Intra-Corporate Transfer ICT and Mobile ICT

The intra-corporate transfer allows companies to temporarily deploy key employees within a corporate group to an Austrian branch. The corresponding residence permit entitles the transferred person to reside and work in Austria.

An intra-corporate transfer is not permitted if the company exclusively engages in temporary agency work or labour placement.

Key employees

Key employees include the following groups:

  • Managers, meaning heads of a branch or department
  • Specialists with essential specialized knowledge for the Austrian branch and a high level of qualification or specific technical knowledge
  • Trainees, meaning university graduates whose professional development is supported as part of a structured programme

Requirements

  • The employee must have been employed by the company or corporate group for at least nine months before the transfer, or at least six months in the case of trainees.
  • An employment contract must be submitted that clearly demonstrates the necessity of the temporary transfer.
  • The company or receiving branch must carry out genuine business activity and must not be insolvent.

Transfer directly from a third country to Austria

If the transfer takes place directly from a third country, the employee receives a residence permit as an intra-corporate transferee (“ICT”). This permit is issued for a maximum of three years, or for a maximum of one year for trainees.

Transfer from another EU Member State to Austria

If the employee already holds an “ICT” residence permit from another EU Member State and is to work in Austria for more than 90 days, a residence permit as a mobile intra-corporate transferee, long-term “mobile ICT”, must be applied for.

If the assignment does not exceed 90 days, the rules for posting of workers by companies from the EEA apply, meaning short-term “mobile ICT”. In this case, no separate Austrian residence permit is required.

Application for a residence permit

The application for an “ICT” or “mobile ICT” residence permit can either be submitted personally by the employee at the competent Austrian representative authority abroad or by the Austrian branch at the competent residence authority in Austria. An employer declaration must be enclosed.

When an application is submitted, the competent regional office of the Public Employment Service, the AMS, is involved and examines whether the labour market-related requirements are met. If all requirements are fulfilled and the general requirements, such as health insurance coverage, are also met, the residence permit is issued.

Required documents

General documents

  • Valid travel document of the employee
  • Birth certificate or a corresponding recognized document
  • Photo, not older than six months
  • Proof of health insurance covering all risks
  • Proof of secured means of subsistence

Additional documents for transfers from a third country

  • Employment contract and, if applicable, secondment letter with a declaration regarding the possibility of returning to a branch in the third country
  • Proof of the required previous employment period
  • For trainees, a trainee contract and proof of university degree
  • For specialists, proof of the required professional qualification and experience
  • For managers, proof of the management function
  • If applicable, proof of admission to a regulated profession
  • Commercial register extract confirming the genuine business activity of the receiving branch

Additional documents for long-term mobile ICT

  • Valid “ICT” residence permit from another EU Member State
  • Employment contract and, if applicable, secondment letter
  • Proof corresponding to the respective function as manager, specialist or trainee
  • Commercial register extract of the receiving branch

Documents that are not issued in German or English must be translated by a court-certified translator.

Fees for the ICT residence permit

Application fee: EUR 218.00

Family members

Family members of the transferred employee may receive a “Family Community” residence permit. With the note “Dependent employment”, employment is possible provided that there is a binding job offer from an Austrian employer.

Important notes

The validity of the ICT and mobile ICT is generally limited to a maximum of three years, or a maximum of one year for trainees.

Additional fees may apply if further documents are required or if a Visa D is needed.

The intra-corporate transfer ICT and mobile ICT allow companies to efficiently fill key positions within a corporate group, transfer international know-how to Austria in a targeted way and structure global company operations flexibly.