Do I need a digital nomad visa for Austria?
Austria is part of the Europan Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA), which means citizens of those countries do not need a visa to reside and work in Austria for up to three months. However, other nationalities require a visa to enter, stay, study, and work in Austria. Unfortunately, Austria doesn’t have a digital visa available just yet.
However, digital nomads who are non-EU nationals, and want to travel to Austria for no longer than 90 days, must apply for an entry permit visa.
This could be an ETIAS Visa Waiver or a Schengen Visa for Austria, depending on the nationality of the digital nomad.
Everyone who wishes to stay longer than that should apply for a long-term visa or Austrian National Visa D. With this visa, digital nomads are allowed to extend their stay in Austria for another 90 days.
What type of visa do digital nomads need to live and work in Austria?
Many European countries have already introduced a specific digital nomads visa that allows remote workers to reside and work there for a certain period.
Countries like Estonia, Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Greece, Iceland, and more have already implemented the specific digital nomad visa.
The aim is to attract entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and professionals from all fields and boost their economy and tourism.
Austria, however, has a stringent immigration policy. Remote workers and digital nomads who want to stay and work in Austria for more than 90 days and are not citizens of EU countries need to apply for an Austrian National Visa D (residence or work permit).
Austrian D Visa
The D visa allows a digital nomad:
- To stay for 91 days up to six months (with the possibility to apply for a resident visa before six months is up)
- To travel to other Schengen countries for up to 90 days (must meet criteria to enter the specific country)
How to Apply for an Austrian D Visa?
The applicant must apply for the Austrian D Visa in person in their country of residence before traveling to Austria.
The required documents are extensive, and you must submit all of them during your application. Failure to do so may result in your application being refused.
Renewal of visa
It is not possible to apply for a visa in Austria nor to have it renewed, changed, or extended. Once your visa is expired, you have to leave the Schengen zone.
When to apply?
You can apply for a National Austrian D visa at the earliest six months and no later than 15 days before intending to travel to Austria.
Processing times vary, but it’s best to apply at least four weeks before traveling to Austria.
Some of the requirements needed to apply for a work permit include proof of employer in Austria which is a bit tricky since digital nomads are mainly employed with foreign companies and work remotely. The lack of regulations for digital nomads working remotely with a D visa puts them into a legal grey area.
