Expert Info
on 30 Oct 2019
Hello and thank you in advance for your response(s). My wife and I are planning on retiring and moving to Austria from the USA in June 2020. We have been to the Austrian Embassy website for instructions on the procedures and most information we have reviewed makes sense. We are still not clear on which application we are to fill out - We are planning on staying at least 2 years and likely much longer. Are we filling out an application for temporary residence or long term residence? I don't see an application that is for retirees as most seem to be geared towards those planning to work, which we will not be. When I went to applications, i found 20+ that were for residence applications. Any guidance will be appreciated.
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Hi Mark,
From what I can gather anyone who is hoping to stay in Austria for longer than six months needs to apply for a residence permit. There are many different kinds of residence permits. For pensioners, it seems like the best option would be a settlement permit. This permit is specifically for non-EU citizens who would like to retire in Austria. The rules for the permit are quite strict. Some of the points you need to meet are: prove you have sufficient funds, obtain health insurance coverage, and have adequate accommodation organised. You would also need to prove that you have German speaking skills.
Rules for visas change quickly and the best would always be to contact the embassy again to double check with them about this permit. Hope this helps. Rianca
Thank you and I have been in contact with the Embassy and slowly chipping away and it does seem like the settlement permit is the way to go. You may or may not know this, but as a resident coming via the settlement permit way, are we able to open a banking account and purchase./plate and automobile?