Red-White-Red Card CV: the Austrian points tables and the CV line for each point
For an Austrian Red-White-Red Card, the AMS scores your documents: very highly qualified workers need 70 of 100 points, shortage occupations and other key workers 55. Write each CV line so it points to the certificate that earns the point.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
What the points decide, and who scores them
The Red-White-Red Card is Austria's residence permit for qualified workers from outside the EU. migration.gv.at, the Austrian government's migration portal, says it is issued for 24 months and ties you to the employer named in the application. Seven groups can apply; three of them, read on 13 October 2026, are scored on a points table.
- Very highly qualified workers: at least 70 of 100 points, with or without a job offer.
- Skilled workers in shortage occupations: at least 55 of 90 points, training in a listed occupation and a binding offer.
- Other key workers: at least 55 of 90 points, a minimum salary and a labour market test.
- Graduates of Austrian universities: no points system, according to migration.gv.at.
The embassy or the residence authority sends the file to the Public Employment Service (AMS), which counts the points. The migration.gv.at pages list certificates as proof, not a CV. The CV still matters: the employer reads it before agreeing to file the employer's declaration that every card application with a job offer needs. Our reading is that a CV whose every line maps to a certificate leaves nothing for anyone to reconcile.
First step: score yourself on the official table
- Pick your route: a four-year degree and strong record points to the very highly qualified table; a trade on the shortage list points to the shortage table; anything else with a job offer points to other key workers.
- Count your relevant work experience in half-years, from exact start and end months.
- Check the date on each language certificate: migration.gv.at says it should not be older than five years.
- Work out your age bracket on the day you apply.
- Run the points calculator linked from migration.gv.at and compare it with your own count.
- Only then write the CV, one line per scored fact.
How the three routes differ
Very highly qualified workers
With 70 points and no job offer, you can apply in person at an Austrian embassy or consulate for a job-seeker visa valid for six months; the AMS confirms the points first. With a job offer, you apply for the card directly, and the job must match your qualification and pay adequately.
Skilled workers in shortage occupations
You need completed training in an occupation on the list, a binding offer, and at least the minimum pay set by law, regulation or collective agreement. For 2026 migration.gv.at lists 64 Austria-wide shortage occupations, from milling machinists and electrical installers to graduate nurses and restaurant chefs, plus a separate regional list. Formal recognition is required only for regulated professions; for the rest the AMS judges your training from the documents.
Other key workers
Your employer must pay at least €3,465 gross a month (the 2026 figure on migration.gv.at, read 13 October 2026), and the AMS checks that no equally qualified jobseeker registered with it can be placed. People with special know-how, such as musicians or designers, do not need formal training.
The points tables, as published on 13 October 2026
Points and documents are copied from the three migration.gv.at pages; the last column is ours and shows the CV line that leads a reader to each document.
Very highly qualified workers: 70 of 100
| Criterion | Points | Proof migration.gv.at asks for | CV line that points to it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree from a programme of at least four years (max 40 for this block) | 20 | Graduation document; proof of the institution's status | 09/2012 – 06/2016 B.A. Economics, 4-year programme (240 ECTS), Ankara University |
| Same, in mathematics, informatics, natural sciences or technology (MINT) | 30 | Proof that the programme is a MINT subject | B.Sc. Computer Engineering (MINT), 4 years |
| Habilitation or PhD | 40 | Proof of habilitation or doctorate | 2019 – 2023 PhD Chemistry, thesis title, university |
| Senior management salary last year: €50,000–60,000 / 60,000–70,000 / over 70,000 | 20 / 25 / 30 | Tax assessment or pay certificate; employer's confirmation of the senior role; proof the company is listed or has a positive report from the Austrian trade office | 03/2019 – 12/2025 Head of Finance (senior management), listed company, city |
| Research and innovation (patent applications, publications) | 20 | Publications with titles and sources; certificate of R&D work; patent register extracts | Publications (3): titles, journal, year · Patent application TR 2024/000000 |
| Recognised awards | 20 | Document proving the award | 2024 Name of prize, awarding body |
| Work experience matching the qualification, per half-year (max 20) | 1 | Testimonials and work certificates | 03/2018 – 08/2026 Software Engineer, employer, city (17 half-years) |
| Six months of work experience in Austria | 10 | Same | 01/2025 – 06/2025 Software Engineer, company, Vienna |
| German or English at A1 / A2 (max 10 for languages) | 5 / 10 | Certificate not older than five years | English A2 or higher: certificate name and month |
| French, Spanish, or Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian at B1 | 5 each | Same | French B1, DELF B1, 05/2023 |
| Age under 35 / 40 / 45 | 20 / 15 / 10 | Passport | Date of birth on the CV saves a lookup |
| Studies in Austria: half the ECTS or second part of a diploma programme / completed degree | 5 / 10 | Course record and exam certificates; completion document | 10/2023 – 09/2025 MSc, TU Wien |
Shortage occupations: 55 of 90
| Criterion | Points | Proof migration.gv.at asks for | CV line that points to it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Completed vocational training in the shortage occupation (max 30) | 30 | Training certificate or diploma | 09/2008 – 06/2012 Vocational school, electrical installation, Ankara |
| Work experience, per half-year (max 20) | 1 | Testimonials and work certificates | 02/2015 – 09/2026 Electrician, employer, city |
| Work experience in Austria, per half-year | 2 | Same | Any Austrian period with months |
| German A1 / A2 / B1 (max 25 for languages) | 5 / 10 / 15 | Certificate, at least A1, not older than five years; ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, telc or ÖIF named | German A2 (ÖSD, 03/2026) |
| English A2 / B1 | 5 / 10 | Certificate, at least A2; Cambridge, telc, IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL named | English B1 (certificate name, 11/2025) |
| French, Spanish, or Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian at B1 | 5 each | Certificate | Only if you hold one |
| Age under 30 / 40 / 50 | 15 / 10 / 5 | Passport | Date of birth |
| Extra: English is the company's predominant language | 5 | Employer information | Not a CV line |
Other key workers: 55 of 90
| Criterion | Points | Proof migration.gv.at asks for | CV line that points to it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocational training or special know-how / university entrance qualification / degree of at least three years (max 30) | 20 / 25 / 30 | Training certificate; school leaving certificate; graduation document and institution status | 09/2005 – 06/2009 B.A. Business Administration, 4 years, Marmara University |
| Work experience, per half-year / in Austria per half-year (max 20) | 1 / 2 | Testimonials and work certificates | Every job with start and end month |
| Languages: as in the shortage table (max 25) | 5 to 15 | Certificate not older than five years | One line per certificate |
| Age under 30 / 40 | 15 / 10 | Passport | Date of birth |
| Extra: English as company language / professional athletes and coaches | 5 / 20 | Employer information; testimonials | Not a CV line / club history |
Two worked scores for applicants from Türkiye
Both people are invented. Kerem, 34, is an electrical installer from Ankara with eleven years on building sites; electrical installers are on the 2026 Austria-wide list. Deniz, 41, is a sales manager in Istanbul with a four-year business degree and fifteen years of experience, applying as a key worker.
| Criterion | Kerem (shortage occupation) | Deniz (other key worker) |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | Vocational training in electrical installation: 30 | Degree of at least three years: 30 |
| Experience | 22 half-years, capped: 20 | 30 half-years, capped: 20 |
| Languages | German A2 (10) + English B1 (10): 20 | English C1; the highest English row is B1: 10 |
| Age | Under 40: 10 | 41, no age points: 0 |
| Total | 80, minimum 55 | 60, minimum 55 |
| Still needed | Binding offer at the collective-agreement wage | At least €3,465 a month and a passed labour market test |
Kerem's German certificate is what turns a narrow pass into a safe one: without it he has 70. Deniz has no age points from 40 on, and his qualification and experience rows are already full, so German is the only row left where he can gain: an A2 certificate would add 10.
The examples migration.gv.at itself gives
- A 29-year-old Serbian roofer with training, over ten years of experience and basic German: 30 + 20 + 5 + 15 = 70 points in a shortage occupation.
- A 43-year-old Canadian sales director with a degree, over nine years of experience and English as his native language: 30 + 18 + 10 = 58 points as a key worker.
- A 30-year-old Russian informatics graduate with over six years of experience and English at A2: 30 + 12 + 10 + 20 = 72 points as very highly qualified, enough for the job-seeker visa.
The Canadian example is worth reading twice: at 43 he gets no age points, and his English counts once even though it is his first language.
Writing each line so the point is visible
Months, so half-years can be counted
Experience scores per half-year, so 2019 – 2024 is not enough. Write 03/2019 – 08/2024 and make the dates match the reference letter, because migration.gv.at names testimonials and work certificates as the proof. The German page names them Dienstzeugnisse and Arbeitsbestätigung.
The degree length and field, in the line itself
Twenty or thirty points in the very highly qualified table depend on a four-year programme and on whether it is MINT. Put the duration and the field in the education line; a Turkish engineering bachelor of four years should say so rather than leave the reader to know it.
One certificate per language line
Write the language, the level, the certificate and the month it was issued. A level without a certificate earns nothing, and a certificate older than five years should not be relied on.
Titles that match the paper
Copy the job title from the reference letter. For a senior management claim, the employer's confirmation must say senior management, so the CV should use the same words.
Limits of this page
- Points are necessary, not sufficient: pay, the job offer and, for key workers, the labour market test decide too.
- Documents not in German or English need translations into one of them, and the authority may ask for legalised copies.
- The shortage occupation page lists an application fee of €218; check the current fee on the official page.
- Start-up founders, self-employed key workers, seasonal workers and the EU Blue Card follow other rules not covered here.
- Rules change; read the linked migration.gv.at page again before you apply.
Next steps
- Build the Lebenslauf itself with the Austrian CV guide: photo, signature and the references that go with it.
- Check how your language certificate maps to CEFR levels before you count the points.
- CitedCV, if you want the CV written in English or German from facts you confirm; it does not calculate Austrian points, so keep the official table next to you.
Questions people ask
How many points do I need for the Red-White-Red Card?
It depends on the route: 70 of 100 for very highly qualified workers, and 55 of 90 for skilled workers in shortage occupations and for other key workers.
Who calculates the Red-White-Red Card points?
The AMS, Austria's Public Employment Service. The embassy or residence authority forwards the application, and the AMS checks the points and the other conditions.
Do I need a job offer for the Red-White-Red Card?
Yes, except on the very highly qualified route, where 70 points let you apply for a six-month job-seeker visa first.
How is work experience counted for the Red-White-Red Card?
Per half-year: one point each, two points for half-years in Austria on the shortage and key worker tables, up to 20 points in total.
What is the minimum salary for an other key worker in Austria in 2026?
Gross €3,465 a month, according to migration.gv.at on 13 October 2026, and no equally qualified registered jobseeker may be available.
Which language certificates count for the Red-White-Red Card?
Certificates not older than five years; migration.gv.at names ÖSD, Goethe-Institut, telc and ÖIF for German, and Cambridge, telc, IELTS, TOEIC and TOEFL for English.
Is my job on the Austrian shortage occupation list?
Check the 2026 list on migration.gv.at: 64 Austria-wide occupations, from milling machinists to nurses, plus a regional list that varies by federal state.
Does migration.gv.at require a CV for the Red-White-Red Card?
No, its document lists name certificates, references and the employer declaration, not a CV. Employers still read one, so make it match the certificates.
Sources
- migration.gv.at, Very Highly Qualified Workerswww.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/very-highly-qualified-workers/
- migration.gv.at, Besonders Hochqualifizierte (German version)www.migration.gv.at/de/formen-der-zuwanderung/dauerhafte-zuwanderung/besonders-hochqualifizierte/
- migration.gv.at, Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupationswww.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/skilled-workers-in-shortage-occupations/
- migration.gv.at, Austria-wide shortage occupations (2026)www.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/austria-wide-shortage-occupations/
- migration.gv.at, Other Key Workerswww.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/other-key-workers/
- migration.gv.at, Permanent immigrationwww.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/
- migration.gv.at, Graduates of Austrian universitieswww.migration.gv.at/en/types-of-immigration/permanent-immigration/graduates/