For third-country nationals in Austria with an employer-specific Red-White-Red Card, the permit is linked to the employer named in the application. So what happens if you lose that job? Can you find another employer or do you have to leave the country?
The Local spoke to a legal expert to find out more, including your rights as a Red-White-Red card holder and how long you can stay in Austria while unemployed.
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What is the Red-White-Red card?
The Red-White-Red Card is a combined residence and work permit for qualified third-country nationals, meaning people who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens.
It allows the holder to live in Austria and work for the specific employer named in the application. Close family members, such as a spouse, registered partner or minor children, can usually apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus, which gives them access to the Austrian labour market.
It is generally issued for two years. If the employment contract is shorter, the card is generally issued for the duration of the contract plus three months, up to a maximum of two years, and it cannot extend beyond the validity of the passport. This means you cannot apply for the permit without a job offer.
The Red-White-Red Card is open to applications from very highly qualified workers (e.g. scientists), skilled workers in shortage occupations, key workers, university graduates, regular workers in tourism, agriculture and forestry, self-employed key workers and start-up founders.
What are your rights if you lose your job?
If you lose the job named in your Red-White-Red Card application, you should contact the competent residence authority as soon as possible. For most employees, the Red-White-Red Card is tied to one specific employer, so the requirements for that permit may no longer be met once that job ends.
If you find a new employer, you generally need to apply for a new Red-White-Red Card through a change-of-purpose procedure. The Public Employment Service, or AMS, will check whether the new job meets the relevant requirements.
Since August 2026, however, you can provisionally start working for the new employer once 45 days have passed since the application was submitted if no decision has yet been made. The 45-day period can be suspended if documents needed to assess the application are missing or incomplete.
If you qualify for another type of residence permit, you may need to submit a change-of-purpose application, known in German as der Zweckänderungsantrag.
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If you apply for another residence title through a change-of-purpose application, the requirements depend on that particular permit. Many residence titles require proof of a secure livelihood and suitable accommodation, although the Red-White-Red Card itself is exempt from those two general proof requirements.
Social assistance and unemployment benefits are treated differently in residence cases. For residence titles that require proof of a secure livelihood, social assistance generally cannot be used to establish the required income.
Lawyer Daniel Kirch, from Kirch Rechtsanwalt, explained: “Benefits from the Arbeitsmarktservice (AMS) are not social care, but an insurance benefit, which does not harm your stay in Austria.”
If you are applying for another residence title that uses the livelihood test, a spouse or partner’s income or joint savings may be relevant depending on the permit and your household circumstances. However, this does not replace the employment requirement attached to an employer-specific Red-White-Red Card.
For 2026, the general secure livelihood thresholds used for many residence permit decisions are €1,308.39 for a single person, €2,064.12 for a married couple, and an additional €201.88 for each child.
These figures are linked to Austria’s equalisation supplement reference rates (Ausgleichszulagenrichtsätze). In principle, the amounts must be available after regular monthly costs, such as rent or loan payments, are deducted, if those costs exceed the “cost of room and board” figure used in the calculation.
However, Red-White-Red Card rules also depend on the specific category. For example, some categories require a job offer that meets Austrian wage and working conditions, while “other key workers” have a separate gross monthly salary threshold.
How long can you stay in Austria without a job?
Since August 2026, Red-White-Red Card holders whose permit is tied to a specific employer have much clearer protection if they lose their job.
Under the new rules, which The Local reported on in detail here, if you report the end of your employment to the residence authority without unnecessary delay, the card should not be withdrawn because of the job loss during the first six months of unemployment. During this period, you are entitled to look for a new job.
The six-month period starts when you become unemployed. It can be extended by another three months if you can credibly show that your previous employer subjected you to certain exploitative working conditions.
If you have not found qualifying employment or switched to another residence title once that protection period ends, AMS can notify the residence authority that the employment requirements are no longer met. The authority can then withdraw the Red-White-Red Card, although it can refrain from doing so if you qualify for another residence title through a change-of-purpose procedure.
The six-month job-search protection does not itself extend the expiry date printed on your card. If your Red-White-Red Card is due to expire during this period, you still need to deal with the renewal in time. A renewal application can normally be submitted in the three months before expiry and can be combined with a change-of-purpose application. If it is filed on time, you generally remain lawfully resident until a final decision is made.
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Additionally, Kirch said: “The Bundesamt für Fremdenwesen und Asyl (BFA) can state that due to strong ties to Austria, the stay can continue. The person concerned must then be granted a residence permit.”
It is also possible to appeal against a decision by the BFA in court.
But Kirch added: “It should be noted that an illegal stay in Austria without a visa or residence permit constitutes an administrative penalty.
“This can be issued with a fine of up to €15,000, with the corresponding possibility of a substitute imprisonment.”
What about the Red-White-Red Card plus?
The Red-White-Red Card plus is not tied to employment with a specific employer and grants holders full access to the labour market in Austria.
As a result, if you have the Red-White-Red Card plus and lose your job, your residency status will not be impacted.
If you already have a Red-White-Red Card, you can usually apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus after holding the card for two years, provided you were employed under the relevant eligibility requirements for at least 21 months during the previous 24 months.
Family members of a Red-White-Red Card holder can also apply for a Red-White-Red Card plus, provided they meet the applicable requirements.
However, when renewing a Red-White-Red Card plus, proof is required that you meet the requirements, such as the minimum income and suitable accommodation.
Useful links
Work in Austria: The Red-White-Red Card
With reporting by Hayley Maguire.
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