A ministerial circular published on 11 January and in force since 13 January quietly raised the minimum monthly income foreigners must prove when applying for Austria’s Residence Permit – Without Gainful Employment. Singles now need at least €1 273.99 net per month (about €15 290 annually), couples €2 009.85, plus €196.57 for each dependent child—a roughly four-percent hike on 2025 levels.(visahq.com)
The permit is popular among retirees, location-independent professionals and accompanying family members of foreign executives posted to Austria.
Applicants looking for practical support in navigating these heightened financial requirements can turn to VisaHQ. Through its Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/), the service provides step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time status tracking, streamlining residence-permit submissions and reducing the risk of rejection.
![Higher Income Thresholds for Austria’s ‘Without-Work’ Residence Permit Take Immediate Effect]()
Because the new figures apply to applications already filed but not yet adjudicated, immigration lawyers warn that some pending cases risk rejection unless applicants promptly supply updated bank statements or salary attestations.
For global-mobility programmes, the change means higher salary-top-up costs when spouses or ageing parents accompany key talent on long-term assignments. Employers covering shortfalls will also incur increased social-security contributions, potentially impacting total assignment budgets.
The Interior Ministry links the “secure livelihood” test to Austria’s annual welfare-benchmark index, so further automatic rises are likely. Mobility managers should update cost-of-living calculators and pre-assignment budgeting tools to reflect the new thresholds and communicate the change to relocation partners.
Experts recommend submitting at least six months of bank statements showing balances above the new minima and, where feasible, adding third-party sponsorship letters or Austrian bank deposit certificates to cushion currency-fluctuation risk.
The permit is popular among retirees, location-independent professionals and accompanying family members of foreign executives posted to Austria.
Applicants looking for practical support in navigating these heightened financial requirements can turn to VisaHQ. Through its Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/), the service provides step-by-step guidance, document checklists and real-time status tracking, streamlining residence-permit submissions and reducing the risk of rejection.
Because the new figures apply to applications already filed but not yet adjudicated, immigration lawyers warn that some pending cases risk rejection unless applicants promptly supply updated bank statements or salary attestations.
For global-mobility programmes, the change means higher salary-top-up costs when spouses or ageing parents accompany key talent on long-term assignments. Employers covering shortfalls will also incur increased social-security contributions, potentially impacting total assignment budgets.
The Interior Ministry links the “secure livelihood” test to Austria’s annual welfare-benchmark index, so further automatic rises are likely. Mobility managers should update cost-of-living calculators and pre-assignment budgeting tools to reflect the new thresholds and communicate the change to relocation partners.
Experts recommend submitting at least six months of bank statements showing balances above the new minima and, where feasible, adding third-party sponsorship letters or Austrian bank deposit certificates to cushion currency-fluctuation risk.
