Foreigners who wish to spend a year or more in Austria without taking up local employment—retirees, accompanying parents of assignees, artists and financially-independent digital nomads—now have an extremely tight timeline to secure their place in next year’s immigration quota.
On 26 November the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) quietly published a notice confirming that only applicants who obtained a pre-registration code earlier this month may log on to the consular calendar between 1 and 8 December 2025. Each family member needs a separate slot, and bookings made under the wrong category (for example, student or employment permits) will be cancelled automatically. Any unclaimed appointments will be released to the general public after 15 December—but the interview dates on offer will fall well into 2026, making a mid-year move virtually impossible.
![Austrian Embassies Open One-Week Booking Window for 2026 Quota-Based Non-Work Residence Permits]()
Demand for the “Residence Permit – Without Gainful Employment” far outstrips supply: the entire 2025 quota of 5,470 places disappeared within hours. The permit does not allow the holder to work, so applicants must prove an income of at least twice the Austrian social-benefit threshold (currently €2,178 per month for singles) or bank savings of roughly €30,000, plus evidence of health insurance and suitable housing.
For corporate mobility teams the news is particularly relevant where non-working spouses, dependent parents or children over 18 accompany highly-skilled transferees. HR should ensure affected family members have their reservation code ready and that passport spellings match the code exactly; a single typo will prevent access to the calendar. Because appointments are first-come, first-served, travel managers may wish to schedule an early-morning “booking party” to maximise success rates.
Failure to grab a slot now means waiting an entire year or relocating under a different—and more restrictive—status such as the visitor-in-waiting stay, which prohibits local registration and therefore complicates schooling, health insurance and tenancy contracts.
On 26 November the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) quietly published a notice confirming that only applicants who obtained a pre-registration code earlier this month may log on to the consular calendar between 1 and 8 December 2025. Each family member needs a separate slot, and bookings made under the wrong category (for example, student or employment permits) will be cancelled automatically. Any unclaimed appointments will be released to the general public after 15 December—but the interview dates on offer will fall well into 2026, making a mid-year move virtually impossible.
Demand for the “Residence Permit – Without Gainful Employment” far outstrips supply: the entire 2025 quota of 5,470 places disappeared within hours. The permit does not allow the holder to work, so applicants must prove an income of at least twice the Austrian social-benefit threshold (currently €2,178 per month for singles) or bank savings of roughly €30,000, plus evidence of health insurance and suitable housing.
For corporate mobility teams the news is particularly relevant where non-working spouses, dependent parents or children over 18 accompany highly-skilled transferees. HR should ensure affected family members have their reservation code ready and that passport spellings match the code exactly; a single typo will prevent access to the calendar. Because appointments are first-come, first-served, travel managers may wish to schedule an early-morning “booking party” to maximise success rates.
Failure to grab a slot now means waiting an entire year or relocating under a different—and more restrictive—status such as the visitor-in-waiting stay, which prohibits local registration and therefore complicates schooling, health insurance and tenancy contracts.
