EU/EEA professional qualifications – Recognition procedure

For the application for recognition and its enclosures as well as for the execution of the application no stamp duty and federal administrative charges are payable.

No special deadlines need be observed.

Professional qualifications obtained in a Member State of the EU/EEA or in Switzerland can be recognised in Austria in order to provide proof of qualification as required for the exercise of regulated trades. If the intended activity is included in the EU/EWR-Anerkennungsverordnung the recognition procedure under Section 373c of the Gewerbeordnung 1994 (GewO 1994) will be used to decide whether this activity has actually been exercised in one of the mentioned states outside of Austria.

Recognition will be provided upon request by an official decision issued by the Provincial Governor of the competent Austrian Land (state). This decision, however, does not involve any entitlement to exercise the trade. To this end the requesting party must obtain a valid trade licence from the authority competent for the location.

• Section 373c of the Gewerbeordnung 1994 (GewO 1994)
• EU/EWR-Anerkennungsverordnung

• Submission of request
• Where required, request for information from the competent authority in the home country or country of origin
• Issue of official decision

As a rule, the procedure lasts roughly four months.

The following copies of documents must be attached to the request:

• Official identification with photo
• Supporting document concerning nature and duration of activity
• Certificates of formal qualification and/or training (including information on the actual contents and duration of training)

• The trade in question is a trade that can be recognised (see EU/EEA Recognition Ordinance)
• Qualification from Member States of the EU/EEA or Switzerland
• Due to their nature and duration these activities, combined with relevant training where appropriate, comply with the requirements of the EU/EWR-Anerkennungsverordnung