Foreigners living in Austria – or planning a move – face a period of change in the country’s immigration, asylum and citizenship systems. From reforms to the Red-White-Red Card to new integration obligations, tighter citizenship rules and a “pause” on some family reunification cases, the next few years will change how people come to and settle in Austria.
Here is what is known so far about the changes expected in 2026 and beyond.
Red-White-Red Card reform aimed at skilled workers
The federal government is preparing another reform of the Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte, Austria’s key scheme for skilled workers from outside the EU.
The state secretary responsible for cutting bureaucracy, Josef Schellhorn (NEOS), said after a cabinet meeting that applications should be simplified and procedures shortened, with a single one-stop office handling cases, according to Vienna.at.
The card's criteria, particularly the shortage occupation list, are to be reviewed. The government is also working on pilot projects that would allow adult apprentices trained at a foreign site of an Austrian company to obtain a Red-White-Red Card.
A draft law is expected at the beginning of next year. For skilled workers and international trainees, this is intended to mean clearer criteria and shorter wait times, although the details have not yet been published.
READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to apply for a residency permit in Austria
Family reunification: temporary 'pause' and planned quotas
Family migration rules are set to become stricter in the asylum and protection system.
Parliament has passed a law that gives the federal government power to temporarily pause the processing of applications for family reunification by ordinance, if it determines that public order or internal security are at risk.
Under this measure, which runs until the end of September 2026, applications can still be submitted, but authorities are no longer bound by the usual six-month decision deadline while such an ordinance is in force. In effect, the clock on affected family reunion cases can be stopped for a period.
READ ALSO: Austria to pause refugee family reunifications starting in May
The legal justification refers to EU treaty rules that allow member states to deviate from parts of EU asylum law for public security reasons. The law also sets out exceptions, particularly for minors and other applicants whose right to private and family life under the European Convention on Human Rights requires a timely decision. In those cases, the six-month deadline must still be respected.
Once this temporary regime ends, the government plans to introduce a new quota system for asylum-related family reunification. According to parliamentary documents, the proposed model is intended to balance Austria’s capacity in areas such as housing, schools, and health care with its human rights obligations. The detailed framework is due to be developed from 2026.
Family reunification for other third-country nationals under the regular residence law continues to operate within existing quotas and rules.
READ ALSO: How can foreign nationals bring their family members to Austria?
Citizenship: higher German level and a mandatory course
The current coalition programme for 2025–2029 includes a significant tightening of the rules for acquiring Austrian citizenship.
One of the central changes is a plan to raise the required German level from B1 to B2 for standard naturalisation, in line with the government’s pledge that without “very good” German and demonstrable integration success, there should be no chance of citizenship.
Currently, B1 German is sufficient for most naturalisations, with a shorter six-year route for those who already hold B2.
Under the new approach, B2 would become the basic requirement for everyone. It is not yet clear whether accelerated procedures will require an even higher level, such as C1, but the trend is toward stricter language standards.
The government programme also foresees a compulsory citizenship course offered by the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), covering democracy, European values, and equality. Details of the curriculum and timetable still need to be set out so it could come in 2026 or later.
READ ALSO: How foreigners can get fast-track citizenship in Austria
Income, support and integration requirements
Austria’s core requirements for residence remain strict. Applicants generally have to show a secure income above a defined “minimum means” level and prove comprehensive health insurance cover.
In 2025, the monthly net requirement for a single person was €1,273.99, with higher thresholds for couples and families. These amounts are adjusted upwards each year, so applicants in 2026 can expect slightly higher figures once the Ministry of Social Affairs publishes the new rates.
Even small gaps between declared income and the required minimum can lead to refusals.
READ ALSO: How much income do you need to get a residency permit in Austria in 2025?
From January 2026, a revised integration year will also be introduced for people with asylum status, those with subsidiary protection, certain asylum seekers with a high likelihood of recognition, and many displaced people from Ukraine.
The programme links German courses, labour market measures and “values and orientation” modules, and it is closely tied to a planned reform of social assistance.
The new values and orientation course will run for five days instead of three and will conclude with an “integration declaration”. It will cover topics such as democracy, rule of law, equal rights between men and women, respect for other religions and basic information on taxes, work and education. Participants will also have to sign a declaration against antisemitism.
Additional workshops and excursions, for example, to memorial sites or the police, are planned over a three-year period. Financial sanctions and, in extreme cases, loss of residence status are foreseen for repeated non-participation.
READ ALSO: Austria expands mandatory integration training with new pledge and sanctions
Key vocabulary
die Rot-Weiß-Rot-Karte – Red-White-Red Card skilled worker residence permit
die Familienzusammenführung – family reunification
die Staatsbürgerschaft – citizenship
der Aufenthaltstitel – residence permit or residence title
die Integrationsvereinbarung – integration agreement or programme
die Mindestsicherung / der Richtsatz – minimum subsistence level used for income checks
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