Vienna at a Glance
Vienna: Employment and Work Permits
Donau City is an important business center for Vienna.
Finding Employment
You can approach the task of finding work in Vienna in the same manner as in other places. Several Internet portals such as Jobrapido are highly popular sources of classifieds from all business sectors and with all salary levels. Many companies also advertise leading employment positions in local newspapers and their online editions. A highly recommended source for high-profile work in Vienna and, in fact, all the German-speaking regions of Europe, is the web page of the weekly Die Zeit.
The Public Employment Service (AMS) has job listings as well. It offers advice and help for job-seekers at their many offices in Vienna. These services are in German only, though. If you are looking for similar services in English or other European languages, consult the pages of the EURES, a European agency which works closely with its Austrian equivalent.
Work Permits
Before you can start working in Vienna, there are a number of bureaucratic steps to take for getting an Austrian work permit. The following factors, among others, determine which work permit you require:
- your country of origin or permanent residence
- your occupation / line of work
- your qualifications
- the period of time you will be working in Vienna
In accordance with EU regulations, people originating from or permanently settled in an EU country don’t have to apply for work permits. This also applies to Swiss citizens.
Austria requires expats to provide evidence of basic German language skills prior to relocation. You can acquire a course certificate or language diploma from many acknowledged institutions such as the Goethe Institut or the Austrian Integration Fund. Please consult your local language institute for your options.
Types of Work Permits
Generally speaking, taking up work in Vienna will come easiest if you are highly qualified or have an employment contract before coming to Austria. If you do not already have a contract, Austria provides another option: The country offers special six-month job-seeker visa for people who’d like to actively look for work in Vienna. This also gives you a chance to get acquainted with your future city of residence.
After the application process of about two months, you are free to explore the Viennese job market. If your job hunt has been successful and you would like to start working in Vienna, please consider that you now need to apply for a regular work permit.
Highly skilled professionals should apply for a Rot-Weiß-Rot – Karte plus or, if they are from within the European Union, a Blaue Karte EU. These two include both a work permit and a settlement permit. However, the latter is of limited duration. Acquiring one of these will probably involve the least amount of paperwork and provide the quickest start to working in Vienna. Despite the rather complicated regulations, your future employer should help you make the paperwork as easy as possible.
If the above-mentioned criteria or scenarios do not apply in your particular case, working in Vienna requires a settlement or residency permit in order to get a work permit. However, there are many exceptions and special regulations you might wish to familiarize yourself with. It is highly recommended to visit the pages of the Austrian Public Employment Service to find out which option is right for you.
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