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Capital alone isn’t enough — points are also required (50 of 85)

Red-White-Red Card
Austria — Start-up Founders

Company capital from €30,000 with 50%+ ownership — a necessary but NOT sufficient condition. A minimum of 50 out of 85 points is also required across qualification, experience, language, and bonuses.

Company capital from
€30,000
Ownership share from
50%
Passing score
50 of 85
Card term
24 months → RWR Card plus

Points aren’t a formality

Even with sufficient capital, you need 50 of 85 points across several areas, including bonus categories.

POINTS CATEGORY
MAXIMUM
NOTE
Qualification
MAXIMUM30 points
education and relevant training
Work experience
MAXIMUM10 points
confirmed professional tenure
Language skills
MAXIMUM15 points
German or English
Bonus points
MAXIMUM30 points
extra €50K+ investment (10), incubator/start-up funding (10), age 35 or under (10)

What the process consists of

An additional investment from €50,000 on top of the base €30,000 grants 10 bonus points — but doesn’t replace the overall points requirement.

COST ITEM
RATE
APPLIES TO
Company capital (base)
RATEfrom €30,000
per business
Additional investment for bonus points
RATEfrom €50,000 (optional, +10 points)
per business
Application fee
RATE€218
per applicant

How the process runs

01
Establishing an innovative company
Capital from €30,000, ownership share from 50%.
02
Preparing a business plan
With the applicant retaining management control.
03
Scoring points across 4 categories
Qualification, experience, language, bonuses — a minimum of 50 out of 85.
04
Filing the application
Fee €218.
05
Receiving the RWR Card for 24 months
After 2 years of meeting requirements — transition to RWR Card plus with unrestricted labour market access.

A good fit if

You can invest from €30,000 in company capital with 50%+ ownership.
You score a minimum of 50 out of 85 points across qualification, experience, language, and bonuses.
You are planning a genuinely innovative company with a real business plan, not a formal registration.
You are under 35, in a business incubator, or prepared for an additional €50,000+ investment — these bonuses ease reaching the points threshold.

A poor fit if

You assume €30,000 in capital is enough on its own — without scoring a minimum of 50 of 85 points, the application won’t pass.
Your ownership share is below 50% — the requirement is specifically for a controlling stake, not any capital participation.
Your company isn’t innovative, but a standard business without a genuine business plan.
You want a route with no points system — for that, the site has a separate self-employed key workers programme with no points at all.

Who runs this programme

Your request goes to two or three firms from this list. You see exactly which ones before it is sent, and you can exclude any of them.

No matching firms in the directory for this category yet — the list is curated by hand and grows over time.

This is an independent list of firms in the market, not our partners — we do not forward requests to them or receive payment for referrals. Contact them directly via the link.

Frequent questions

Is investing €30,000 enough on its own?

No — per the available data, this is a necessary but not sufficient condition. Separately, a minimum of 50 out of 85 points is required across qualification, experience, language, and bonuses.

How do you earn bonus points?

Per the available data, there are three sources of bonus points, 10 each: an additional investment from €50,000 beyond the base capital, admission to a business incubator or start-up agency funding in Austria, and being 35 years old or younger.

How does this differ from the self-employed key workers route?

Self-employed key workers face a higher capital threshold (€100K) but no points system at all — assessment is individual. Start-up founders face a lower capital threshold (€30K) but must pass a mandatory 50-of-85 points system.

What happens after the 24-month card?

Per the available data, after 2 years of meeting requirements, the holder transitions to RWR Card plus — with unrestricted labour market access, not tied to a specific company.

Must the company specifically be innovative?

Yes — per the available data, establishing a genuinely innovative company with a submitted business plan is required, not a standard business.

Does this programme grant Austrian citizenship?

No — this page covers a path from temporary status to RWR Card plus, not citizenship or a separately described path to it.

Sources

Figures are for reference only. Verified against official sources on 27 August 2026. A precise quote is issued by the appointed firm after document review. This material is not legal advice, a public offer or investment advice.