ICT — Intra-Corporate Transfer Directive

The Intra-Corporate Transfer (ICT) Directive facilitates the temporary mobility of key personnel within multinational corporate groups from outside the European Union to an establishment located in Austria. This category is specifically designed for managers, specialists, and trainee employees who are being transferred to an Austrian branch or subsidiary to leverage their specialized knowledge or to undergo professional development. By providing a dedicated legal framework, the ICT Directive allows companies to efficiently manage their global human resources while ensuring that the transferred employees maintain their professional status and rights during their assignment in Austria.

To be eligible for an ICT permit, the applicant must demonstrate a qualifying relationship between the foreign entity and the Austrian host establishment. Managers and specialists are required to have been employed within the same corporate group for at least nine months prior to the transfer, while trainee employees must have at least six months of prior service. The permit is issued for a limited duration—up to three years for managers and specialists, and up to one year for trainees. Notably, there are no specific government-mandated application fees for the ICT permit itself, though applicants must fulfill rigorous documentation requirements, including a valid work contract that details the necessity of the transfer and proof of the company's genuine economic activity.