Integration in Austria

What does integration mean?

Integration does not mean adapting in one direction. It means equal participation in society, language, culture, and public life. Successful integration is a reciprocal process: the host society opens up its structures, and newly arrived people help to shape them.

In the Austrian debate, integration is often narrowed down to migration. The concept goes further: it affects people with a migration background as well as linguistic minorities, refugees, and all those who are structurally outside the majority system.

Integration vs. Inclusion

Integration assumes that someone is outside and needs to be included. Inclusion assumes that everyone already belongs and that structures enable this. Learn more about the distinction on the iks.haus page about inclusion.

Integration in Austria: The Numbers

Who has a migration background?

According to Statistics Austria, in 2024, approximately 25.4 percent of the population in Austria had a migration background, which is about 2.3 million people. Of these, 17 percent are of the first generation (immigrated themselves), and approximately 8 percent are of the second generation (born in Austria, both parents born abroad).

The largest groups of origin in 2024 are Germany, Romania, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine. Over 1.1 million people in Austria are third-country nationals.

Integration in Vienna

In Vienna, the proportion of the population with a migration background is over 45 percent, according to the Vienna Integration Monitor 2024. Over 250 languages are spoken in the city, in addition to German, the most common languages are Turkish, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, English, Romanian, and Arabic.

Labor Market

In 2024, the employment rate for people with a migration background was 70 percent, compared to 77 percent for people without a migration background (Statistics Austria). Women with a migration background are particularly underrepresented, with a rate of 62 percent. The unemployment rate is more than double for people with a migration background compared to the reference group.

Education

According to the Ministry of Education, approximately 30 percent of students in Austria attend schools where their native language is not German. In Vienna, this figure is over 55 percent. Multilingualism is internationally recognized as a strength, but in the Austrian school system, it is often not systematically promoted.

Legal Framework for Integration in Austria

Integration Act (IntG): Regulates integration measures for asylum seekers and those with subsidiary protection, as well as third-country nationals, including integration agreements and courses on values and orientation.
Residence and Stay Act (NAG): Regulates residence permits, permanent residence permits for EU citizens, and the red-white-red card.
Asylum Act (AsylG): Regulates international protection and procedures.
Citizenship Act (StbG): Regulates the acquisition of Austrian citizenship, with a minimum residency requirement of ten years for regular naturalization.
Compulsory Education Act: Requires school attendance for children from the age of five, regardless of their residency status.
Equal Treatment Act (GlBG): Prohibits discrimination based on ethnic origin in the workplace and in access to services.

The Diakonie, the Austrian Red Cross, and Caritas provide independent legal advice in asylum and residence law.

Points of contact for integration in Vienna

Language courses and education

Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF): A federal agency offering German language courses from levels A1 to C1, courses on values and orientation, and advice on the recognition of foreign qualifications.
Association "Economy for Integration" (VWFI): Mentoring programs connecting companies with newly arrived individuals.
Vienna Adult Education Centers: German language courses at all levels, preparation for the citizenship exam.
Advisory Center for Migrants (BZM): Provides advice on education and training.
Caritas Vienna, Learning Cafés: Offers free learning support for children and adolescents.

Legal advice and protection

Diakonie Refugee Service: Provides independent advice in asylum and residence proceedings.
Caritas Vienna: Provides advice on migration, social issues, and emergency accommodation.
asylkoordination österreich: Provides information, networking, and political advocacy.
Hemayat: Support center for torture and war survivors.
ZARA: Counseling for victims of racist discrimination.
Klagsverband: Strategic litigation against discrimination.

Work and Recognition

AMS contact point for individuals with qualifications obtained abroad: Advice on the recognition of qualifications.
BAS Education Recognition Service: Recognition of school qualifications and academic degrees.
UNIPORT, springboard: Career counseling for highly qualified individuals with a migration background.
Vienna Workers' Support Fund (waff): Funding for further education in Vienna.

Culture and Networking

brunnenpassage Vienna: Transcultural art and cultural center in the 16th district.
biber Magazine: Magazine focusing on migration and identity.
Initiative Minorities: Networking for the Austrian minority community.
Vienna City Libraries: Books and media in over 40 languages.

Integration in the Education System

The central leverage point for integration lies in education. Three structural issues shape the debate in Austria:

German language support classes: Introduced in 2018, they separate children with language support needs, and are criticized by many organizations.
Recognition of school qualifications: The average processing time is several months, often leading to the loss of qualified workers.
Multilingual instruction: Mother tongue instruction is available for approximately 25 languages; a comprehensive system for supporting the first language needs to be developed.

Vienna has created additional resources with the Bildungsdirektion program for Viennese childcare and educational institutions with a particular need for language support.

Awareness days related to integration

June 20th, World Refugee Day, UNHCR.
March 21st, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, marks the beginning of the International Week for the Elimination of Racism.
December 18th, International Day of Migrants and Refugees, United Nations.
November 9th, the day of remembrance for the November pogroms, a day for remembrance and reflection.
February 21st, International Mother Language Day, UNESCO.

Integration and Media: An article from iks.haus

Representation in the media is a form of integration in itself. In Austria's mainstream newsrooms, journalists with a migration background are significantly underrepresented. The result: stories are told about people rather than with them.

iks.haus is working to counter this with three strategies: multilingual publication (German, English, BKS), selection of authors from the communities being reported on, and consistent source research beyond established PR channels. At iks.haus, migration is not a special topic, but a constant perspective.

Frequently asked questions about integration

What is the difference between integration and assimilation?

Assimilation demands complete conformity to the majority culture, often requiring the abandonment of one's native language and identity. Integration focuses on participation and allows for the preservation of cultural diversity. The Austrian Integration Act advocates for integration, not assimilation, but in practice, the boundaries often blur.

How does the integration agreement work?

Third-country nationals who receive a residence permit in Austria must complete Module 1 (German A2 plus values and orientation course) within two years. Module 2 (German B1 plus further values course) is mandatory for permanent residency in the EU and citizenship. The ÖIF organizes the exams.

Which language courses are recognized?

Courses and exams from the ÖSD, the Goethe-Institut, the ÖIF, and telc gGmbH are recognized. Adult education centers and language schools prepare students for these exams. The course duration varies depending on prior knowledge, ranging from 200 to 800 teaching units per level.

When can I obtain Austrian citizenship?

The standard requirement for permanent residency is ten years of legal residence, including five years with a permanent residency permit for EU citizens or an equivalent title. This period can be reduced to six years if integration is demonstrably proven (language proficiency at level C1, volunteer work, highly qualified profession). Currently, it is usually necessary to renounce citizenship of another country; the ban on dual citizenship is controversial.

Where can I get help if my foreign qualifications are not recognized?

The AMS contact point for qualifications obtained abroad, the BAS, and the AST initiative (Recognition and Advisory Centers) offer free consultations. For regulated professions (medicine, law, education), a nostrification process or professional license is required. For unregulated professions, recognition of the degree is often sufficient.

What data on integration does Austria regularly publish?

Statistics Austria publishes the annual "Yearbook of Migration and Integration Statistics." The City of Vienna publishes the "Vienna Integration Monitor." The Expert Council for Integration prepares annual reports. At the EU level, Eurostat provides comparative data. The ÖIF also publishes qualitative studies.

What does multilingualism mean for children?

Several studies (such as those in educational research at the University of Vienna) show that promoting the first language supports the acquisition of other languages, rather than hindering it. A prerequisite is the simultaneous promotion of the educational language, German. In Austrian schools, these two aspects are rarely consistently combined.

Glossary: Important terms

Asylum: Protection for individuals who are persecuted in their country of origin.
Residence permit: Legal authorization for permanent residence.
Third-country nationals: Nationals of countries outside the EU and the EEA.
First language: The language learned first, often also referred to as the mother tongue.
Integration agreement: A legal obligation to undergo language and values training.
Migration background / Migration history: Individuals whose both parents were born abroad; the term "migration history" is increasingly preferred.
Nostrification: Legal recognition of a foreign degree.
Red-White-Red Card: Residence permit for qualified skilled workers.
Stateless person: A person without recognized citizenship.
Subsidiary protection: A protection status granted when there is a risk of serious harm, but no basis for asylum.