäftigungsgesetz, AuslBG) gives the right to work. The two usual doors: a holder of a Red-White-Red Card or an EU Blue Card may move to it after 24 months, if the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS) confirms 21 of the last 24 months in employment under its conditions; the spouse and minor children of a Red-White-Red Card holder receive it from the outset, as of right and without a quota (§ 46(1)(1) NAG), and the family of an EU Blue Card holder may be granted it, quota-free, at the authority’s discretion — in practice granted (§ 46(3) NAG).
| Official name | Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte plus (Red-White-Red Card plus) |
|---|---|
| Who it is for | Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card holders after two years, and the spouse and children of a card holder |
| Main requirement | 21 of the last 24 months employed under the card’s conditions, confirmed by the AMS — or the family tie |
| Right to work | Unrestricted: any employer, or self-employment, anywhere in Austria (§ 17 AuslBG) |
| Validity | 12 months, or 3 years where Module 1 is fulfilled and two years of lawful settlement have passed (§ 20(1a) NAG) — on our reading a former Red-White-Red Card holder meets both, since the card counts as Module 1, though the official portal states one year as the default; 12 months after an EU Blue Card unless Module 1 is otherwise fulfilled; for the family of a card holder, as long as the sponsor’s card, or two years where the sponsor already holds the plus card (§ 46(1a), (6) NAG) |
The legal basis
Summary of § 41a and § 46 NAG, with § 17 and § 20e AuslBG — not the statutory wording
Under § 41a(1) NAG a Red-White-Red Card plus may be issued, on a change-of-purpose application filed alone or with the card’s renewal (§ 24(4) or § 26 NAG), to a third-country national who
- has held a Red-White-Red Card under § 41(1) or § 41(2)(1)–(3a), the employed categories, for two years;
- meets the general requirements of the Act, without the exception § 41 makes for accommodation and means; and
- has been confirmed by the AMS to the authority, under § 20e(1)(2) AuslBG and within 6 weeks since 7 August 2026, as employed under the conditions of the admission for 21 of the last 24 months.
§ 41a(2) NAG says the same for an EU Blue Card holder. Under § 46(1)(1) NAG a Red-White-Red Card holder’s spouse, registered partner and unmarried minor children receive the plus card as of right and without a quota, for as long as the sponsor’s card (§ 46(1a) NAG); the family of an EU Blue Card holder may be granted it, quota-free, under the discretionary wording of § 46(3) NAG, decided within eight weeks (§ 46(6)). The plus card runs 12 months (§ 20(1) NAG), or 3 years where Module 1 of the Integration Agreement is fulfilled and the holder has been lawfully settled for the last two years (§ 20(1a) NAG); on our reading a Red-White-Red Card holder meets both at the changeover, since the card counts as Module 1 (§ 9(4) Integrationsgesetz), though the official portals state the default as one year. § 41a(7b) NAG adds a door for displaced persons from Ukraine, since 1 October 2024.
The conditions above are set out in § 41a and § 46 NAG, with § 17 and § 20e AuslBG: § 41a NAG, § 46 NAG, § 43 NAG, § 20 NAG, § 17 AuslBG, § 20e AuslBG. The consolidated German text is published in the Austrian legal information system (RIS); the English on this page is a summary, and where the two differ the German text governs.
What each requirement means
Two years on the card, and 21 of the last 24 months in employment under its conditions
Beyond employment itself, § 20e(2) AuslBG counts annual leave, maternity benefit, parental and educational leave, a short agreed leave of absence and sick leave with continued pay. Unemployment is not among them: the 6 months of job search the card allows after a job loss keep the card but do not count, so, on the face of § 20e AuslBG, a gap of more than 3 months inside the 24 would prevent the 21 being reached for that application. The card is then renewed with the same purpose if its own conditions still exist (§ 24(3) NAG), and § 43(4) NAG allows a plain settlement permit, which carries self-employment only.
Or: you are the spouse, registered partner or child of a card holder
Family means the spouse or registered partner, both at least 21 on the day of filing, and unmarried children under 18 on that day. Each meets the general requirements in his/her own right and shows German at level A1 before entry, with a certificate not older than 12 months, unless the sponsor holds the card for the very highly qualified, an EU Blue Card or a researcher permit. The family routes, compared.
The general requirements of the Act, this time in full
§ 41a(1) NAG asks for “the requirements of Part 1” without the exception § 41 makes for the card, so accommodation and means are proved here: a lease or proof of ownership, all-risk health insurance valid in Austria, and income at the reference rate, €1,308.39 a month net for a single person in 2026 after regular outgoings — rent, loan instalments, maintenance — above €386.43 are deducted. A card holder shows no German: the Red-White-Red Card counts as fulfilment of Module 1 (§ 9(4) Integrationsgesetz). A former EU Blue Card holder has 2 years from the plus card to fulfil it, unless a school-leaving qualification giving university entrance already counts (§ 9(4)(3)).
12 months, or 3 years with Module 1 and two years of settlement; the sponsor’s term for the family — and renewal before expiry
On our reading of § 20(1a) NAG a former Red-White-Red Card holder’s first plus card is a 3-year card, since the card counts as Module 1 and two years of settlement are already required; the official portals state the default as one year, and a passport valid for less than three years shortens the card. A former EU Blue Card holder receives 12 months unless Module 1 is already fulfilled; a family member’s card runs as long as the sponsor’s, or two years where the sponsor holds a plus card. A renewal is filed before expiry, at the earliest 3 months before (§ 24(1) NAG); a later filing counts as a first application. The fee is €218 for the first card and each renewal since 1 January 2026. Renewal, on the procedure page.
Can I change employer, or become self-employed, on the plus card?
Yes, without asking. § 17 AuslBG entitles the holder to take up employment anywhere in Austria, and § 8(1)(2) NAG adds self-employment; the card’s 45-day provisional start on a change of employer has no counterpart here. Nor is the plus card tied to a job: the rule that withdraws a card on an AMS report (§ 28(6) NAG) lists the employer-bound titles — § 41, § 42 and others — but not § 41a, so a period without work does not by itself end it, though means and insurance are tested again at the next renewal. Changing employer, on the FAQ.
From the plus card to permanent residence
The plus card and the card before it are settlement titles, so the years on both count in full towards the 5 years of uninterrupted settlement that “Long-term Resident – EU” requires under § 45 NAG, together with Module 2 (German at B1), and absences of more than 10 months in total, or more than 6 at a stretch, break the period. For a worker who arrived on a Red-White-Red Card the five years are complete, on that reading, when the first three-year plus card expires — 24 months on the card and 36 on the plus card (with a one-year plus card, during its renewal); the application for the unlimited title (€275 since 1 January 2026) is filed as the renewal of that card, before it expires and at the earliest three months before.
What the application turns on
The AMS’s arithmetic, and the date of filing. The 21 months are counted over the 24 months before the application, so a file lodged a month early or late can land on the wrong side of the line. Then the means test, new to a card holder. The AMS has 6 weeks. § 41a NAG sets no deadline of its own and is not among the titles § 19a(3) excludes, so the general 90-day limit of § 19a NAG applies to applications filed since 7 August 2026.
Who you are
- A valid passport (§ 7(1)(1) NAG-DV). It is shown in the original before any title is issued, whoever files the application and however it is filed.
- A colour passport-format photograph, 45 × 35 mm, meeting the EU residence-permit photo standard (§ 2a NAG-DV, referring to Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002), not older than six months at the time of the decision.
- Where the application turns on them: your birth certificate, marriage or registered-partnership certificate, divorce decree, adoption order, or the certificate of a child’s birth (§ 7(1)(3) NAG-DV). A certificate issued abroad needs an apostille or consular legalisation, and a German translation, where the authority asks for them (§ 6(3)–(4) NAG-DV) — for civil-status certificates it usually does, though documents in English are often accepted without translation.
That you can support yourself
- Payslips, a salary confirmation, an employment contract or a binding pre-contract; pension statements; confirmations of other regular benefits (§ 7(1)(6) NAG-DV).
- The test is net of regular outgoings: rent, loan instalments, maintenance paid to people outside the household and garnishments are deducted, except for the first €386.43 a month (the free-station allowance for 2026). What is left has to reach €1,308.39 for a single person, €2,064.12 for a couple and €201.88 for each child — or twice those amounts for the settlement permit without work. A student or pupil under 24 who comes alone is assessed at €722.58 a month, and at €1,308.39 from the 24th birthday.
- Savings can stand in for income on a fixed-term title, apportioned over the twelve months of its validity, if their origin is shown and they are accessible from Austria. Bank statements over several months, not a single balance.
- Where the Act allows it — for a student, a pupil, an artist or a volunteer, and always for a dependant of an Austrian and for the other relatives or durable partner of an EU citizen under § 56 NAG — a declaration of liability (Haftungserklärung) by a third party, certified by an Austrian notary or court and valid for at least five years (§ 2(1)(15), § 11(6) NAG). It is not admissible for the settlement permit without work, the two cards or their families.
- Not required for the Red-White-Red Card or the EU Blue Card: the salary in the employer’s declaration is the means.
That you have somewhere to live
- A lease or sublease, a binding pre-contract for one, or proof of ownership (§ 7(1)(4) NAG-DV). “Locally customary” means adequate for a family of your size in that place — not a hotel booking, and not a friend’s sofa.
- Where you will live with someone else, that person’s lease or proof of ownership together with a right-of-residence agreement (Wohnrechtsvereinbarung) or another document giving you a legal claim to the accommodation (§ 7(2) NAG-DV) — accommodation provided free of charge and revocable at any time does not count (oesterreich.gv.at); for spouses and registered partners it is enough that one of them is named in the lease or the land register.
- Not required for the Red-White-Red Card, the EU Blue Card, the settlement permit “Researcher”, or the residence permits for students, researchers on mobility and intra-corporate transferees — the Act waives it for those titles.
That you are insured against all risks in Austria
- For an employee: the employment contract usually does it — compulsory insurance with the ÖGK starts with the job, and the ordinance asks for a policy only where no compulsory insurance will exist (§ 7(1)(5) NAG-DV). The official migration portal (migration.gv.at) nonetheless lists evidence of health insurance among the documents for every application, so a confirmation from the employer or the insurer is worth including.
- For everyone else: a private policy that matches statutory cover — all risks, no waiting period for treatment, valid in Austria. Travel insurance does not qualify. Vienna publishes a list of accepted insurers and a clause the policy has to carry.
- Voluntary self-insurance with the ÖGK is an alternative for someone already registered at an address in Austria: €565.25 a month in 2026 at the full rate (reducible on application), and €78.84 a month for students. At the full rate it pays for treatment as a rule only after a waiting period — three months under § 124(1) ASVG, extendable to six by the insurer’s statutes; oesterreich.gv.at gives six months — and the authority accepts it only once it pays: until then a private policy has to bridge the gap.
That you speak German at the level the title requires
- For a first application for the settlement permit without work, the “Family Member” title, the Red-White-Red Card plus for family, and the other settlement permits: a certificate at level A1 from the ÖSD, the Goethe-Institut, telc or the ÖIF, not older than 12 months when presented (§ 21a NAG; § 9b NAG-DV).
- Not required for the Red-White-Red Card, the EU Blue Card, the settlement permit “Researcher”, any temporary residence permit, children under 14, people who cannot reasonably be expected to provide the certificate on grounds of physical or mental health, or the family of very highly qualified workers, EU Blue Card and mobile Blue Card holders, researchers and holders of a plus card or long-term residence derived from those titles, or of persons granted international protection. The proof is deemed given where the conditions of Module 1 or 2 already exist — in particular a school-leaving qualification that gives general university entrance (§ 21a(3) NAG with § 9(4) Integrationsgesetz).
- For a renewal after two years, and for the three-year card: proof of Module 1 — the ÖIF integration examination at A2, or a school-leaving qualification giving university entrance, or the Red-White-Red Card itself, which counts as fulfilment (§ 9(4) Integrationsgesetz). For long-term residence: Module 2 at B1.
Who your family are
- Your marriage certificate or registered-partnership certificate, and the birth certificates of the children who are applying, with an apostille or consular legalisation, and a German translation, where the authority asks for them (§ 7(1)(3), § 6(3)–(4) NAG-DV) — for civil-status certificates it usually does.
- Your partner’s passport and, for a third-country sponsor, his/her residence title; for an Austrian sponsor, the proof of citizenship; for an EU citizen, the registration certificate. For the NAG family titles — “Family Member”, the Red-White-Red Card plus and the § 69 permit — both spouses have to be at least 21 on the day of application, and a child under 18 (§ 2(1)(9) NAG); the family of an EU citizen follows the wider free-movement definition instead.
- For the settlement permit “Dependant” (§ 47(3) NAG) — parents, a durable partner, other dependent relatives of an Austrian — the sponsor’s declaration of liability in every case, even where the dependant has means of his/her own, certified by an Austrian notary or court and valid for at least five years. For “Family Member” and the Red-White-Red Card plus no declaration of liability is admissible: the family shows its own or household income.
Whether anything in your record stands in the way
- The general list of documents in § 7 NAG-DV does not include a certificate of good conduct. The authority assesses the public-order ground on what it holds and can ask for what it needs, and in practice the representations abroad and many authorities — Vienna for every first application — ask for a police clearance certificate from your country of nationality, and from any country you lived in for more than six months before coming to Austria, not older than three months; whether it has to be legalised is for the authority to say. Obtaining one before you file, and keeping it current, avoids a delay at the point where the file is otherwise complete.
- A conviction is not in itself a bar — with the exceptions in § 11(1) NAG: a conviction in the last twelve months for unlawful entry or evading border control, an entry ban or residence ban, and a recent return decision are absolute bars. Otherwise what the authority weighs is whether your stay would endanger public order or security (§ 11(4) NAG). That is a question for a lawyer before it is a question for a form.
How this route differs from the ones next to it
Red-White-Red Card
First the card: 24 months tied to the employer named in the application, with the category’s own test. The plus card inherits none of that; it asks for the two years, the 21 months of employment and, for the first time, the general requirements in full.
Self-employed and start-ups
A start-up founder reaches the plus card by a different door, § 41a(7a) NAG, on the company’s employees, turnover or financing. A self-employed key worker does not reach it: after two years he/she moves to the plain settlement permit, though his/her family receive the plus card from the outset.