Austria Red-White-Red Card 2026: New Salary Floor and 64 Shortage Jobs for Pakistanis
Austria is one of the few EU countries where a Pakistani skilled worker can apply for a work and residence permit directly from Islamabad. That route is the Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot Karte), and two 2026 changes matter for anyone applying this year: the minimum salary rose on 1 January, and the national shortage occupation list grew again.
What the Red-White-Red Card actually is
The Red-White-Red Card is a combined work and residence permit for non-EU nationals, normally issued for 24 months and tied to the employer named in your application. It is not a job-seeker permit — you need a concrete job offer from an Austrian employer before you can file. Holders can later move to a Red-White-Red Card plus, which gives free labour-market access, and eventually to permanent residence.
The 2026 salary floor rose to about €3,465 a month
From 1 January 2026 the minimum gross monthly salary for the "Other Key Workers" category rose to roughly €3,465, up from about €3,225 in 2025. Austrian salaries are quoted over 14 payments a year, not 12, so read any offer carefully before assuming it clears the bar. Senior and executive categories sit far higher, in the region of €8,300 a month. An offer below the applicable floor is a common reason for refusal.
The shortage occupation list grew to 64 jobs
Austria publishes a Skilled Workers Regulation (Mangelberufsliste) each year. For 2026 the nationwide list expanded to 64 occupations, up from 58 the year before, alongside a separate set of regional shortage occupations. New entries reported for 2026 include locomotive drivers, payroll specialists and early-childhood educators.
Being on the list is a real advantage. Applicants in a shortage occupation need fewer points, and crucially the labour market test (Ersatzkraftverfahren) — in which the employer must show no equally qualified Austrian or EU candidate was available — is not applied. Files in this route are also reported to move faster.
How the points test works
The card is scored out of 100 points across a fixed set of criteria. In broad terms:
- Qualifications — a recognised degree, diploma or completed vocational training in the relevant field.
- Work experience — counted in years, with extra weight for experience in Austria.
- Language ability — German and English are both scored; even A1 or A2 German can decide a borderline file.
- Age — applicants under 30 score highest, with points tapering after 40.
- Salary or previous senior role, depending on the category.
The pass mark depends on which category you apply under. Very highly qualified workers are generally scored against a 70-point threshold, while skilled workers in shortage occupations need a lower score, commonly cited as 55 points. Confirm the current criteria for your category before you apply — the scoring tables are revised periodically.
Documents Pakistani applicants should prepare early
The paperwork, not the points, is what usually delays a Pakistani file. Expect to need a degree or diploma with HEC attestation followed by MOFA attestation, experience letters from every employer you claim points for, a police character certificate, a passport valid well beyond the permit period, proof of accommodation and health insurance in Austria, and any German language certificate you hold. Documents not in German or English need a certified translation. Building this file takes most applicants several weeks, so start before the employer finalises the contract.
Where Pakistanis apply and how long it takes
Applications are filed either by you at the Austrian Embassy in Islamabad or by your employer at the competent Austrian authority. The embassy asks that appointments for Red-White-Red Card applications be arranged by email with the consular section, and warns that demand is high and waiting times can be long. The statutory processing period is up to eight weeks once the file is complete, though in practice six to twelve weeks is a fair expectation, and shortage-occupation cases are often quicker. Budget roughly €160 in official fees, excluding attestation, translation and travel.
If Austria is not the right fit, similar EU routes worth comparing are the German Opportunity Card and the Poland work visa. You can see the full range of categories we handle on our visa services page.
Hijrat helps Pakistani applicants in Islamabad and Rawalpindi assemble a complete Austrian file — HEC and MOFA attestation, certified German or English translations, experience letters and a points self-assessment before you commit to an appointment.
Austrian salary thresholds, the shortage occupation list and the points criteria are revised regularly, and figures here reflect information available on 22 August 2026. Fees and processing times are indicative only. Hijrat is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with the Government of Austria; every decision rests with the Austrian authorities and the Austrian Embassy in Islamabad. Always confirm current requirements with the embassy or an authorised source before applying.