Establishment of a sole trade in Austria

If you wish to perform long-term operations as a natural person in Austria, you should establish an Austrian sole trade. The sole trade can be free or regulated. The regulated trade requires fulfillment of other legal terms, mainly referring to qualifications and work experience in the field. You should notify the local trade register of establishment of your sole trade. At the registration of your sole trade, you should submit several documents, depending on whether you request a free or regulated trade, especially the birth certificate, the identification document, the confirmation of the residence in Austria, the criminal record and the certificate of your education and work experience. All the documents must be translated into the Slovak language.

You may start your business operations immediately after establishment of your sole trade. You should inform the Austrian tax office (Finanzamt) and the local social insurance company dealing with sole trade enterprises (SVA) about your established sole trade. This registration and sole trade in Austria involve the obligation to pay monthly contributions to the local insurance company, obligatory paid membership in the Chamber of Commerce and, of course, payment of the Austrian income tax. These payments make you eligible for social benefits of the Austrian social system, as well as Austrian retirement pension.