What's the difference between a visa and a residence permit?
- Graham Crewe
- Jan 24, 2023
- 1 min read
Updated: Jan 28, 2024
Many people moving to Austria are confused by these two terms and frequently refer to a visa when actually they mean a residence permit. Here's a very brief explainer. For more information check out our longer "Beginner's Guide to visas and residence permits" post.
Visas
A visa is issued to people from countries that do not have an agreement for visa-free travel with Austria for visits of up to 6 months. They are also issued for specific purposes such as extended holiday, business, work, study, family reunification or job seeking.
The Austrian Embassy in London's website has lists of countries whose citizens do/do not need a visa for short-term visits to Austria: https://www.bmeia.gv.at/en/austrian-embassy-london/travelling-to-austria/entry-requirements-visa-and-immigration/do-i-need-a-visa/
Furthermore there is a list of third countries (i.e. non-EEA countries) whose citizens do not need a visa provided they stay for a maximum of 90 days in every 180. This is the so-called Schengen 90/180-day rule. (The rule is that you look back at the last 180 days from today: the total number of days in the EU must not be more than 90.)
This website has an interactive map showing which countries need a visa and which don't: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/visa-policy_en
Residence permits
A residence permit such as the Red-White-Red card (and the Red-White-Red plus card for family members of R-W-R card holders) is required for people who wish to live and work in Austria for periods of over 180 days.
There is a lot of information about these in English on various government websites:
Further references
