Since Austria overhauled its Settlement and Residence Act in mid-2024, multinational HR departments have been unsure where initial EU Blue Card applications must be lodged. Salzburg firm Harlander & Partner has now published authoritative guidance, endorsed by the Interior Ministry, clarifying that filings may be submitted either at an Austrian embassy abroad or—if the applicant can enter visa-free—directly with the provincial authorities (Bezirkshauptmannschaft or Magistrat) after arrival.
The memo, released on 24 November, walks employers through the documents most likely to trigger requests for additional evidence. These include the employer declaration confirming salary (the 2025 minimum is €47,855 gross) and detailed job duties, degree-equivalency assessments for non-EU qualifications, and proof that the vacancy has been advertised through the national labour-market database where required.
![Austria Issues Practical Road-Map for EU Blue Card Filings, Ending HR Confusion]()
Why it matters: Austria issued just 2,143 EU Blue Cards in 2024, far below neighbouring Germany (almost 50,000). Ambiguity over filing venues was one reason many companies opted for the lengthier Red-White-Red Card route instead. Clearer instructions should shave several weeks off processing for transferees who can travel on visa-free passports, allowing them to complete biometrics and pick up their e-residence cards in one trip.
The guidance also confirms that dependants can file simultaneously and that in-country switchers must hold a valid legal status—such as visa-free entry, Schengen C-visa or intra-EU residence card—at the moment the application is lodged. Companies are advised to pad timelines for apostilles, since several U.S. states and Indian jurisdictions still issue them on paper only.
Harlander & Partner expects Blue-Card demand to rise sharply in 2026 as new talent-attraction campaigns target Indian IT specialists and Filipino nurses. Early adopters—particularly SMEs in Salzburg’s booming electronics cluster—are urged to pilot the in-country option now, to benchmark real-world lead times before larger hiring waves hit.
The memo, released on 24 November, walks employers through the documents most likely to trigger requests for additional evidence. These include the employer declaration confirming salary (the 2025 minimum is €47,855 gross) and detailed job duties, degree-equivalency assessments for non-EU qualifications, and proof that the vacancy has been advertised through the national labour-market database where required.
Why it matters: Austria issued just 2,143 EU Blue Cards in 2024, far below neighbouring Germany (almost 50,000). Ambiguity over filing venues was one reason many companies opted for the lengthier Red-White-Red Card route instead. Clearer instructions should shave several weeks off processing for transferees who can travel on visa-free passports, allowing them to complete biometrics and pick up their e-residence cards in one trip.
The guidance also confirms that dependants can file simultaneously and that in-country switchers must hold a valid legal status—such as visa-free entry, Schengen C-visa or intra-EU residence card—at the moment the application is lodged. Companies are advised to pad timelines for apostilles, since several U.S. states and Indian jurisdictions still issue them on paper only.
Harlander & Partner expects Blue-Card demand to rise sharply in 2026 as new talent-attraction campaigns target Indian IT specialists and Filipino nurses. Early adopters—particularly SMEs in Salzburg’s booming electronics cluster—are urged to pilot the in-country option now, to benchmark real-world lead times before larger hiring waves hit.
