English
What Does It Cost to Register a Trade?
GewO §339
Verified: April 2026
The short answer: €0
Trade registration in Austria is completely free. No fees, no stamps, no charges.
Even qualification exam fees have been covered by the government since July 2023.
Complete Cost Breakdown
| Cost Item | Free Trade | Regulated Trade |
|---|---|---|
| Trade registration | €0 | €0 |
| Qualification exam | Not needed | €0 (gov. covers since 2023) |
| Exam preparation course | Not needed | €500–2,500 (WIFI) |
| Social insurance (SVS) — minimum | €482.43/quarter | €482.43/quarter |
| Chamber of Commerce (WKO) | ~€100–500/year | ~€100–500/year |
| Business premises approval | Usually not needed | Varies (if applicable) |
What Is Really Free
- Registration itself: No government fees whatsoever (§339 GewO)
- Qualification exams: Master exam and qualification exam fees have been covered by the federal government since July 2023
- GISA registration: Online registration via the GISA portal is free
- Room hire at the exam: Facility costs are no longer charged to candidates either, on a first or second attempt
If You Paid an Exam Fee in 2023, You Can Claim It Back
This is the part most cost overviews leave out, and it is real money. The legal basis for the fee exemption applies from 1 January 2024, retroactively to 1 July 2023. Anyone who sat an exam in that gap paid a fee they turned out not to owe.
Exam taken between 1 July and 31 December 2023?
You can reclaim the fee you paid — on application to the Meisterprüfungsstelle of your
regional chamber, possible since 1 February 2024. It covers first and second attempts,
and it does not happen automatically: without an application the money stays gone.
The exemption applies uniformly to the Meisterprüfung (master exam for the skilled crafts), the Befähigungsprüfung (qualification exam for all other regulated trades) and the Unternehmerprüfung (entrepreneur exam) — there is no separate start date for the master exam. It applies to the first and second attempt; from the third attempt the fee applies again. Legal basis: BGBl. I Nr. 152/2023.
What Costs Money (But Is Not Part of Registration)
- Exam preparation courses (WIFI): €500–2,500 depending on trade and duration. Not mandatory but highly recommended.
- Social insurance (SVS): Mandatory for all self-employed, and it starts immediately whether or not you earned anything. The minimum is €482.43 per quarter — €1,929.72 a year (WKO contribution table 2026). Above the minimum basis it is income-dependent, and the first three years are billed provisionally and reassessed later, so plan for a back-payment.
- WKO membership: Mandatory chamber of commerce membership. €100–500/year depending on trade group.
- Business premises approval: Required for workshops, restaurants, etc. Costs vary by municipality.
- Insurance: Liability insurance is optional but strongly recommended. €200–1,000/year.
Realistic Startup Budget
| Scenario | Registration | Exam | Preparation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trade (e.g. IT) | €0 | None | None |
| Regulated (with apprenticeship) | €0 | €0 | Optional |
| Regulated (no prior training) | €0 | €0 | €500–2,500 |
| Individual assessment (§19) | €0 | No exam | None |
Related Guides
Translation Status: UNOFFICIAL
This English version is for orientation. The SVS minimum was verified against the WKO contribution table for 2026; the WKO Grundumlage is set per trade group and varies.
The legally binding version is the German text of the GewO 1994.
General guidance only, not legal or tax advice. Exam-fee rules and the SVS minimum
contribution were verified against primary sources in August 2026; WIFI course prices
and insurance premiums are market estimates.
Deutsche Version →