Nurse visa routes in Republic of Austria
Thinking about Republic of Austria as a place to work? Below is the 1 Republic of Austria visa route that most commonly fits nurses, with what each one needs and a link to the official government source. Always confirm the current rules on the primary source before acting.
Also searched as: registered nurse, RN, staff nurse, adult nurse.
What this means for nurses
Of the 1 Republic of Austria route that commonly fits nurses, 1 needs a sponsoring employer and 0 do not, 1 have confirmed permanent residence mapping. Nurses work in a regulated field, so immigration approval is only half the journey: in most countries you must also clear a separate professional-registration or licensing step before you can practise in Republic of Austria. That recognition process often takes as long as the visa itself, so it is worth starting in parallel.
The most-used skilled route into Republic of Austria overall is the Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte), which also fits many nurses — it is included below.
Typical figures — Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte)
Computed from our continuously re-verified, primary-sourced data. Indicative, not legal advice.
Government cost
€218
Single applicant
Family members normally use the Red-White-Red Card plus or family-reunification route; the current published application fee is EUR 218 per applicant.
Verified 1 July 2026 · Migration.gv.at - Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations
Time to permanent residence
Red-White-Red Card for 24 months -> Red-White-Red Card plus after 21 qualifying months -> citizenship usually from 10 years residence.
Leads to Permanent Residence - EU / Red-White-Red Card plus, then Austrian citizenship.
Occupation salary-floor answer
Nurse salary floor in Republic of Austria
Verified 27 June 2026
Salary floor
No fixed published floor
Red-White-Red Card - shortage occupation collective-pay test
This destination uses a role-specific market, normal-pay or collective-agreement test instead of one national numeric floor.
Compare this occupation across priority destinations · Source datasets: /api/public/salary-thresholds, /api/public/visas
Licensing vs visa timeline
Nurse: visa vs licensing timeline in Republic of Austria
Version 2026-07-02
This separates the immigration filing track from the profession, regulator or recognition track. It uses route source data and cost-to-complete evidence; it is indicative and not legal advice.
Visa track
- 1
Confirm route fit
Before relying on an offer
Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte) is the representative route for this profession page. It requires a sponsor or job offer and is mapped as leading to settlement.
Source: migration.gv.at - Permanent immigration: Red-White-Red Card - 8 July 2026
- 2
Check current route figures
Before budgeting
Current source-backed figures on this page include government cost €218.
Source: Visa Atlas figure datasets
- 3
Follow the official application pathway
After route fit is clear
Use the official category pages and points calculator to verify the right threshold. Current shortage-worker and Other Key Worker pages use a 55-point minimum; other categories have their own rules.
Source: migration.gv.at - Permanent immigration: Red-White-Red Card - 8 July 2026
Licensing / recognition track
- 1
Regulated-profession recognition or authorisation
Conditional before start date
€0-€500
Conditional on profession. Migration.gv.at says formal recognition is only required for regulated professions such as health professions, public-school teachers, nursery-school teachers and lawyers.
Cost-to-complete evidence: /cost-to-complete/austria-red-white-red-card . Method: Compares the representative visa track with profession-sensitive recognition, registration or skills-assessment evidence found in the route cost model; it does not create country-specific regulator claims when no source-backed line exists. Source datasets: /api/public/visas, /api/public/cost-to-complete, /api/public/salary-thresholds, /api/public/processing-times.
Source basis
This profession page uses Republic of Austria's official immigration portal plus the primary government source for each matched route. The route cards link to full eligibility and source records.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- migration.gv.at — Official immigration portal
Federal Ministry of the Interior (Austria) - verified
- migration.gv.at - Permanent immigration: Red-White-Red Card
Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) - verified
- Migration.gv.at - Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations
Migration.gv.at - Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations - verified
Routes that fit nurses
Figures by route
Verified salary floor and processing window per matched route, each primary-sourced. Indicative, not legal advice.
| Route | Salary floor | Processing | Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte) | — | — | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
Which visa routes suit nurses moving to Republic of Austria?+
Republic of Austria has 1 route that commonly fits nurses: Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte). The best fit depends on whether you already have an employer sponsor, your salary, and your qualifications — open any route below for its full eligibility criteria and primary government source.
Do nurses need a job offer to move to Republic of Austria?+
For the routes that fit nurses here, yes — all 1 require a sponsoring employer or a confirmed job offer. Securing that offer is usually the first and slowest step, so it is worth starting there.
Can nurses settle permanently in Republic of Austria?+
Yes. 1 of the 1 matched route leads toward settlement or permanent residence. Permanent-residence timelines vary by route, so check the settlement detail on each visa page.
Do nurses need to requalify or register to work in Republic of Austria?+
Nurses work in a regulated field, so immigration approval is only half the journey: in most countries you must also clear a separate professional-registration or licensing step before you can practise in Republic of Austria. That recognition process often takes as long as the visa itself, so it is worth starting in parallel.
What salary do nurses need in Republic of Austria?+
Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte) does not have one fixed numeric floor in the mapped salary-threshold record. This destination uses a role-specific market, normal-pay or collective-agreement test instead of one national numeric floor. Source: Migration.gv.at - Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations, verified 27 June 2026.
How much does the Red-White-Red Card (Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte) cost in government fees?+
For the worked example (Single applicant), government fees total about €218 (Migration.gv.at - Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations, verified 1 July 2026). Treat as indicative and confirm the current schedule on the official source.