Company Incorporation June 14, 2026

How To Register a Company in Austria 2026

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How to Register a Company in Austria as a Foreign Founder

If you are researching how to register a company in austria, the Austria GmbH is usually the first structure to understand. It is a limited liability company GmbH with its own legal entity status, a familiar format for banks, suppliers, investors, and public authorities. A GmbH can be established with one shareholder and one managing director, and foreign founders do not need local Austrian partners simply to create the company. For many international owners, this makes company formation in Austria more predictable than operating only through a branch office of an existing foreign company.

The main planning points are the company deed, notarial signing, minimum share capital, registered address, Commercial Register filing, business license position, and tax registration. Austria uses German-language notarial deeds, so a court-sworn interpreter may be needed if the relevant signatory or director does not speak German. This guide explains the current GmbH capital requirement, the company registration process, and how TKEG Expat's Austria GmbH package fits into the practical sequence.

Austria GmbH Overview

A GmbH is commonly chosen when founders want to register a company with limited liability, a separate Austrian legal entity, and a clear ownership structure. A branch office can be useful for some established groups, but it is not the same as opening a local company, and it often keeps the foreign head office more visibly tied to the Austrian operation. The GmbH is generally better suited when the goal is to start a business in Austria with local contracts, local tax records, and a recognizable corporate form.

Entity setup
Legal form	Austria GmbH, a limited liability company GmbH and separate legal entity.
Liability	Shareholder liability is generally limited to the subscribed contributions, subject to normal legal exceptions.
Shareholders	One or more individual or corporate shareholders; foreign ownership is possible.
Management	At least one managing director; depending on the activity and trade-license setup, a qualified trade-law managing director or work-authorized/resident person may be needed.
Capital and address
Minimum share capital	EUR 10,000 minimum share capital.
Cash contribution	At least EUR 5,000 must be contributed in cash before registration; proof of payment is needed for the Commercial Register.
Registered address	A registered address in Austria is required.
After registration
Corporate tax	Austria's corporate tax rate is 23%; GmbH minimum CIT is generally EUR 500 per year from 2024.
VAT	Standard VAT is 20%; the company should apply for a tax number and VAT identification number where applicable.
TKEG Expat scope	EUR 2,475, including Austria GmbH incorporation, draft of deed of incorporation, and notary fee for company incorporation.

The Company Registration Process

A clean plan for how to register a company in austria should follow the legal sequence instead of treating the bank, notary, license, and tax steps as separate tasks. The exact timing can vary by bank, founder profile, document origin, and business activity, but the core process is consistent.

Choose the structure, company name, ownership, managing directors, and business activity. Confirm whether a GmbH is better than a branch office for the intended Austrian operation.
Collect founder and shareholder documents. Individual shareholders and directors usually need a passport scan, ID card or residence card if applicable, proof of address dated within the last three months, and a power of attorney if represented.
Prepare the German deed of incorporation and articles, then arrange notarial signing. If a signatory or director does not understand German, a court-sworn interpreter may be required for the Austrian notarial deed.
After signing the deed, pay the cash contribution into the company's bank account in Austria or a special escrow account before the Commercial Register filing is initiated. Opening a bank account and obtaining payment evidence are practical gating items.
File for Commercial Register registration with the required proof of capital payment and registered address. The GmbH becomes the operative legal entity after registration is completed.
Handle post-registration items: business or trade license, tax authority registration, tax number, VAT identification number, and social security registration before the first day of any employees. Many companies also open a corporate bank account for ongoing operations if the incorporation account is not the long-term operating account.

Documents, Capital, Licenses, and Tax

The most common delays in Austria company registration come from document readiness, capital-payment evidence, and trade-law questions. Founders should prepare the legal and banking file before the notary appointment so the Commercial Register filing can move without avoidable corrections.

Share capital and bank evidence

The current minimum share capital for an Austria GmbH is EUR 10,000, and at least EUR 5,000 must be paid in as a cash contribution before registration. Proof of payment is required for the Commercial Register. In practice, founders should plan for bank review time, payment reference accuracy, and the sequence between signing the deed and placing funds into the company's bank or escrow account.

Individual founder documents

Natural person shareholders and directors should expect to provide a passport scan, ID card or residence card if applicable, proof of residential address dated within the last three months, and a power of attorney if someone signs or files on their behalf. Depending on the issuing country and document language, German translation, notarization, and apostille may be required.

Corporate shareholder documents

If the shareholder is a legal entity, the file usually includes the passport of the legal representative and any more-than-25% shareholder, the parent company's business license or register extract, company bylaws or articles, and a power of attorney where representation is used. This is especially important when a foreign company is opening an Austrian subsidiary.

Trade license and management

A business or trade license is generally required for business activity in Austria. Unregulated trades have lighter requirements, while regulated or licensed trades may require evidence of qualifications or a trade-law managing director. The director point should be assessed by activity: depending on the license setup, the company may need a qualified trade-law managing director or a work-authorized/resident person, but this is not a universal corporate-law rule for every GmbH director.

Tax, VAT, and payroll registrations

After registration, the company should register with the tax authority for a tax number and, where applicable, a VAT identification number. The corporate tax rate is 23%, standard VAT is 20%, and a GmbH generally has minimum CIT of EUR 500 per year from 2024. Employees must be registered with social security before their first day, so payroll timing should be planned before hiring.

How TKEG Expat Supports an Austria GmbH Setup

When founders ask TKEG Expat how to register a company in austria, the work usually starts with mapping the ownership structure, documents, notarial signing path, capital-payment evidence, and filing sequence. The TKEG Expat Austria GmbH incorporation product is priced at EUR 2,475 and includes Austria GmbH incorporation, the draft of deed of incorporation, and the notary fee for company incorporation.

The practical value is coordination: aligning the deed, bank or escrow step, Commercial Register filing, license review, tax in Austria, and VAT registration so the founder can open a company with fewer sequencing errors. For international owners comparing company formation in Austria with other EU options, a well-prepared GmbH file gives the company a clearer path to contracts, a skilled workforce, banking, and compliant operations after registration.

Austria