For non EU citizens to take up legal gainful employment in Austria can be very difficult. Foreign nationals who want to work in Austria need a work permit.

Citizens from the EEA area (EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein) work on the same conditions as Austrian citizens. They do not require special permits to work in Austria. Citizens from Romania and Bulgaria still require permits in accordance with the act governing employment of foreigners (AuslBG). For non EU citizens to take up legal gainful employment in Austria a valid certificate of residence, like a settlement permit (Niederlassungsbewilligung) or a temporary residence permit (Aufenthaltserlaubnis) is required. 

Travel or limited stay visas for tourists or for visiting relatives do not entitle the visitors to take up work. Third country citizens who are caught in illegal employment have to expect immediate deportation and a residence ban lasting up to ten years.

Work Permit for key members of staff

The law defines a foreign national as a key member of staff if they:

Possess a specific vocational qualification or experience which is in demand on the national labour market and

Earn a gross monthly salary of 60% of the highest contributory amount according to §108 paragraph 3 ASVG (i.e. 2,520 EUR in 2011) including special bonuses. More Info

For questions regarding residence regulations in Austria, please contact the customer service centre of Municipal Department 35 - Immigration and Citizenship, Registry Offices (MA 35). More Information on the City of Vienna Web Site

foreign Labor Quota

The number of foreign nationals who are allowed to work in Austria is controlled by the upper limit system (upper limits at federal and provincial level to ensure controlled entry of foreign workers).

This system stipulates that (at present) the total number of employed and unemployed foreign nationals must not exceed 8% of the Austrian labour force. All foreign nationals employed within the framework of an employment permit, short-term or long-term work permit are included in this quota.

If this quota is exceeded, only specific groups of people can be conferred a pre-employment permit and an employment permit when it is considered in the interests of the public and general economic good up to a maximum of 9%. Access to the Austrian labour market is still possible, for example for the following cases:  More Info

Degree Validation (Nostrifizierung)

Validation is the conversion of a foreign (bachelor's, master's, diploma or doctor's) university degree into a corresponding Austrian one by the organ in charge of study affairs, or into a corresponding Fachhochschule degree by the Fachhochschule Collegium respectively.

This means the complete equivalence of the two degrees, the right to use the respective Austrian academic degree and all the rights connected with its use. This relates in particular to the entitlement to exercise a profession for which in Austria an academic degree is required. Read More

• Doktor (Dr.) a university degree similar to the U.S. doctorate
• Magister (Mag.) similar to the U.S. master of arts
• Diplom Ingenieur (D.I. or Dipl. Ing.) similar to the U.S. master of science

Employment Applications and CV'S

A résumé, commonly written "resume", is a document that contains a summary or listing of relevant job experience and education. It is closely related to a similar document used in Austria and throughout the world, a Curriculum Vitae (CV) which focuses more on education, publications, and other accomplishments. Both are typically used to screen applications, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment. The résumé or CV is typically the first item that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker, and therefore a large amount of importance is often ascribed to it.

Keep in mind that overseas employers often expect to read the type of personal information on a curriculum vitae that would never be included on an American resume, such as date of birth, nationality and place of birth. United States law on what information job applicants can be asked to provide does not apply outside the country. More Info

Salaries

Salaries and wages have to be paid by law 14 times a year. Normally the 13th salary is paid at the end of June and the 14th at the end of November. For the employees the 13th and the 14th salary are taxed at a very low rate (6%). Collective agreements between representatives of the employers and the employees regulate the minimum conditions of all working contracts including a minimum wage. This minimum wage depends on the standard of the work, on the age of the employees and on the particular business sector. Normally salaries and wages are substantially higher than these minimum amounts. Often they also agree on general increases not only for the minimum wages but for the actual wages. The result of these negotiations is binding on all employers.

Salary Calculator (In German) This handy calculator will figure your monthly take home pay and 13th and 14th month salary.

SOCIAL SECURITY

In Austria both the employer and the employee are required to pay social security contributions. The employee’s part of the contributions are withheld by the employer and then paid together with its own contribution. The basis of assessment is the employee’s monthly gross salary. The contributions cover insurance for health, unemployment, old age and disability.