How to apply for jobs in Austria

The federal government's application advice treats the cover letter as a business letter. Put your name, address, phone number and the date at the top left, name the source of the advert and its reference number, then explain briefly why the job interests you, which strengths and experience fit it and, if timing matters, your earliest start date. Close by asking for an interview. Address a named person where you can; if the advert gives no name, a short call to the company usually gets one, and otherwise the letter goes to the personnel department. List the enclosures at the end. The cover letter builder drafts a first version from your resume.

The same advice calls the photo on the CV optional and lets you decide whether to include citizenship, date and place of birth, marital status or children. Keep the CV clear and logically ordered, bring the experience that matches the advert to the front, and sign it: by hand on paper, with a scanned signature when you send it digitally. Our Austrian CV format guide shows the layout. If an advert asks for a Europass CV, the Austrian Europass service is run by the OeAD and links to the EU's Europass portal.

Do not hold back just because you miss one requirement. The government advice encourages people to apply when they are ready to acquire what is missing, and applicants from abroad should enclose proof that they may work in Austria.^[9][10][23]

Austria's equal-treatment duty starts with the advert itself. Employers, private recruiters and the AMS must word vacancies in a gender-neutral, non-discriminatory way and state the minimum pay to be expected for the post under the collective agreement or the law, together with any readiness to pay above it. In sectors without a collectively agreed minimum, the advert gives the salary that will serve as the basis for negotiation. Senior management roles are exempt, and breaches can lead to administrative fines.

The Ombud for Equal Treatment (Gleichbehandlungsanwaltschaft) says applicants must not be disadvantaged because of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, or gender, and that selection should rest on criteria such as qualifications and professional fit. Turning down women because their family planning is not complete is prohibited. A rejected applicant can bring a claim within six months of the rejection: at least two months' pay in damages if they would have got the job without the discrimination, and up to €500 if their application was refused consideration.^[12][13]

If the date you were given passes without news, one polite email or call is fine. Note each application and contact in the job tracker so you know who to chase and when. For pay, start from the minimum in the advert and research what is usual in your sector. The government's interview advice suggests deciding beforehand what salary you want to get across, avoiding excessive demands, and thinking about what could make up for a lower start, such as promotion prospects or training.

Austrian law allows a probation period of at most one month. During it, either side can end the employment at any time, without notice, a particular form or a reason; a longer agreed Probezeit is not valid. When you leave a job, the employer must issue a Dienstzeugnis on request, stating your name, how long you worked there and what you did. A version that rates your performance has to be asked for explicitly, and there is no legal right to it.^[11][14][15]

People from third countries, outside the EU, usually need the Red-White-Red Card, issued for 24 months for work with the employer named in the application. Skilled workers in shortage occupations need completed training in a listed occupation, a binding job offer, pay at least at the legal or collectively agreed minimum, and 55 points in the points system; the application can be made at an Austrian embassy or, by the employer, with the residence authority in Austria. Other key workers also need 55 points and, for 2026, a gross monthly salary of at least €3,465, and the AMS first checks whether an equally qualified registered jobseeker is available.

Without an offer, very highly qualified people who reach 70 points can come on a job-seeker visa valid for six months. Graduates of Austrian universities may extend their student permit by twelve months to look for work. Formal recognition exists only for regulated professions; the Berufsanerkennung portal shows whether yours is regulated and which body handles it. For other degrees, ENIC NARIC Austria issues an assessment through its AAIS portal, a comparison that helps employers but is not formal recognition. Need the CV in German? Translate your resume and keep the English one for international roles.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21][22]}