Austria Shortage Occupations List 2026: Jobs and RWR Card Rules
Written by
Azra Mehanic
Founder, Move to Austria
Reviewed by
Azra Mehanic
Editorial and source review · July 22, 2026
How Austria’s national and regional 2026 shortage lists work, which healthcare and technical roles appear, and why a listed job alone does not guarantee a permit.
Two Lists: Austria-Wide and Regional
Austria publishes shortage occupations annually. The Austria-wide list applies throughout the country; the regional list applies only in the federal provinces named for that occupation. A regional listing therefore helps only when the binding job offer is located in one of those provinces. Always match the exact official German occupational title and the job location rather than relying on a broad English label.
What Appears on the 2026 National List
The 2026 Austria-wide list contains 64 occupational groups. It includes graduate nurses, physicians, nursing assistants level 2, power-engineering specialists, train drivers and numerous technical, skilled-trade, education and transport roles. The list is detailed: an occupation that sounds similar may not be legally identical. Use the official list and AMS occupational information system to compare the actual duties and required training.
Being Listed Is Not Enough
A third-country national applying as a Skilled Worker in a Shortage Occupation must prove completed training in the listed occupation, hold a binding Austrian job offer with at least the pay required by law, regulation or collective agreement, and reach at least 55 points. Points are available for qualification, relevant experience, language and age, subject to category caps. The competent authorities—not the employer or an online calculator—make the assessment.
Regulated Professions Need a Second Check
A shortage listing does not replace professional recognition. Nurses, physicians and other regulated professionals must still complete the applicable Austrian recognition or nostrification procedure and meet professional-registration requirements. This distinction is crucial: labour-market demand can support an immigration route, but it does not grant permission to use a protected professional title or practise before the professional conditions are met.
How to Use the List Correctly
First find the exact occupation on the national or regional 2026 page. Second confirm that your training is comparable to what the occupation requires. Third check the province, job duties, collective-agreement pay and your evidence for at least 55 points. Finally, identify any separate recognition route. The shortage regulation changes annually, so a 2026 listing should not be assumed to apply to a later application year.
Helpful resources
Official sources
Requirements and fees can change. Verify your individual case with the responsible authority before applying.
- Austria-wide shortage occupations 2026 — Austrian Federal Government migration portal
- Regional shortage occupations 2026 — Austrian Federal Government migration portal
- Skilled Workers in Shortage Occupations — Austrian Federal Government migration portal
- Recognition of nursing qualifications — Nursing in Austria
