Even in comparison to other European countries, Austria feels quite confident. According to the UN’s annual happiness rankings, Austria is among the top ten countries in Europe in terms of happiness. It is therefore not surprising that Europeans themselves often decide to emigrate to Austria in search of a better life.
What is clear is that EU citizens¹ have easier conditions for living in and entering Austria than third-country nationals. EU citizens and their family members have the right to enter Austria without a visa and to reside in Austria for three months.
According to EU law, EU citizens are entitled to reside in Austria for more than three months if they have obtained a registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung). This document confirms the right of a foreigner who is a citizen of another EU country to reside in Austria.
An EU citizen has the right to reside in Austria if he or she:
- works in Austria as an employee or is self-employed;
- has sufficient means of subsistence and comprehensive health insurance for himself/herself and his/her family members (like the residence permit for financially independent persons);
- is pursuing education (including vocational training) in a public school or legally recognized public educational institution for the main purpose of residence and has sufficient health insurance and sufficient means of subsistence for himself/herself and his/her family members.
Thus, an EU citizen can reside in Austria if he/she is employed (studying) there and/or has significant savings or income outside of Austria.
Documents required:
- valid identity card/passport;
- additional documents (depending on the reason for moving to Austria):
- confirmation from an employer or proof of self-employment (e.g. employment contract, tax number, extract from the trade register) or
- proof of sufficient means of subsistence (e.g. bank account balance, pension payments) and full health insurance or
- a document confirming enrolment in a school or educational institution and full health insurance, as well as a declaration or other document confirming sufficient means of subsistence;
- sometimes the authorities may request other documents, for example, a criminal record.
If an EU citizen has been legally and continuously residing in Austria for 5 years, he or she can obtain a permanent residence permit (Bescheinigung des Daueraufenthalts) or a photo ID card for EEA citizens (Lichtbildausweis für EWR-Bürger), which is also considered an identity document.
VigoLex legal team regularly advises citizens of EU, EEA and Swiss member states on their right to reside in Austria and will be happy to assist you in obtaining registration documents for these persons and their family members.
¹ In this text, the term “European Union (EU) citizens“ refers not only to citizens of EU Member States, but also to citizens of the Member States of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss citizens.