You finished your degree in Austria. Now you want to stay, find a job, or start something of your own. The good news: your Residence Permit, Student can be extended once for twelve months for job-seeking or setting up a business, and after a successful degree the change to a Red-White-Red Card is possible.
Who can get the twelve-month extension
The extension is for holders of a Residence Permit, Student who have completed their studies and want to move on to a Red-White-Red Card, an EU Blue Card or a settlement permit for researchers. You need written proof that you finished your degree. That is the key document.
Not every enrolment counts. If your studies only prepared you for a supplementary examination, or consisted of individual courses after such preparation, that does not qualify for the extension. The permit is for people who actually hold a completed degree.
The general requirements for the permit still apply, except for proof of local accommodation. So check what else the authority expects before you apply. The rules are set out on the residence permit page of oesterreich.gv.at, which the Federal Ministry for the Interior (BMI) is responsible for; that page was last updated 3 August 2026. For the full picture of permit types and how they fit together, see our residence permit guide.
How to apply, and the fee to expect
You apply for the extension before your current permit runs out. Bring your written degree confirmation, your passport, and whatever else the authority asks for. The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218, and the authority decides within 90 days. That 90-day clock is worth planning around: if your permit is close to expiry, apply early rather than late.
If you are not sure which office handles your case, start with the institution's international office. They see these applications every year and can tell you what the local authority expects. For students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland, the Residence Permit, Student is the permit you already hold for a stay of more than six months, so the extension is the same family of paperwork.
The switch to a Red-White-Red Card
The twelve-month extension is a bridge, not a destination. Its purpose is to give you time to line up a Red-White-Red Card, an EU Blue Card, or a settlement permit for researchers. After a successful degree in Austria, the change from a student permit to a Red-White-Red Card is possible. You do not have to leave and start again from outside the country.
The residence authority decides on permits, and the institution decides on admission to its programmes. Nobody at our end can approve either. What you can do is prepare: keep your degree certificate and transcripts together, know your job offer details when you have them, and read the current wording on oesterreich.gv.at and migration.gv.at rather than relying on older blog posts. The Red-White-Red Card route has its own requirements, and they are not the same as the student permit's.
Why studying in Austria makes this route practical
Austria is not a single-application country. Admission is organised by each institution, not centrally: the OeAD does not handle study applications, and there is no central application portal. That matters when you are choosing where to apply, because each university sets its own process and its own deadlines.
At public universities, the general application deadline for most bachelor's programmes is 5 September for the winter semester and 5 February for the summer semester. Other programmes, and applicants from outside the EU/EEA, can have different deadlines. Always confirm with the institution.
On cost, the student union fee (ÖH-Beitrag) is EUR 26.20 per semester and compulsory for all students. At public universities, EU/EEA students pay no tuition only within the standard duration of the programme plus two semesters; outside that window, and for most other students, the tuition is EUR 726.72 per semester. Fees and programme details on this site come from the Austrian national register as of October 2026, and you should confirm them with the institution before you rely on them.
Our catalogue lists 65 Austrian higher education institutions and 589 programmes with English among their languages of instruction. Of those, 455 are taught in English only and the rest in German and English. If you are still deciding where to apply, browse all universities in Austria to compare what each one offers.
Your checklist for the final year
- Finish and document. Get written proof of your degree as soon as it is issued. The extension depends on it.
- Check your permit expiry. Work backwards from the date. The authority decides within 90 days on the EUR 218 application, so do not leave it to the last week.
- Know the general requirements. Apart from proof of local accommodation, the usual conditions apply. Read the current wording on oesterreich.gv.at.
- Pick your route. Job-seeking, setting up a business, or straight to a Red-White-Red Card, EU Blue Card or researcher settlement permit. The extension covers the first two; the change of purpose covers the rest.
- Keep records. Job applications, business registration steps, correspondence with the authority, keep copies. You may need to show progress.
Common sticking points
- No written proof, no extension. A transcript showing you are close to finishing is not the same as written proof of successful completion.
- Individual courses do not count. If your enrolment consists of individual courses after preparation for a supplementary examination, the extension does not apply.
- One extension only. The twelve months is granted once. Plan the year so it ends with a Red-White-Red Card application or another qualifying route, not with another extension request.
- Deadlines are institution-specific. The 5 September and 5 February dates are the general rule for most bachelor's programmes at public universities. Confirm your programme's date with the institution.
Sources
- oesterreich.gv.at, Residence Permit, Student (content responsibility: Federal Ministry for the Interior; page last updated 3 August 2026)
- migration.gv.at, Studying in Austria
- OeAD, application and admission
- oesterreich.gv.at, admission of international students
- Tuition and student union fee information
- Austrian national register (BMFWF open data and studienwahl.at), as of October 2026
Frequently asked questions
Can I stay in Austria after my degree to look for a job?
Yes. Your Residence Permit, Student can be extended once for twelve months for job-seeking or setting up a business, provided the general requirements apart from proof of local accommodation are met. You need written proof that you successfully completed your studies.
How much does the graduate job-search permit cost?
The application fee on oesterreich.gv.at is EUR 218, and the authority decides within 90 days. That figure is the one listed on the official page; confirm the current amount before you apply.
Can I switch from a student permit to a Red-White-Red Card in Austria?
Yes. After a successful degree in Austria, the change from a student permit to a Red-White-Red Card is possible. The extension is explicitly for holders who want to move on to a Red-White-Red Card, an EU Blue Card or a settlement permit for researchers.
Do individual courses after my degree qualify for the extension?
No. Studies that only prepare for a supplementary examination, or consist of individual courses after such preparation, do not qualify. The extension is for people with a completed degree and written proof of it.