Austria relaxes rules on changing employer and on unemployment for permit holders

Austria · 6 October 2026

Fragomen's immigration alert says Austria implemented several immigration law changes effective 7 August 2026, including relaxed change-of-employer rules, relaxed rules for unemployed foreign nationals and faster standard processing times.

Single permit holders may now change employers subject to approval from the authorities. If no decision is issued within 45 days of submission, the applicant may start working for the new employer. The alert says this does not apply to ICT permit holders, and existing rules for EU Blue Cards are unchanged.

Foreign nationals now keep their work permit for up to six months after becoming unemployed, where previously this was available only to EU Blue Card holders. They must notify the authorities of the end of employment. The alert says the grace period does not apply to certain permit holders, including intra-company transferees and posted workers.

With exceptions, applications must now be processed within 90 days of a complete submission. The alert says several of the reforms help align Austrian law with the revised EU Single Permit Directive and that other EU countries are expected to implement it too.

This is a law firm's alert. Check the Austrian authorities for the exact rules.

This is a short summary prepared from the source above; full credit belongs to the original publisher, and the original should be read for the complete and current position. It is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and may differ for your circumstances – please contact us for advice on your situation.