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Red-White-Red Card - Start-up Founder

AustriaStarting a business

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Is this for a founder, startup entrepreneur, self-employed person, freelancer, company owner or another business profile?

This is a start-up-founder pathway: the applicant must establish a company to develop and launch innovative products, services, processing methods or technologies on the market.

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Limits of the record
  • The captured official page does not establish every condition for this route; verify the remaining route-specific rules before approval.
  • captured paragraph
    establish a company in order to develop and launch on the market innovative products, services, processing methods or technologies

What must actually exist or be demonstrated: business plan, company, innovation, clients, contracts, economic activity, job creation or other substance?

A consistent business plan for establishing and running the company must be submitted, and the applicant must personally exert controlling influence on the management of the newly set-up company.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured official page does not establish every condition for this route; verify the remaining route-specific rules before approval.
  • captured paragraph
    to that end submit a consistent business plan for establishing and running that company
  • captured paragraph
    personally exert controlling influence on the management of the newly set-up company

What investment, capital, income, revenue, funding or viability evidence is central to this pathway?

Capital of at least € 30,000 with an equity share of at least 50% must be proven for the company, and the applicant must score at least 50 points on the eligibility scoring criteria (qualification, work experience, language skills and bonus points, including up to 10 extra points for € 50,000+ of additional investment capital).

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured official page does not establish every condition for this route; verify the remaining route-specific rules before approval.
  • captured paragraph
    prove capital for the company to be founded amounting to € 30.000 minimum with an equity share of at least 50 %
  • captured paragraph
    can score 50 points minimum according to the following criteria

What business/self-employed activity may the holder conduct? Are there important restrictions? What is the family position where clearly stated?

The Red-White-Red Card is issued for a maximum of twenty-four months and entitles the holder to fixed-term settlement and pursuit of the self-employed occupation; to take up employed (salaried) work instead, the holder must switch to a different Red-White-Red Card category and meet its own points and job-offer requirements.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured official page does not establish every condition for this route; verify the remaining route-specific rules before approval.
  • captured paragraph
    The Red-White-Red Card is issued for twenty-four months maximum and entitles you to fixed-term settlement and the pursuit of a self-employed occupation.
  • captured paragraph
    In order to take up an employed occupation you can switch (“Zweckwechsel”) to a Red-White-Red Card for Very Highly Qualified Workers, Other Key Workers or Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations; in that case, you are supposed to meet the respective requirements, to achieve the number of required points and to prove a legally binding offer of employment.

What approval/application sequence applies, how long is the status granted, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction is officially stated?

The application is forwarded to the AMS, which issues a macroeconomic-benefit assessment within three weeks; the Red-White-Red Card is awarded for the first two years, followed by a Red-White-Red Card plus once all legal requirements are met. The application fee is € 218.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The captured official page does not establish every condition for this route; verify the remaining route-specific rules before approval.
  • captured paragraph
    The residence authority will forward your application including all submitted documents to the Public Employment Service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS). The AMS will issue within three weeks an expertise on the macroeconomic benefit of the intended professional activity, in particular regarding the transfer of investment capital and/or the creation and the securing of jobs.
  • captured paragraph
    As a start-up founder you will be awarded a Red-White-Red Card for the first two years, and subsequently a Red-White-Red Card plus, provided that all legal requirements are met. The Red-White-Red Card plus entitles you to fixed-term settlement and unlimited labour market access (self-employment and gainful employment not limited to a specific employer).
  • captured paragraph
    Application fee: € 218

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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