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Seasonal workers wanting to work in Austria need to apply for a seasonal work permit. After obtaining the permit, applicants can apply for a seasonal work visa. A seasonal work visa is of two types – A C visa (for less than 90 days of stay), and a D visa (more than 90 days of day). Depending on the duration of your stay you can apply for a C or D visa. Applications can be submitted at an Austrian Embassy or Consulate in India. Want to apply for seasonal work? Read this blog, to learn about the documentation requirements, fees, processing time, and the application process in detail.
austria seasonal work visa
Types of Austria Seasonal Work Visa
Austria has two types of seasonal work visas. The visa you need to apply for depends on the duration of your stay. The two types of visas are as follows:
- A C visa– A C visa is also called a Uniform Schengen, a short-term work visa, or a short-stay visa. Since Austria is a part of the Schengen area, you can apply for this visa for up to 90 days of stay within 180 days. The overall validity of the visa is for 5 years.
- A D visa– A D visa is also called a National visa, long-stay work visa, or a long-stay visa. This visa is granted for seasonal work for more than 90 days of stay within 6 months.
A seasonal work permit in Austria is given based on quotas. Your employer would apply for the quota permit (Kontingentbewilligung). After obtaining the permit, you can apply for the relevant work visa.
What is Seasonal Work in Austria in 2024-25?
Seasonal work would mean work or activity undertaken at a specific time of the year. The following work qualifies as seasonal work for which you can apply for an Austria Seasonal Work Visa.
- Agricultural work– Farmworker, vineyard worker, livestock assistant, laboratory technician, quality auditor, etc.
- Harvesting Work -Fruit picker, vegetable harvester, berry harvester, mushroom picker, etc.
- Tourism Work -Snowboard Instructor, life operator, hotel staff, hostess, etc
Learn all about studying in Austria as an Indian student
Requirements for an Austria Seasonal Work Visa
The following documents must be submitted for the visa application process. Note: You may have to submit additional documents based on the visa category. You also need to ensure that the documents are in English/German. Otherwise, you need to translate the documents.
- Fully completed visa application form (C/D visa). You need to print the application form and sign the same.
- You must have a passport that is valid for 3 months beyond the duration of your stay. The passport must have been issued within the last 10 years.
- Additionally, you need to submit 3 photographs.
- You also must have a valid permit to return (basically proof of Indian residency)
- Make round-trip flight reservations, and provide details of your travel itinerary
- Submit proof that you have arranged your accommodation in Austria. For example, hotel booking
- You must have medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 for 3 months of stay. The medical insurance must be valid in all the Schengen states.
- You must also submit a proof of occupation. For example, your employment contract
- Submit proof that you have finances to cover your expenses for the duration of your stay
- You also need to submit the letter of support from your Austrian employer
- Copy of your current and previous passports, and your details.
Moreover, you need to have a valid employment permit issued by the AMS (mandatory).
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How to Apply for an Austria Seasonal Work Visa?
You can apply at the Austrian embassy (in New Delhi) for a visa. The application can be sent through VFS Global. The application process is as follows:
- Decide whether you want to apply for a C visa or a D visa.
- Visit the official website of VFS Global and download the visa application form
- Fill out the application form, and gather the relevant documents
- Make an appointment at a visa application centre.
- On the date of your visa appointment, bring your documents, and submit your application form. You also need to submit your biometric information.
- You can pay the visa application fee to get processing started.
- You can also check online (by entering your reference number) your visa application status.
- After a decision is made on your application you will be informed of the same,
- If the visa application is approved, you can travel to Austria for seasonal work.
Austria Seasonal Work Visa Fees
The fees for an Austrian seasonal work visa are as follows. Apart from the fees provided below you may have to pay a small service fee to the visa facilitation centre.
| Visa Type | Visa Fee |
| C Visa | EUR 60 |
| D Visa | EUR 100 |
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Austria Seasonal Work Visa Processing Time
The seasonal work visa processing times are as follows. A visa application processing can extend the specified period if the applicant needs to submit additional documents, or an interview is conducted.
| Visa Type | Processing Time (Working Days) |
| C Visa | 15 |
| D Visa | 15 |
How to Find Seasonal Work in Austria?
Austria does not have any cooperation arrangements for raising workers from third countries. Also, no public body is responsible for hiring seasonal workers. Therefore, if you are a seasonal worker, and want to work in Austria, you have to rely on the
- Word of Mouth propaganda- Employers ask their existing employees to suggest more workers. This is one of the most popular ways of hiring seasonal workers.
- Intermediary agencies- Intermediary agencies in India can also hire seasonal workers. However, this is the least common method for hiring.
- Direct advertising- Organisations in Austria directly advertise the seasonal job openings in the country of origin. This is becoming popular. Therefore, you need to check the latest advertisements.
After getting the work, your employer will apply for a permit, and you can apply for a Austria Seasonal Work Visa.
Conditions for Granting Employment Permits to Seasonal Workers
The employer applies for a seasonal work permit/quota permit on your behalf.The Austria Public Employment Service (AMS) grants the permit to the employer based on the following:
- AMS labour market test (to ensure that there is no Austrian worker, or a non-Austrian worker (already in Austria) who can perform the work)
- If the quota slot for a new worker is available
- The employer will provide appropriate wages, and working conditions for you
- You have accommodation in Austria for the duration of your stay (provided by the employer)
Generally, a quota permit is given for up to 6 months. However, the employer can have multiple permits for different workers. However, the duration of stay must not exceed 9 months in any 12 months. It is important to note that a harvest worker can get a quota permit for 6 weeks.
How Much Do Seasonal Workers Earn in Austria?
The average pay of a seasonal worker in Austria is as follows:
| Particulars | Pay |
| Seasonal worker (pay per hour) | EUR 10.45 |
| Seasonal worker (monthly pay) | EUR 1,507.17. |
Rights of a Seasonal Worker in Austria
Seasonal workers (who have an Austria seasonal work visa) are entitled to several rights. These are explained below:
- As per law, you must be provided adequate accommodation by your employer. The accommodation cost can be deducted from your wages.
- You must also be provided a minimum wage by our employer
- As an employee, you have the right to receive health and accident insurance, and a pension.
- You are also protected from abuse, human trafficking, and exploitation
- You can also seek reimbursement/compensation for damages.
- However, there are certain limitations set in terms of equal treatment (treatment like a national). For example, after your employment has been terminated you cannot seek unemployment benefits from the state.
To learn about the in-demand jobs in Austria, watch this video:
FAQs
Agricultural, harvesting, and tourism jobs are considered as seasonal jobs. You need to get a seasonal employment permit (quota permit), and a work visa to take up seasonal work in Austria.
Austria offers plenty of job opportunities, and there are many applicants.Typically, employers do not face difficulty in finding a seasonal worker. To apply, you can check the latest advertisements for seasonal workers on job portals
German is the official language. Apart form that, Slovenian, Croatian, and Hungarian is also spoken by many people. Thereafter, to apply for the visa you need to have your documents translated to German or English (if they are not in these languages).
We hope you now understand all about the Austria Seasonal Work Visa. Want to apply for a Visa for your study abroad journey? Drop us a comment in the section below, or you can connect with a visa expert at Leverage Edu, and we will guide you on your dream journey!
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