Self Employment in Austria – How to Begin?

by | Jan 21, 2025

Today, I’d like to tell you about a website I recently found that provides helpful information for people who are considering self-employment in Austria:

The Berufsanerkennung in Österreich website from the Austrian Integration Fund.

Professional Recognition in Austria

Would you like to learn more about the possibility to work in Austria or learn how to get your professional certificates (degrees, certificates, proof of training) recognized? Then the Berufsanerkennung website is a good place to start.

The information is provided in German, English, and several other languages!

Are you considering becoming self employed? Then make sure to check out their page on self employment! On this page, you can learn more about the conditions for self employment and whether you need to apply for a trade license (Gewerbe). This page also provides link to the Federal Ministry’s website for migration to Austria (information also available in English), which is a good place to begin.

The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) recommends contacting the Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ) – and specifically the Gründerservice – if you need more advice about becoming self-employed. Unfortunately, the website of the Gründerservice is still only available in German, but some information and a guide in English is available on their website.

You can learn more about the SVS (social insurance) required for self employed persons in one of my earlier posts.

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Can I be of help?

I am a native English speaker who has lived in Europe (Austria) since 2004. I have provided high-quality proofreading, copy editing and German to English translation services for clients in academic, industrial and the not-for-profit sectors since 2012.

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