Forest Assistant – Qualifications - Recognition

Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management
Directorate III/2
Marxergasse 2
1030 Vienna

Telefon: +43 1 71100 / 0
Fax: +43 1 71100 607399
E-Mail: service@bml.gv.at

Homepage: https://www.bml.gv.at/english

The following costs are prescribed with the official notice closing the procedure:

• 14.30 Euro entry fee for the application and
• 3.90 Euro attachment fee for each attachment that has to be added to the application

There are no specific time limits.

According to the provisions of the Forstgesetz 1975 the pursuit of the profession of a forest assistant is tied to certain qualification in Austria. The profession is thus considered to be a regulated profession in Austria. Citizens of EU/EEA member states and Switzerland as well as persons holding a residence permit with unlimited right of establishment can get their foreign certificates of competence and qualification for that same profession learned in the state of origin recognised by the competent authority, which gives them the permission to take up and practise the profession of a forest assistant in Austria. The recognition is granted upon application and, if necessary, is subject to the provision of adaptation measures (aptitude test or adaptation period). Partial access to the profession of forest assistant can be granted under certain conditions.

sections 109, 109a of the Forstgesetz 1975 (ForstG)

Applications can be informal.

• The informal application for the permission to take up and practise the profession of a forest assistant with simultaneous recognition of the professional qualifications obtained for the same profession in the state of origin has to be submitted to the competent authority in writing. The documents evidencing fulfilment of the required personal and technical conditions have to be attached to the application.
• Within one month the competent authority acknowledges receipt of the applicant's documents or requests him/her to fix any errors in the application.
• The decision on the application has to be taken by official notice not later than four months after presentation of all the documents. The competent authority can either decide to grant the permission to take up and practise the profession of a forest assistant, if necessary subject to the provision of adaptation measures (aptitude test or adaptation period), or deny the permission. The applicant has the right to choose between an adaptation period and an aptitude test. Partial access is either allowed or denied, there are no compensatory measures.
• The applicant has the right to submit a complaint against the decision to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Regions and Water Management within four weeks after delivery of the decision. Decisions on such complaints are taken by the competent Provincial Administrative Court ("Landesverwaltungsgericht").

The following documents have to be attached to the application, in the form of originals or certified copies, if necessary with a German translation:

• Proof of the citizenship (certificate of citizenship, passport or identity card) or of the unlimited right of establishment
• If the profession is regulated in the state of origin:
  • Certificate of qualification or evidence of the completed education and training, issued by the competent authority of the state of origin including information on the total duration and the structure of the education and training completed, on the contents/matters of education and training and the professional qualifications thus gained
  • If necessary, evidence of the professional experience made

• If the profession is not regulated in the state of origin, in addition:
  • Evidence that the profession was practised for at least two years during the ten years preceding the application and presentation of one or more certificates of qualification or of education and training, issued by the competent authority of the state of origin
  • Evidence that the applicant has been prepared for the pursuit of the profession concerned
• In the case of partial recognition: certificate of competence or training, issued by the competent authority of the country of origin, attesting to the qualification for the activity applied for.

• Nationality EU, EEA, Switzerland or persons holding a residence permit with unlimited right of establishment as provided for in the Niederlassungs- und Aufenthaltsgesetz
• Education and training required:
  • ten-term study course in "Forest Sciences" (diploma course or bachelor and master study course)

In the event that

• the matters covered by the education and training in the state of origin differ substantially from those in Austria regarding their duration or content, or that
• in the state of origin the regulated profession does not include professional activities which are part of the above-mentioned profession,

a recognition can be granted on the condition that the applicant provides prescribed suitable adaptation measures (adaptation period/aptitude test).

When applying for partial access, the applicant must be qualified for the requested activity in the country of origin, this activity must be independently practicable in the country of origin and the difference to the profession of forest assistant must be so great that the entire training to become a forest assistant would have to be completed.