The main forms of doing business in Austria are:
The most popular and common form is the limited liability company (GmbH).
The registration of a limited liability company takes approximately 3 - 4 weeks (this period depends on the company’s proposed structure and type of activity and can be longer).
1. Obtaining confirmation from the Austrian Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich / WKÖ) that the company is a new one (optional).
2. Certification by notary of the articles of association or declaration of establishment of the company: the articles signed before a notary must state the company name, the registered office address, the type of activity, the share capital and the contribution of each shareholder.
3. Payment of the company’s share capital to a bank account.
4. Entry of the company in the local register and publication of the relevant announcement in the Wiener Zeitung newspaper.
The application for registration of a GmbH must be accompanied by the following documents:
If the register has doubts about the company name, it can seek the opinion of the Economic Chamber.
A GmbH receives its legal status after its entry in the commercial register.
5. Registration with the tax office (obtaining a VAT number) for Domestic-type companies: the commercial register automatically informs the tax office about the registration of a new company; in turn, the tax office usually submits a request to register the company for tax.
6. Registration with the trade authority.
7. Registration of employees in social insurance system.
8. Registration with the municipality for tax purposes.
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Services
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Fees (EUR)
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Total cost of registration (including government fees, preparation and provision of the company’s original constitutive documents, and the company seal)
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from 13 100
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Registered office of the company, starting from the first year
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from 5 545 / year
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Local nominee director (if necessary)
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from 6 985 / year
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Local nominee shareholder (if necessary)
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from 3 180 / year
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Compliance fee
Payable in the cases of: |
385 (standard rate, includes the check of 1 individual)
+ 165 for each additional individual (director, shareholder, or beneficial owner) or legal entity (director or shareholder) if such legal entity is administered by GSL + 220 for each additional legal entity (director or shareholder) if such legal entity is not administered by GSL 495 (rate for high-risk companies, includes the check of 1 individual) 110 (signing of documents) |
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Assistance with opening a bank account in Austria (the cost depends on the selected bank)
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3 500
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Preparation and submission of financial statements
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150 – 350 / hour[2]
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[1] The fees are valid as of August 2025 and do not include Austrian VAT (20%).
[2] Payment of auditor’s fee at rates from EUR 150 to EUR 350 / hour.