Austria dependent visa
Austria has no single "dependent visa." Family reunification runs through the residence-permit system under the Settlement and Residence Act (NAG), and which permit you apply for depends entirely on the sponsor's own status. Family members of a skilled worker holding a Red-White-Red Card, an EU Blue Card, a Settlement Permit – Researcher, or of a long-term/settled resident normally receive a Red-White-Red Card plus, which carries free access to the Austrian labour market. The spouse or registered partner of an Austrian citizen receives a Family Member residence title (third-country family members of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have exercised free-movement rights fall under a separate EU-law procedure). The family of a Student residence-permit holder applies for a Stay Permit – Family Reunification. There is no shortcut and no standalone route: your eligibility is tied to your sponsor's permit, and the decision rests with the settlement authority in the province where the sponsor lives, with the Austrian embassy handling your side abroad.
Because this is a residence title and not a short-stay Schengen visa, the first application is filed in person at the Austrian representation abroad before you enter Austria. Each family member files a separate application – a spouse and each child are distinct cases, even if the family attends together. In India that means applying at the Austrian Embassy in New Delhi, where you submit your forms and documents and give biometrics (ten fingerprints and a photograph). The core conditions the authority checks are the sponsor's valid status, a legal title to accommodation considered adequate for the family size, all-risk health insurance valid in Austria, and a fixed, regular monthly income at or above the statutory reference rate; first-time family applicants generally also show German at A1 level. Once the permit is approved, you apply for a type D entry visa to travel to Austria and collect your residence card there.
Who this visa is for
- ✓The sponsor must hold a qualifying Austrian status – a Red-White-Red Card, EU Blue Card, Settlement Permit – Researcher, long-term/settled residence, a Student residence permit, or be an Austrian citizen (family of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have moved to Austria follow separate EU free-movement rules).
- ✓Spouses and registered (civil-union) partners qualify, and both partners must be at least 21 years old at the time of application.
- ✓Unmarried minor children under 18, including adopted and step-children, qualify as family members.
- ✓Dependent parents and certain other relatives can be sponsored only in limited cases – typically as a dependant of an Austrian citizen via a Settlement Permit – Dependant, backed by a formal liability (maintenance) declaration.
- ✓The household must show a fixed, regular monthly income at or above Austria's statutory reference rate (the 2026 ASVG rate is €1,308.39 for a single person and €2,064.12 for a couple, plus €201.88 per child; these figures are revised each year).
- ✓A legal title to accommodation considered adequate for the family size (e.g. a lease) and all-risk health insurance valid in Austria are required; first-time family applicants generally furnish German at A1 level, with exemptions including children under 14 and family members of Very Highly Qualified Workers, EU Blue Card and Researcher holders.
Visa options for Austria
Red-White-Red Card plus (family of a skilled worker)
For the spouse/registered partner and minor children of a Red-White-Red Card, EU Blue Card, Settlement Permit – Researcher or long-term resident. Grants free access to the Austrian labour market as an employed or self-employed person, and is not subject to an annual quota.
Family Member permit
For the spouse or registered partner (and minor children) of an Austrian citizen. Grants free labour-market access and is not quota-limited. Third-country family members of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who have exercised free-movement rights follow a separate EU-law route with a different document.
Stay Permit – Family Reunification (family of a Student)
For the family of a person holding a Student residence permit. Issued for a maximum of 12 months and tied to the student's permit; to work, the family member needs a separate AMS permit granted after a labour-market check.
Settlement Permit – Dependant
A narrower route for dependent parents or other relatives, generally of an Austrian citizen, supported by a liability declaration. It does not grant access to the labour market – no employment or self-employment is permitted on this permit.
Documents typically required
- ✓Completed residence-permit application form for the relevant category (e.g. Red-White-Red Card plus / Family Member).
- ✓Valid Indian passport with sufficient validity, plus recent biometric passport photographs.
- ✓Proof of the family relationship – marriage or registered-partnership certificate, or the child's birth certificate (with legalisation/apostille as required).
- ✓Evidence of the sponsor's Austrian status – copy of their residence card/permit (Red-White-Red Card, EU Blue Card, Settlement Permit, Student permit) and passport.
- ✓A legal title to accommodation adequate for the family size, such as a lease or rental agreement or proof of ownership.
- ✓Proof of income/means of subsistence – the sponsor's employment contract, recent payslips, tax or pension documents, or evidence of savings.
- ✓All-risk health insurance valid in Austria for the applicant.
- ✓Proof of German language skills at A1 level (where required for the category).
- ✓Police clearance certificate / proof of no criminal record.
- ✓For a Settlement Permit – Dependant, a formal liability (maintenance) declaration from the Austrian sponsor.
Your exact checklist depends on your profile — we confirm it during your case analysis. Every visa decision rests with the embassy or consulate.
In India, family-reunification cases are residence permits, not short-stay visas, so the first application is lodged in person at the Austrian Embassy in New Delhi rather than through VFS Global (VFS handles Schengen and national visas; residence-title applications are made at the embassy in person). Book your appointment by writing to the embassy's residence desk (NEW-DELHI-KA@bmeia.gv.at), then attend in person to submit your forms and originals and to give biometrics – ten fingerprints and a photograph (children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting). Each family member has a separate application, though a family can be seen together. Once the settlement authority in Austria approves the permit, you apply for a type D entry visa (within three months of being notified) to travel to Austria and collect your residence card there.
Frequently asked questions
Do you guarantee the visa?
No. The decision rests solely with the relevant immigration authority, and no one can honestly guarantee a visa. What we can promise is a frank reading of your case and the strongest, best-documented application we can build around it. Over the last 2-3 years, the applications we have handled have carried a 97% success rate.
Can I work in Austria as the dependent?
It depends on the permit. A Red-White-Red Card plus and a Family Member permit give free access to the labour market, so you can take employment or be self-employed freely. If you come as the family member of a Student (Stay Permit – Family Reunification), you need a separate work permit from the AMS, which involves a labour-market check first. A Settlement Permit – Dependant carries no right to work at all.
Is there a minimum income or accommodation requirement?
Yes. The household must show a fixed, regular monthly income at or above Austria's statutory reference rate – for 2026 that is €1,308.39 for a single person, €2,064.12 for a couple and €201.88 more per child, and these amounts are revised each year. You must also prove accommodation considered adequate for your family size (such as a lease) and all-risk health insurance valid in Austria.
How long does the process take?
By law the authority must decide without undue delay and no later than six months from a complete application. In practice, timing depends on your category, whether any quota applies, and how complete your file is at submission – which is exactly where careful preparation makes the difference.
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