Vienna Expat Center — Free business-immigration and integration support by Wirtschaftsagentur Wien

The Vienna Expat Center, a joint initiative of the Vienna Business Agency (Wirtschaftsagentur Wien) and the City of Vienna, provides free, confidential and legally independent advisory services to international professionals relocating to Vienna and to the companies that employ them.

What it does: The centre's Business Immigration Office (BIO) advises on the full range of Austrian residence and employment permits for non-EU nationals: the Red-White-Red Card (RWR), EU Blue Card, settlement permits for researchers and artists, ICT transferee permits and family reunification. Consultations are available in person (Zelinkagasse 9, Vienna's 1st district) and online, at no cost to the user.

Results: The centre delivers approximately 2,000 consultations per year from more than 80 countries; in the first half of 2022 alone the team had already conducted 1,300 sessions. The most frequent origins are the USA, United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia, Hungary and Germany. In 2021, 225 foreign businesses newly established operations in Vienna — the city's second-best settlement record in recent history — providing context for the scale of demand. The Expat Center also connects professionals to the Expat Club networking community, supporting social integration alongside administrative guidance.

Why it is a good practice: Founded around 2010, the Vienna Expat Center offers a proven, sustainable model combining immigration law expertise with practical daily-life support. Its joint ownership by an economic agency and the city government ensures continuity and legitimacy, while the free-of-charge model lowers barriers for both professionals and smaller employers.

Sources: https://viennabusinessagency.at/consultation-for-international-professionals-in-vienna/ | Salzburger Nachrichten interview (2022): https://www.sn.at/leben/karriere/expat-center-gut-beraten-von-anfang-an-124733602

Read the full analysis: https://wirtschaftsagentur.at/expat-center