Republic of Austria vs Republic of Colombia
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Republic of Austria and Republic of Colombia government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- migration.gv.at — Official immigration portal
Federal Ministry of the Interior (Austria) - verified
- Cancillería — Visas e Inmigración
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia) - verified
- migration.gv.at - Permanent immigration: Red-White-Red Card
Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) - verified
- Visa de Migrante (tipo M) - Cancilleria
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia) - verified
Republic of Austria
Austria issues residence permits through the MA 35 (Vienna) and Bezirkshauptmannschaften (other regions). The headline route is the Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte), a points-based work permit for skilled workers, key workers, graduates of Austrian universities, self-employed, and startup founders. The EU Blue Card (Austria) is also available. Settlement after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
- Official portal
- Federal Ministry of the Interior (Austria)
- Languages
- German
- Currency
- Euro
Republic of Colombia
Colombia issues visas through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cancillería), with in-country registration handled by Migración Colombia. Since Resolución 5477 of 2022 the system has three tiers — Visa V (visitor, including a digital-nomad subcategory), Visa M (migrant) and Visa R (resident) — with naturalisation generally available after five years of residence, and sooner for some nationalities.
- Official portal
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Colombia)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Currency
- Colombian peso
How Republic of Austria and Republic of Colombia differ
| Dimension | Republic of Austria | Republic of Colombia |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 5 | 6 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 2 | 6 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 4 | 4 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Red-White-Red Card for 24 months -> Red-White-Red Card plus after 21 qualifying months -> citizenship usually from 10 years residence. | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte) | Visa M (Migrante) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | No fixed published floor | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | Austria publishes the AMS/residence-authority workflow for the Red-White-Red Card but does not publish a single central processing-time target for shortage-occupation skilled workers. | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | Austria publishes a EUR 218 application fee for the Red-White-Red Card, with the same fee shown for Red-White-Red Card plus/family applications. | — |
| Official languages | German | Spanish |
| Currency | Euro | Colombian peso |
| Primary regulator | ÖRAK | CSJ |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Republic of Austria
Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte)
- Salary minimum
- No fixed published floor
- Government fees
- Austria publishes a EUR 218 application fee for the Red-White-Red Card, with the same fee shown for Red-White-Red Card plus/family applications.
- Processing time
- Austria publishes the AMS/residence-authority workflow for the Red-White-Red Card but does not publish a single central processing-time target for shortage-occupation skilled workers.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Republic of Colombia
Visa M (Migrante)
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to Republic of Austria
Visa routes side by side
Republic of Austria (5)
Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 24 months; then RWR Card Plus after at least 21 months of qualifying employment during the preceding 24 months.
EU Blue Card (Austria)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years; renewable.
Student Residence Permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung Studierender)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year; renewable for the duration of studies.
Family Reunification (Familiennachzug)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 1 year initially; renewable. Spouses get RWR Card Plus (3 years).
Red-White-Red Card — Startup Founder
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 2 years; then RWR Card Plus progression.
Republic of Colombia (6)
Visa V (Visitante)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Issued for a defined temporary period that varies by subcategory; not a settlement track. Confirm the current validity for your subcategory on the official page.
Visa V Nomadas Digitales
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Granted for up to a defined maximum period as a Visitor subcategory; it is not a settlement track and time held does not count toward residence. Confirm current validity on the official page.
Visa M (Migrante)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Granted for up to three years depending on the subcategory and renewable; continuous holding accrues toward the Resident (R) visa. Confirm current validity on the official page.
Visa M Inversionista / Socio o Propietario
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Granted for up to three years and renewable while the investment or business is maintained; M time accrues toward the Resident (R) visa. Confirm current validity on the official page.
Visa M Conyuge o Companero de Nacional
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Granted for up to three years and renewable while the relationship subsists; M time accrues toward the Resident (R) visa. Confirm current validity on the official page.
Visa R (Residente)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · A permanent-residence visa, subject to periodic renewal and the rule that prolonged absence from Colombia can cause it to lapse. Confirm current validity and absence limits on the official page.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Republic of Austria or Republic of Colombia?+
Republic of Austria’s Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte) requires a salary of at least No fixed published floor; Republic of Colombia’s Visa M (Migrante) is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Republic of Austria or Republic of Colombia have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Republic of Colombia has more: 6 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 2 for Republic of Austria. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Republic of Austria vs Republic of Colombia immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/austria/vs/colombia. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons