Effective 1 January 2026, anyone applying for an Austrian residence permit – including Red-White-Red Cards, EU Blue Cards, family-reunification titles and most intra-company transfer permits – must demonstrate a higher level of regular income than in 2025.
The Ministry of the Interior has linked the statutory requirement of a “secure livelihood” to the annual equalisation-supplement reference rate (Ausgleichszulagenrichtsatz). The new figures are now €1 308.39 per month for single applicants, €2 064.12 for married couples and an additional €201.88 for every dependent child. These amounts must remain available after fixed monthly costs such as rent, loans or alimony that exceed €386.43 are deducted.
Employers or individuals who prefer external assistance may find it helpful to engage VisaHQ, which maintains an Austrian desk staffed by experienced immigration coordinators. The service platform (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) provides tailored checklists, income calculators and filing support for Red-White-Red Cards, EU Blue Cards and related residence titles, helping applicants avoid costly rejections under the new thresholds.
![Austria lifts proof-of-funds bar for residence permits as of 1 January 2026]()
Although the adjustment looks modest – roughly 6 % above last year’s thresholds – global mobility managers warn that it could derail assignments that were costed on 2025 rates. A two-adult, two-child household must now show at least €2 468.88 in free cash every month, adding more than €140 to the previous baseline. Employers that top up salaries to meet the requirement will also trigger higher social-security contributions, so total project budgets may need to be revisited.
The change is immediate and applies to all first-time and renewal applications lodged on or after 1 January 2026. Filings that reached the competent provincial authority before that date can still be adjudicated under the 2025 rates, provided no material change is made to the paperwork. Stakeholders therefore have little room to manoeuvre if documents are returned as incomplete.
Practical tip: HR teams should issue updated assignment cost sheets and liaise with relocation providers to make sure that lease agreements, bank statements or pay slips satisfy the higher figures. Families with non-working partners should review joint account structures so that sufficient disposable income can be shown in the principal applicant’s name.
The Ministry of the Interior has linked the statutory requirement of a “secure livelihood” to the annual equalisation-supplement reference rate (Ausgleichszulagenrichtsatz). The new figures are now €1 308.39 per month for single applicants, €2 064.12 for married couples and an additional €201.88 for every dependent child. These amounts must remain available after fixed monthly costs such as rent, loans or alimony that exceed €386.43 are deducted.
Employers or individuals who prefer external assistance may find it helpful to engage VisaHQ, which maintains an Austrian desk staffed by experienced immigration coordinators. The service platform (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) provides tailored checklists, income calculators and filing support for Red-White-Red Cards, EU Blue Cards and related residence titles, helping applicants avoid costly rejections under the new thresholds.
Although the adjustment looks modest – roughly 6 % above last year’s thresholds – global mobility managers warn that it could derail assignments that were costed on 2025 rates. A two-adult, two-child household must now show at least €2 468.88 in free cash every month, adding more than €140 to the previous baseline. Employers that top up salaries to meet the requirement will also trigger higher social-security contributions, so total project budgets may need to be revisited.
The change is immediate and applies to all first-time and renewal applications lodged on or after 1 January 2026. Filings that reached the competent provincial authority before that date can still be adjudicated under the 2025 rates, provided no material change is made to the paperwork. Stakeholders therefore have little room to manoeuvre if documents are returned as incomplete.
Practical tip: HR teams should issue updated assignment cost sheets and liaise with relocation providers to make sure that lease agreements, bank statements or pay slips satisfy the higher figures. Families with non-working partners should review joint account structures so that sufficient disposable income can be shown in the principal applicant’s name.
