How Much Income You Need for the Austrian Privatier Permit in 2026, and What It Costs

The question I hear first is “how much money do I need”. For Austria the answer is not an investment but a monthly income, and it is set by law. Figures below are checked on 27 October 2026 against oesterreich.gv.at.

The 2026 thresholds

The rule is twice the reference rates of § 293 of the General Social Insurance Act (ASVG), after deducting regular costs.

Household	ASVG rate 2026	Required (x2) per month	Per year, BRIDGES calculation
Single	EUR 1,308.39	EUR 2,616.78	EUR 31,401
Married couple or partners	EUR 2,064.12	EUR 4,128.24	EUR 49,539
Each child	EUR 201.88	plus EUR 403.76	couple with one child EUR 54,384

The annual figures are BRIDGES’ own calculation (monthly amount times 12). Note that the English page of the Interior Ministry still showed the 2025 amounts (EUR 2,547.98, EUR 4,019.70 and EUR 393.14) when I checked. The rates are updated every January, so I always plan with the higher figure for the year of filing.

What counts as income

oesterreich.gv.at lists domestic or foreign pensions, business profits earned abroad, income from assets, savings and shareholdings. Income from work in Austria cannot count, because the permit excludes work. “After running costs” means that regular expenses such as loan repayments may reduce what is left. I ask clients to show income that clearly covers the threshold with a margin, not one that just touches it.

The official fee

The application fee is EUR 218. I could not confirm other state charges, such as the card production fee or the consular visa fee, on the official pages I used, so I do not quote them.

The real budget

Beyond the fee, plan for:

• a German A1 course and exam (ÖSD, Goethe, telc or ÖIF certificate, not older than one year);
• health insurance covering all risks;
• a lease or a property in Austria, since housing must exist before filing;
• certified translations by sworn court interpreters for documents not in German or English, plus apostilles or legalisation;
• professional help if you use it, priced separately by each firm.

None of these amounts is fixed by law, so I do not give totals. BRIDGES prepares an individual calculation for each family.

Tax is part of the budget

Living in Austria usually makes you tax resident, and Austria taxes worldwide income. According to the Ministry of Finance, the 2026 income tax rates run from 0% up to EUR 13,539 to 50% above EUR 104,859 and 55% above EUR 1 million. Capital income generally has a special rate of 27.5%. More in the citizenship and tax guide.

My advice

Check your income for the coming January, not for today, because the rates rise. And prepare the proof so that an official who does not know you understands it in five minutes. The filing steps are in the application guide.