Company Registration in Austria

Registration fee is from 10000 €

Registration period — 3-5 weeks

Minimum authorized capital - 10,000 EUR

Remote opening — no

Financial statements — yes

The Republic of Austria is a federal country in Central Europe. Its capital is Vienna. In 1955, Austria declared permanent neutrality and non-alignment with any military blocs, and today the country is an active member of the UN and the EU.

Maira Consult recommends using a company registered in Austria as a holding, financial, or investment company, for managing assets and property, as well as for conducting trading activities, providing logistics and transport services in Europe, and offering consulting and professional services.

Key features of company registration in Austria

  • A member of the EU and the eurozone with a stable economy and banking system

  • Exemption from tax on dividends and capital gains for holding structures (provided a 10 per cent stake is held in a subsidiary for at least one year)

  • 0% tax on the repatriation of dividends to subsidiaries within the EU

  • Access to an extensive network of double taxation agreements

  • Flexibility in choosing the legal form - GmbH for traditional businesses, FlexCo for start-ups and holding companies.

Members (shareholders) of a GmbH are not liable for the company's obligations with their personal assets and bear the risk of loss only within the limits of their share in the registered capital. Personal liability of a member can arise only in exceptional cases, for example, in the event of non-compliance with corporate formalities, mixing of company assets with personal ones, or deliberate deception of creditors.

Registering a company in Austria is an accessible and transparent process. Maira Consult supports the entire process, from choosing between a GmbH and the flexible FlexCo form to opening an account with an Austrian bank. Leave a request, and our Austria specialist will calculate the exact cost and timeline for your business structure within a day.

Austria advantages

1

Possibility of opening an account in Austrian banks

2

A flexible alternative to the GmbH: the new FlexCo form for startups and holding companies

3

A developed EU economy

4

Stable currency, high reputation, and member of the EU and eurozone

5

Free export and import of capital

General Information

Registration Features

Austrian legislation distinguishes several main forms of companies for doing business:

  • limited liability company (GmbH),
  • joint-stock company (Aktiengesellschaft, AG), and
  • the new flexible form FlexCo (Flexible Kapitalgesellschaft), introduced by the 2024 reform as an alternative to the GmbH for startups and holding structures.

The GmbH is most often chosen for registering a company in Austria, thanks to its simpler procedure and lower entry threshold after the minimum capital was reduced to EUR 10,000.

Company Name

The company name must include a word, phrase, or abbreviation indicating its legal form, such as "GmbH" or "AG".

Authorized Capital

The minimum share capital depends on the chosen company form.

  • For the GmbH and the new FlexCo form: EUR 10,000 (at least EUR 5,000 in cash).
  • For the AG (joint-stock company), the requirement is significantly higher: EUR 70,000, paid in full before registration.

Director

At least one natural person is required, with no residency requirements. For ease of dealing with Austrian government authorities and to confirm that the GmbH is an Austrian tax resident, it is recommended that the company's director be an Austrian resident.

Shareholders

The company can be founded by at least one natural or legal person, with no residency requirements whatsoever.

Financial Reporting

All forms are required to keep and file annual financial statements (the financial year runs from January 1 to December 31), no later than 9 months after its end.

For the GmbH and FlexCo, a mandatory audit is triggered only when two of the following three criteria are exceeded:

  • assets over EUR 4.84 million,
  • turnover over EUR 9.68 million,
  • more than 50 employees.

For the AG, an audit is mandatory regardless of the company's size, which is one of the reasons the GmbH remains the typical choice for small and medium-sized businesses.

Taxation

  • Corporate income tax (Körperschaftsteuer): 23% for all company forms (GmbH, AG, FlexCo) regardless of size.
  • Minimum tax for the GmbH and FlexCo: a fixed EUR 500 per year, payable even in a loss-making year.
  • Standard VAT rate: 20%, with reduced rates of 13% and 10%.

Confidentiality

The state register is open, with publicly available information on the company's director, shareholder, and share capital amount. The register of beneficial owners is open to public access.

Stages of company registration

01

Choosing the name and form of the company

The most convenient corporate form for a foreign manager (non-resident) is a limited liability company (GmbH). To register a company in Austria, a preliminary request must first be made to the Commercial Register to check the name's availability. Once the name is confirmed, the founding documents for opening the company in Austria are prepared.

02

Preparation and collection of documents

Each participant in the business must provide a passport and proof of residential address (a utility bill). At this stage, information on the GmbH's share capital is also provided.

03

Identification of company participants

Before the Austrian company is registered with the Commercial Register, a shareholders' meeting is held in the presence of a notary in Austria, and the founding documents are signed.

04

Formation of the share capital (if necessary)

After the founding documents are signed, a company account for the GmbH is opened at an Austrian bank, and the share capital is deposited, at least 5,000 EUR out of the total 10,000 EUR required for a GmbH. Once the bank confirms that the share capital has been credited, the documents for registering the GmbH are submitted to the Commercial Register. After the company is registered in Austria, the share capital may be used for the company's needs.

05

Company registration

The process of registering a company in Austria takes 3-5 weeks on average, depending on the register's workload and the speed of the notarial procedures.

06

Receiving of corporate documents

Once the company is entered into the Commercial Register, an extract (Firmenbuchauszug) and a full set of corporate documents for the registered Austrian company are issued.

07

Legalization of documents (if necessary)

If needed, the Austrian company's documents are submitted for legalization and apostille, this is necessary if the company's documents will be used outside Austria, for example to open an account with a foreign bank.

08

Delivery of corporate documents

The original corporate documents of the Austrian company are sent by courier service.

Answers to the Most Common Questions:

The cost of registering a company in Austria varies depending on the type of company and includes expenses such as the minimum share capital, notary fees, registration fees, and, if necessary, the rental of a registered legal address. For a GmbH, a share capital of 10,000 euros is required, of which at least 5,000 euros must be paid in at the time of registration. If you would like a detailed breakdown of the costs to expect at each stage, our specialists can help you draw up an accurate estimate and advise you on how to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Starting a business in Austria involves several steps: choosing the company's legal form, preparing the founding documents, registering the company in the commercial register, opening a bank account to pay in the share capital, and registering for tax purposes. This process requires knowledge of local legal requirements and careful attention to documentation. By turning to our experts, you can complete each stage of registration quickly and in full compliance with all requirements.
To obtain tax residency in Austria, you must either have a permanent place of residence in the country or conduct your main activity there. This means a company needs a registered office in Austria, while an individual needs documentary proof of residence in the country. Our specialists can provide full support at every stage of obtaining tax residency, making the process much simpler.
The time required to register a company in Austria depends on several factors, such as the type of company and how ready all the necessary documents are. On average, registering a company in Austria takes 3 to 5 weeks.
Registering a company in Austria requires preparing the founding documents, choosing a unique name, renting a registered legal address, and paying the share capital into the company's account. The documents are then submitted to the commercial register and the tax authorities. Professional support can help you complete the procedure without delays or errors. Our experts will advise and assist you at every stage, so you can focus on growing your business.
A GmbH is the most common form of limited liability company in Austria, the equivalent of a Ukrainian TOV. Since 2024, the minimum share capital has been 10,000 EUR (at least 5,000 EUR in cash). An alternative is the new FlexCo form, a more flexible structure for startups and holding companies.
Yes, Austria allows non-residents to open a company. This requires a rented registered legal address in Austria and compliance with all local requirements, including registration with the tax authorities. With our support, the process of starting a business in Austria becomes more transparent and convenient for non-residents: we will help you with the necessary documents and explain the key aspects of doing business in the country.
Setting up a company in Austria is advantageous thanks to its transparent tax system and reputation as an EU member. The corporate income tax rate for a GmbH is 23%, the minimum tax is a fixed 500 EUR per year regardless of profitability, and the standard VAT rate is 20%. This, together with access to a network of double taxation treaties, makes an onshore presence in Austria an attractive alternative to a classic offshore setup.
No, Austria is an onshore jurisdiction with full taxation and high standards of transparency; there is no division into "offshore" and "onshore" companies in the legislation. The term "offshore in Austria" is used colloquially to refer to using an Austrian company for international business structuring, while it retains the reputational advantages of an onshore jurisdiction.

Our Contacts

Phone

+380 97 527-66-30

Client Relations Department

+380 73 427-66-30

Email

[email protected]

Address

Kyiv, 01054, Ukraine,

40B Ivan Franko St., office 207

Legal information

MAIRA LLC

EDRPOU code: 38202700

Jurisdiction: Ukraine

Working hours

Monday – Friday: 09:00 – 18:00

Saturday – Sunday: closed

We respond to inquiries within 15–30 minutes during working hours

Messengers

Social Networks

International Law Company Maira Consult