Moving to Austria

Aristocratic Austria is a great place for travel and permanent stay. Developed medicine and economy, high standard of living and beautiful nature make emigrants from Russia choose this European country as their permanent place of residence. But even this, at first glance, ideal country has disadvantages, and the process of moving often becomes a big test. So, first things first.

Austria: location, climate, standard of living

Austria is a small landlocked country. In the west, it borders on Liechtenstein and Switzerland, in the south - with Germany, in the north - with Slovakia, and in the east - with Hungary. This is the very center of Europe, which does not belong either to the north or to the south, therefore the climate is temperate. Summers are warm enough, winters are snowy and cold, winds blow in spring and autumn. Romantics come to Austria for a unique nature: here snow-capped alpine peaks coexist with emerald green fields, clean lakes and rivers.

Due to the small area, only 8.5 million people, 88% of them - indigenous people (German Austrians). Industry and the agricultural sector are well developed, trade and tourism are active. The unemployment rate is low, as is the inflation rate.

As for Austrian cuisine, the traditions of several countries are intertwined here: Hungary, Bavaria, Italy and Bohemia. Borrowed dishes have already managed to completely change and get a truly Austrian charm. The local cuisine is famous for its Viennese schnitzel made from fresh veal, melting strudel and aromatic coffee.

Emigration to Austria: where to start

Obtaining Austrian citizenship is not an easy process that requires financial investments and a long wait. This country is included in the Schengen area, therefore, even for a simple tourist trip, you need to apply for a visa.

The process of settling in Austria consists of 4 points:

• Submission of documents for a visa. Some go to Austria to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the country and decide whether they want to live in it, while others immediately want to find a job. The former issue a Schengen visa, the latter - a long-term national visa type D. However, after the expiry of the validity period of the permits, the citizen will have to leave the country;
• Registration of a residence permit. If the intentions to stay in the country have not left, after crossing the border you need to apply for a residence permit. The list of documents depends on the status in which the immigrant wants to stay in the country. Residence permit is given for a year, then it can be renewed;
• Obtaining permanent residence. A citizen who has been living and working legally in Austria for at least 5 years has the right to obtain permanent residence. After 5 years of permanent life in the country, an immigrant can extend the document or apply for citizenship;
• Acquiring Austrian citizenship. After 10 years of living in Austria, a citizen has the right to apply for citizenship. Together with the new status, he receives all the same rights that the indigenous people have. However, with the receipt of an Austrian passport, he will have to renounce the citizenship of another country, since Austria does not accept dual citizenship.

Immigration methods

The number of people wishing to live in Austria is growing every year, so the local authorities are forced to tighten requirements for potential emigrants. Good reasons are required to obtain the desired residence permit. So, a visitor can use one of the methods described below.

Employment

A foreigner has the right to settle in Austria through official employment. A work visa is issued only to highly qualified specialists who are superior in their competence to local workers.

There are several options for obtaining a work visa, on the basis of which a residence permit is issued:

• Employment for a managerial position in Austria;
• Regular long business trips from the country of permanent residence;
• An official invitation from an Austrian employer with the conclusion of an employment contract;
• Desire to work in seasonal or social work, where locals most often refuse to go.

A work visa is valid from six months to a year, depending on the specifics of the work and the duration of the employment contract. When it ends, the employee must leave the country.

If long-term employment is implied, the employee has the right to request a visa extension or apply for a residence permit.

Buying a property

In Austria, it is unacceptable to obtain a residence permit due to the purchase of real estate. It is a self-sufficient country in which the government chooses whom to sell real estate to. To buy an apartment in Austria, you need to obtain permission for this, and a foreigner does not have the right to think about buying real estate without a residence permit.

Owning square meters in Austria can be:

• Austrian citizens;
• Persons who have been living for several years with a residence permit in any country in Europe;
• Citizens of the European Union.

However, there are also exceptions to the rule. So, in the regions of Carinthia, Styria, Upper and Lower Austria, non-residents of the country can buy commercial real estate, since these unpopular areas need to attract investment.

But for the purchase of square meters, even in these areas, it will not be possible to obtain a residence permit.

Education

A citizen with a diploma from an Austrian university can easily get a high-paying job in any EU country. However, getting into a prestigious university is not easy: those who wish will need to take a test, the complexity of which will depend on the requirements of the university and the characteristics of the faculty.

After all the exams have been passed and the applicant is successfully enrolled, he or she applies for a student visa for a year. In order for it to be approved, a student enrollment agreement is provided to the consulate.

The receipt is characterized by the following features:

1. Knowledge of German is not tested, however, those who wish to improve their language are offered special paid courses. The cost of additional lessons is about 400 euros;
2. Students from Russia are offered special programs for admission to a university. This is a good prospect for active young people;
3. The student visa is renewed every year. If the training is completed successfully, the student gets the opportunity to get a prestigious position at an Austrian company. And employment subsequently allows you to submit documents for the assignment of citizenship.

Family reunification

A Russian has the right to apply for Austrian citizenship if his close relatives live in the country. This can be a spouse, spouse, parents or grandparents holding an Austrian passport.

It is also possible to reunite the marriage bond if the following requirements are met:

• The marriage is officially registered, the husband and wife have lived together for over a year;
• One of the spouses has been an Austrian citizen for more than 4 years;
• For the last 3 years, one of the spouses has been living permanently in Austria;
• The beloved have lived together for over 5 years.

If the spouses got married in Austria, but after some time decided to dissolve the marriage, the divorce takes place according to Austrian laws. A spouse who emigrated from Russia loses the right to continue to stay in the country and must return. This rule does not apply to persons who have managed to obtain Austrian citizenship or an indefinite residence permit.

Immigration for business

In Austria, businessmen, including foreign ones, are actively supported.The government offers them a lot of opportunities for development, so it is very profitable to start their own business in this country.

However, before starting a business, two conditions must be met:

1. Put in a bank account from 35,000 euros to create a business;
2. Develop a profitable project for opening an LLC.

If the Austrian authorities find the project useful for the country, they can contribute half of the amount required to start a business. In addition, if the company actively develops and grows, it is completely exempted from paying taxes and duties for up to a year.

Instead of opening a company, an entrepreneur can invest in a ready-made business: buy a workshop, pastry shop, shop.

The most developed areas in Austria are:

• Automotive;
• Metalworking;
• Chemical industry.

However, there are areas where foreigners are not allowed. This:

• Gambling business and all kinds of lotteries;
• Tobacco production;
• Transport companies.

Business immigration is a reliable way to gain a foothold in the country and apply for citizenship. However, it is important to choose the right field: the entrepreneur must be well versed in what he is doing. He must have the appropriate skills to create a growing business.

Refugee immigration

The easiest and therefore the most popular migration method. A refugee is a person who is persecuted in his native country and asks for political asylum in another state. The Austrian authorities are loyal to such citizens, but in order to be granted refugee status, they will have to provide documentary evidence that a person is being oppressed in their home country.

If it was possible to promptly provide such papers, the citizen immediately receives:

• Free food;
• Medical service;
• Allowance;
• Housing.

A refugee can get a job, and after 4 years of living in this status, he is entitled to apply for citizenship.

Important! If you intend to leave your home country in refugee status, you should immediately apply for a visa on the basis of an application for discrimination in Russia. Some people apply for a tourist visa, cross the Austrian border and after that write an application asking to be accepted as a refugee. The authorities are suspicious of such citizens.

Residence permit for wealthy citizens

Those who have money or passive income abroad are accepted by the Austrian authorities without any problems.

A residence permit is given without the right to work and if the following conditions are met:

• An adult citizen has at least EUR 85,000 in his bank account, and for a minor - from EUR 45,000;
• There is housing in the property;
• Medical insurance is open for each family member.

The permit is issued for a year, after which it can be extended for the same period. For this, the financial situation of the family must remain at the same level. The more money in the account, the longer the family will be able to legally live in Austria.

Life after moving: pros and cons

Many Russians dream of settling in Austria, as they understand that this is one of the most suitable countries for a comfortable life. This is confirmed by the numerous stories of emigrants who have been living here for several years. After studying the state from the inside, they highlight not only the pluses, but also the minuses of life in it.

Pros:

• Relatively inexpensive and prestigious education, which has weight all over the world;
• High level of economic development, financial stability;
• The minimum unemployment rate;
• Decent salaries;
• Developed healthcare, progressive medicine;
• Federal assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs;
• Lack of crime;
• Low cost of food;
• One of the most developed public transport systems: many buses, trams, high-speed trains;
• Beautiful nature and clean ecology;
• Active cultural life, wonderful rest.

Minuses:

• Very expensive real estate and problems with its purchase for foreigners;
• Parking problem due to the large number of cars;
• Strict control over the sale of medicines in pharmacies;
• Prolonged study: many students stay for the second year, since going to pairs is voluntary, and everyone passes the exams. Students begin to feel free and forget about their studies.

Most citizens understand that all the disadvantages of living in Austria are due to the high level of development of the country, so they try to put up with them. As for relations with local residents, they are wary of Russians, just like other migrants. So, when choosing a tenant, the owner is more likely to rent the apartment to his compatriot, and not to a foreigner.

Reviews

Yaroslav and Oksana:My wife and I decided to move to Austria to study. Since they have already received higher education in Ukraine, they chose nostrification (confirmation of the diploma). These are 6-month courses, for my wife - medical, and for me - legal. After graduation, I got a job and extended my residence permit. I can say that only those who are ready to change, learn the language and learn a profession useful for society will be able to live comfortably here. Here engineers and doctors are in demand, as well as working specialties - builders, carpenters, locksmiths. But such positions are most often occupied, so it is very difficult to get a job without a European diploma and a profession in demand. We are delighted with life in Austria. It is very beautiful, safe, powerful medicine, and friendly people. There are disadvantages, as elsewhere, but in my opinion there are much more advantages.

Marina:I have lived for almost 10 years in Austria and I can say that Austria and Austria are different. The main thing is where to live and with whom. In Vienna, spacious apartments, and in remote villages, apartments for rent overlooking the concrete walls on the ground floor. And if you also live with an Austrian husband, then life will not seem like raspberries because of the difference in mentality: quarrels will regularly occur due to a banal misunderstanding. Austrians are too cold-blooded, they lack temperament, they are non-conflicting and are not used to expressing their emotions violently. Despite this, Vienna is wonderful, it has everything you need to be happy!

Hope:I am delighted with life in Austria, its traditions, local culture. Most Austrians are nice and friendly, ready to help. Upset by the large number of migrants. Of course, I myself am a visitor, but I study and earn money myself, and there are people who simply live on welfare and give birth to children here. It's a shame that Austria is turning into the same multicultural country as America.

Conclusion

According to the reviews of immigrant Russians, life in Austria is almost perfect. However, those who are going to leave Russia for good should think it over well. After all, obtaining a residence permit is a rather long and difficult process, and in this European country you will have to strictly follow all the rules and respect the foundations of society.