Applying for the Austrian Settlement Permit: Quota, Steps and Documents in 2026

With Austria the order of steps decides more than any single document. Here is the procedure as oesterreich.gv.at and migration.gv.at describe it, checked on 27 October 2026, with the practical notes I add from BRIDGES work.

Step 1. German A1 and the file, before the quota opens

The German certificate must be submitted with the first application. Accepted are ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, telc and ÖIF certificates, not older than one year. Exempt are, among others, children under 14 and people who cannot learn for health reasons, and those who declare in writing that they will stay no more than 24 months within three years. A1 usually takes time, so it is where I start.

Step 2. Documents

Document	Note
Valid passport
Colour photo 45 x 35 mm	not older than six months
Birth and, if relevant, marriage certificates
Proof of accommodation	lease, pre-lease or ownership
Health insurance covering all risks
Proof of regular income	pensions, assets, savings, shareholdings, profits abroad
German A1 certificate	see above
Criminal record extract	often requested; migration.gv.at recommends it be no more than three months old

Foreign documents may need an apostille or legalisation. Translations are made by sworn court interpreters; documents in English usually need none. The authority may ask for more.

Step 3. Filing in person

You file personally at the Austrian embassy or consulate responsible for your residence, before entering Austria. The mission checks completeness and forwards the file to the provincial settlement authority: in Vienna this is MA 35, in Lower Austria the provincial government office for quota cases, and elsewhere the district authority or city magistrate.

Step 4. The quota place

The authority checks the conditions and gives a quota place if one is free. Places are allocated in the order of filing. The City of Vienna wrote in December 2025 that its places were reserved within the first minutes of the first working day. If they are gone, the file waits for the next year.

Step 5. Visa and collecting the card

After a positive notice you apply for the entry visa within three months (or enter visa free if your passport allows), and collect the permit at the authority in Austria within a further three months. Six months in total, which is easy to miss.

Step 6. Extensions

The permit is usually issued for 12 months (BMI). Apply for an extension from three months before expiry at the earliest and on the expiry day at the latest, so that you keep the right to stay during the procedure. Within two years you need Module 1 of the integration agreement (A2).

Timeline

There is no official processing time; it depends on the authority and on how complete the file is. BRIDGES gives six months or more from starting the language to the card. The fee is EUR 218. Family members follow the same path, see the family guide.