Care Austria · residence permits · 2026 prices
Health insurance for your Austrian residence permit
Health insurance for your Austrian residence permit must cover all risks and pay benefits in Austria (§ 11 NAG); for a national residence title, travel insurance is “in any case not sufficient” (BMI; two narrow exceptions in the FAQ). Care Austria’s unlimited tariffs cost €56 a month for students aged 12–35 up to €510 at 65–74 (2026 prices, 1-year minimum term, AVB § 3; unlimited Standard premiums rise from 2028). ÖGK self-insurance costs €565.25 a month (ÖGK, 2026), needs residence in Austria with a valid permit first and has a 6-month waiting period unless waived.
As of October 2026: prices checked 29 October 2026, MA 35 list checked 30 October 2026. Guides by route: health insurance for a residence permit, Care Austria tariffs and limits, student health insurance in Austria, Red-White-Red Card, family reunification, bringing your parents to Austria, the Austria retirement visa and MA 35 in Vienna. All routes, public and private: health insurance in Austria for foreigners; every price compared: Austria health insurance cost.
Unlimited tariffs, 2026 prices; 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3).
- Students (12–35)€56 /month
- Under 50€155 /month
- 50–64€222 /month
- 65–74€510 /month
Unlimited tariffs (no extra MA 35 declaration), 2026 prices; the unlimited Standard premiums rise from 2028 per the policy terms. Students: Care Austria Education, for people in education, au pairs and working-holiday stays.
Who are you planning for?
- Retiring in Austria (50+)One available route is the settlement permit without employment. Main requirements: a quota place, twice the ASVG reference rate as own income, German A1, housing, health insurance covering all risks and no work.Read the guide
- Bringing my parentsParents whom an Austrian citizen supports can apply for the “Niederlassungsbewilligung – Angehöriger” (no quota). Parents of non-EU residents are not family members under § 2 (1) Z 9 NAG (spouse, registered partner, unmarried minor child). A separate exception covers parents of a recognised refugee, or of a minor with subsidiary protection, who was an unaccompanied minor when applying for protection (§ 46a (5) Z 2 and 3 NAG; strict conditions apply).Read the guide
- Joining my partner or familySpouses, registered partners and unmarried minor children of Red-White-Red Card and EU Blue Card holders can apply for the RWR plus card without a quota.Read the guide
- Studying in AustriaA student permit is a national residence title, so travel health insurance alone is not enough. For a first permit, OeAD describes a written statement that ÖGK student insurance (€78.84 a month, 2026) will be taken out after entry, with travel cover until then (ask your residence authority). Care Austria Education: €56 a month in 2026 (ages 12–35, unlimited tariff, 1-year minimum term, AVB § 3).Read the guide
- Working / Red-White-Red CardStatutory health insurance starts with the job only if the job is subject to compulsory health insurance; a marginal job paying no more than €551.10 a month (2026) gives accident insurance only. For RWR card applicants, migration.gv.at describes its own insurance rule at the time of application (see the first FAQ below).Read the guide
What does Care Austria cost?
Care Austria costs €56 a month on the unlimited Education tariff (ages 12–35) and €155 to €510 a month on the unlimited Standard tariff, depending on your age band. These are 2026 prices with a 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3), and the unlimited Standard premiums rise from 2028 (see below). The 364-day tariffs need an extra MA 35 declaration. The monthly premiums come from the published Care Concept AG tariff page and the policy terms, checked on 29 October 2026. Care Concept AG is on Vienna's MA 35 insurer list. Its unlimited tariffs, Care Austria and Care Austria Education, need no extra declaration there, while the 364-day tariffs do (checked 30 October 2026).
| Tariff | Ages | Term | Per month (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care Austria Education | 12–35 | unlimited; 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3) | €56 |
| Care Austria Standard | 0–49 | unlimited; 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3) | €155 |
| Care Austria Standard | 50–64 | unlimited; 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3) | €222 |
| Care Austria Standard | 65–74 | unlimited; 1-year minimum term (AVB § 3) | €510 |
| Care Austria Education 364 | 12–35 | up to 364 days (extra MA 35 declaration) | €51 |
| Care Austria Standard 364 | 0–64 | up to 364 days (extra MA 35 declaration) | €95 |
| Care Austria Standard 364 | 65–74 | up to 364 days (extra MA 35 declaration) | €219 |
The Education tariffs are for people aged 12–35 who are in education or on a working-holiday stay; the policy terms also name au pairs, interns, volunteers and trainees (see au pairs in Austria, information only). On 1 January 2028 the unlimited Standard tariff steps up as scheduled: €155 → €187, €222 → €268, €510 → €617 (policy terms § 5; 2026 prices before the arrow; every unlimited contract has a 1-year minimum term, AVB § 3).
Find your monthly price
Age = current calendar year minus year of birth. 2026 prices; unlimited Standard premiums rise from 2028 per the policy terms. Unlimited tariffs: ordinary cancellation only after 1 year, then only to 31 December with 1 month’s notice (AVB § 3).
How do you get Care Austria for a residence permit?
Getting Care Austria for an Austrian residence permit takes four steps. You check your permit route and pick the tariff for your age band, then apply online with Care Concept AG and hand in the policy with your permit application.
- 1Check your permit route
Retirement (settlement permit), parents, family, study or work: each permit needs health insurance “covering all risks” that pays benefits in Austria (§ 11 NAG).
- 2Choose your tariff
The price depends on your age band. Unlimited tariffs need no extra MA 35 declaration; the 364-day tariffs need an extra declaration.
- 3Apply online
Care Concept AG arranges the contract; the insurer is HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG). Apply before travelling or within 1 year of entry (later only with proof of continuous earlier cover). The contract language is German.
- 4Proof for MA 35
Submit the insurance policy with your permit application. Care Concept AG is on Vienna’s MA 35 insurer list. On that page, the unlimited tariffs (Care Austria, Care Austria Education) need no extra declaration and the 364-day tariffs need one (checked 30 October 2026).
What are the limits of Care Austria?
Care Austria has four main limits. Cover ends with Daueraufenthalt EU or another unlimited permit (AVB § 6). For pre-existing conditions, ask Care Concept AG in writing before you apply. Unlimited contracts run for at least 1 year (AVB § 3), and the unlimited Standard premiums rise from 2028 (policy terms).
- It ends with Daueraufenthalt EU or another unlimited permit. Cover ends when an unlimited residence permit is granted, or when you leave Austria for good (policy terms; wien.gv.at). Vienna requires another insurance already for the Daueraufenthalt EU application.
- Pre-existing conditions: ask before you apply. The policy terms have special rules for illnesses, accident after-effects and infirmities that exist when you apply (AVB § 9), partly changed for Austria by a general declaration. Ask Care Concept AG in writing before you apply.
- Unlimited contracts: ordinary cancellation only after 1 year, then to the end of each calendar year with 1 month’s notice. There is a 14-day withdrawal right after you apply; if cover has already started, a pro-rata premium is kept.
- Prices rise from 2028 for the unlimited Standard tariff, then every fourth insurance year (policy terms § 5).
Our guides
- Insurance & prices
How health cover for residence permits works, what it costs and which options exist. - Residence permits
The main permit types, who needs which, and the health-insurance rule. - Parents & family
The three routes for parents and what each one needs. - Study & work
Admission, student permit and health cover for international students. - Moving to Austria
Permits, health cover and first steps for newcomers.
Why you can check every number
- Insurer: HanseMerkur Versicherungsgruppe (Advigon Versicherung AG); arranged by Care Concept AG, Bonn
- Every fact from the policy terms or an official Austrian source, with the date we checked it
- No deductible for normal treatment (policy terms)
- Facts checked: 30 October 2026
Our sources are the policy terms and tariff pages of Care Concept AG, the Austrian settlement and residence act (NAG) on RIS, the Interior Ministry (BMI), oesterreich.gv.at, migration.gv.at, the ÖGK and the City of Vienna (MA 35). Written by Steffan Grund; read our editorial standards and how we are paid.
Frequently asked questions
Is travel health insurance enough for an Austrian residence permit?
Travel health insurance is not enough for an Austrian national residence title such as a settlement, family or student permit: the Interior Ministry (BMI) states that it is “in any case not sufficient”. Two narrow exceptions exist. For a Red-White-Red Card application, migration.gv.at says the authorities accept travel health insurance at the time of application if it covers costs well above €30,000 and includes rescue and return costs. For a first student permit, OeAD describes a written statement that ÖGK student insurance (€78.84 a month, 2026) will be taken out after entry, with travel insurance until then; ask your residence authority. (The EU-law residence card for family of EU citizens follows § 51 NAG instead.)
Can I use ÖGK self-insurance for my first permit?
ÖGK self-insurance does not work for a first permit. It costs €565.25 a month (2026), needs a residence in Austria and, for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens, a valid residence permit, and pays benefits only after a 6-month waiting period unless it is waived (oegk.at). The BMI accepts voluntary insurance only if benefits start immediately.
When does Care Austria end?
Under the policy terms, Care Austria cover ends when an unlimited residence permit such as Daueraufenthalt EU is granted, or when you leave Austria for good. Vienna’s MA 35 page also says Care Austria and Care Austria Education end automatically when Daueraufenthalt EU is granted.
How is my age band calculated?
Care Austria sets your first price by the calendar year your cover starts minus your year of birth. After that, your age is the current calendar year minus your year of birth. On the unlimited Standard tariff the next band applies from 1 January of the year you turn 50 or 65, on Standard 364 from 1 January of the year you turn 65 (premium table in the policy terms). Care Austria Education (ages 12–35) has no band change; if you turn 36 during the contract, you move to Standard and cover continues (AVB § 1 Z 3a).
Check the price for your age
Use the price finder above, then read the limits before you apply. Prices come only from Care Concept AG’s published tariff page and the policy terms.
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