Austria Start-up Founders Red-White-Red Card in 2026

The Start-up Founder RWR Card is aimed at founders who will establish and personally control an innovative Austrian company. It has its own capital, equity and points criteria and should not be merged with the Self-employed Key Worker route.

Who this route is for

  • Establish a company that develops and launches innovative products, services, processes or technologies.
  • Submit a coherent business plan and personally exercise controlling influence over management.
  • Prove at least €30,000 in capital, with an equity share of at least 50%.
  • Reach at least 50 points under the start-up founder grid.

2026 requirements that matter

The points grid considers qualifications, relevant experience, language ability and bonus factors such as additional investment capital, Austrian incubator/funding support and age. The official portal lists 85 possible points and a 50-point minimum. It also lists an €218 application fee.

Austria’s general residence framework also requires attention to identity documents, health insurance and any route-specific accommodation or subsistence rules. The Federal Ministry of the Interior publishes 2026 general reference rates of €1,308.39 for a single person, €2,064.12 for a married/registered couple and €201.88 for each child, but it also states that proof of those general subsistence amounts is not required in the same way for the Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card. Route-specific pay or capital rules must therefore be kept separate from the general reference rates.

How the application works

Applicants normally lodge the RWR Card application personally with the competent Austrian embassy or consulate in their home country or country of residence. The business plan, capital evidence and control structure must support the statutory start-up criteria.

Foreign documents may need translations and, depending on the document and authority, legalized versions. Many first residence applications also require a recent criminal-record extract. Requirements can vary by the applicant’s nationality, lawful location and the competent provincial residence authority.

Validity, work rights and transition

The first Start-up Founder RWR Card is issued for two years. If the statutory conditions are met after that period, the founder can transition to a Red-White-Red Card plus, which permits broader employed and self-employed work.

Long-term settlement is a separate stage. Austria’s official family/settlement guidance states that Long-term Resident – EU can generally be sought after five years of lawful uninterrupted settlement when the general requirements are met and Module 2 of the Integration Agreement is completed. Do not treat that later title as automatic on the day an initial permit reaches five years.

Fees and processing time

Official Austrian pages publish application fees by title and visa. Where this guide quotes a figure, it is the amount shown by the competent federal portal for 2026. Additional document, translation, legalization, Visa D or local administrative costs can arise. Austria does not publish one guaranteed processing time that applies to every applicant in this route; completeness, AMS review where required, provincial authority workload and requests for additional evidence can affect timing.

Common mistakes

The route is not a generic €30,000 investment visa. Capital alone is insufficient: innovation, business-plan quality, founder control and the 50-point threshold all matter.

A residence title also does not settle tax residence. Austria’s Federal Ministry of Finance applies tax rules based on residence/domicile and habitual presence; after six months of stay, unlimited Austrian tax liability arises in any event with retroactive effect, while a home available for recurring use can create tax consequences earlier.

Related Austria pathways

Return to the Austria visa and residence hub, compare European destinations, or review the relevant visa-type guide. See Austria self employed key worker visa. See Austria other key worker visa. See Austria family reunification visa.

Verified against Austrian federal sources on 16 September 2026.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Austria