Austria immigration rules eased for foreign workers; processing time cut to 90 days

Austria has eased several immigration rules for foreign workers from August 7, 2026, according to a report by Fragomen. The reforms cover changes of employer, unemployment rules and government processing times.

Several of the changes also align Austria’s national legislation with the revised EU Single Permit Directive.

Under the new rules, single permit holders can change employers after receiving approval from the authorities. If authorities do not issue a decision within 45 days of the application, the applicant can start working for the new employer.


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The new provision does not apply to intracompany transfer (ICT) permit holders. Existing change-of-employer rules for EU Blue Card holders remain unchanged.

Six-month unemployment period introduced

Austria has also eased rules for foreign nationals who become unemployed. They can now retain their work permits for up to six months after becoming unemployed, compared with the earlier provision that was available only to EU Blue Card holders.

Affected foreign nationals must notify the authorities when their employment ends. In limited circumstances, the six-month period may also be extended.

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The unemployment provision does not apply to certain permit holders, including intracompany transferees and posted workers, among others.

Processing time cut to 90 days

Austria has also shortened standard processing times for immigration applications. With some exceptions, applications must now be processed within 90 days of the submission of a complete application.

Existing shorter deadlines for certain permits remain unchanged. These include Red-White-Red Cards and EU Blue Cards. Some residence permit categories, including posted workers and self-employed applicants, continue to have longer processing periods.