Austria Job Seeker Visa from India
Austria’s Job Seeker Visa gives very highly qualified people six months in the country to find a job. You must score at least 70 out of 100 on a points test that rewards advanced degrees, high past earnings, research, experience, language and age. If you find a job that matches your qualification within the six months, you apply for a Red-White-Red Card without leaving Austria. The bar is high. This visa is for senior specialists, not for general graduates.
The points test
| Criterion | What earns points | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Special qualifications and skills | A degree of four years or more, particularly in science, technology, engineering or mathematics. A doctorate. A high gross salary in a senior management role. Research and innovation activity, patents and publications. Recognised awards | 40 |
| Work experience | Years of experience matching your qualification or in senior management, with extra for experience in Austria | 20 |
| Language | German or English, from basic to advanced | 10 |
| Age | Highest for under 35, falling to 45 | 20 |
| Studies in Austria | Part or all of a degree completed in Austria | 10 |
You need 70 points in total.
What this looks like in practice
A 32-year-old with a four-year engineering degree, six years of matching experience and good English gets close but may fall short without a doctorate, a high documented salary or research output. A 38-year-old with a PhD, publications and ten years of experience qualifies comfortably. A 28-year-old with a three-year degree and three years of experience does not.
Three-year Indian bachelor’s degrees do not earn the points for a four-year programme. This rules out many applicants.
What you need to apply
- Passport and photographs
- Degree certificates and transcripts, with evidence of the programme’s length and standing
- Proof of past salary, such as tax returns and salary certificates, if claiming those points
- Experience letters
- Language certificates
- Proof of accommodation in Austria
- Health insurance covering all risks
- Proof of funds for six months
You apply in person at the Austrian Embassy in New Delhi. The visa is issued for six months and cannot be extended.
While you are in Austria
You may look for work and attend interviews. You may not work on the Job Seeker Visa itself. Vienna has most professional vacancies, with engineering and manufacturing roles also in Upper Austria and Styria. German matters for most roles outside international companies, research and IT.
Moving to the Red-White-Red Card
Once you receive a job offer that matches your qualification and pays an appropriate salary, you apply in Austria for a Red-White-Red Card for very highly qualified workers. It is issued for two years and tied to that employer. After that you can move to a Red-White-Red Card Plus, which gives free access to the labour market, and your family can join you.
If you do not find a matching job in six months, you must leave, and you cannot apply for another Job Seeker Visa for twelve months.
Other Austrian routes if you score under 70
- Red-White-Red Card for skilled workers in shortage occupations. Needs a job offer and a lower points score, in occupations Austria lists each year.
- Red-White-Red Card for other key workers. Needs a job offer above a salary threshold.
- EU Blue Card. Needs a degree and a job offer above a salary threshold.
All three require a job offer first, so the search is done from India.
Questions people ask us most
How many points do I need?
70 out of 100.
Can I work on the Job Seeker Visa?
No. You can only look for work.
Is German required?
Not required, but it earns points and matters greatly for finding a job.
Can I bring my family?
Not on the Job Seeker Visa. They can join after you hold a Red-White-Red Card.
How much money do I need to show?
Enough to support yourself for six months. Confirm the current amount with the embassy.
Check your points before you apply
Send us your degree, experience and salary history. We will calculate your points honestly and suggest the Austrian route that fits.