Which fee applies to an Austrian residence permit, when an exemption can apply and why rejection or withdrawal does not automatically create a refund.
The current application fee for a temporary residence permit is 218 euros. The central fee provision is not section 21a NAG. The relevant rule is section 14 tariff item 8 of the Fees Act 1957. Section 21a NAG deals with proof of German language skills.
The fee debt for an application for a residence permit card arises when the application is filed. A later rejection, withdrawal or negative decision therefore does not automatically lead to a refund. An exemption or refund requires its own statutory basis.
This article separates the residence permit fee from fees for visas, Union-law residence documents, translations and other documents. That distinction helps identify what the authority may charge and which exception needs review before the appointment.
The check identifies the document type, the time when the fee debt arose and a possible exemption or refund issue.
Already know you want to get in touch? Go straight to the enquiry form.
Section 14 tariff item 8 of the Fees Act provides a separate tariff of 275 euros for a permanent residence permit. Match the wording of the application and the authority's assessment before making the payment.
A long-stay visa and documents such as a registration certificate or residence card have their own tariffs. The 218-euro temporary residence permit fee cannot simply be applied to them.
For a temporary residence permit the current fee is 218 euros. The fee debt arises when the application is filed. Keep the assessment and payment proof with the application file.
Rejection or withdrawal does not automatically cancel the fee because the debt generally arose when the application was filed. A refund request should be based on a specific statutory rule.
Fee-free treatment follows from a special statutory rule. It may apply to particular official reissues. The exact permit, reason for issuance and provision applied by the authority must be identified.
Section 14 tariff item 8(2) of the Fees Act distinguishes a card for a temporary residence permit from a permanent residence permit. The current tariff for a temporary permit under section 8(1), items 1 to 6 and 8 to 12 NAG is 218 euros. The tariff for the permanent residence permit under section 8(1), item 7 NAG is 275 euros.
The lower tariffs for an Article 50 TEU residence document form a separate category. A registration certificate, residence card and permanent residence card are Union-law residence documents with their own fees. A long-stay visa is an entry title.
The exact wording on the application, card and decision therefore matters. The general label NAG fee is not enough to identify the tariff.
Under section 14 tariff item 8(6) of the Fees Act, the fee debt for an application for a residence permit arises when the application is filed. The later decision does not determine when this debt comes into existence.
The applicant is generally the fee debtor. If an employer pays the fee in an employment-related case, section 14 tariff item 8(7) of the Fees Act prevents the employer from reclaiming that fee from the employee.
The same tariff item also exempts these residence-permit applications from an additional filing fee under tariff item 6. That rule avoids an additional fee for the same document. It does not make the residence permit application free of charge.
The standard residence permit tariff does not provide a general exemption for low income, rejection or legal representation. The financial requirements for residence and the fee debt are separate questions.
Fee-free treatment can follow from a special rule for the exact issuance. The NAG provides for fee-free issuance in some official reissuance situations. A reduced tariff is different. For an Article 50 TEU residence document the fee is 39 euros where the applicant has not yet reached the age of 16 at filing.
Foreign documents submitted for official use in the issue of a residence permit are exempt from the fee for those documents under section 14 tariff item 8(8), item 3 of the Fees Act. Translation, certification and other private costs do not automatically disappear.
A negative decision generally does not remove the fee debt that arose on filing. The same applies to a later withdrawal. Whether a refund can be claimed in a special case depends on the exact fee item, a failure of the debt to arise or a specific refund rule.
Union-law residence documents follow a different advance-payment rule. Section 14 tariff item 8(3), item 2 of the Fees Act provides for repayment on request if no fee debt arises. That rule cannot automatically be transferred to a residence permit application.
A proper review therefore needs the application, payment proof, assessment, withdrawal or decision and the exact document type. The residence permit check provides initial orientation but does not replace the authority's fee decision.
The current tariff is 218 euros for a temporary residence permit. The basis is section 14 tariff item 8(2) of the Fees Act.
No. Section 21a NAG concerns proof of German language skills. The residence permit fee is set out in section 14 tariff item 8 of the Fees Act.
Rejection does not automatically create a refund. The fee debt arises when the application is filed. An exception requires a specific statutory basis.
In an employment-related case, section 14 tariff item 8(7) of the Fees Act prevents the employer from reclaiming the fee paid from the employee.