Do I need a work permit as an EU citizen in Austria?

No. The EU right to free movement covers both employed and self-employed work. You can work from day one, register a trade and start a business — just like Austrians.

What is the registration certificate, and do I really need it?

If you stay in Austria for longer than 3 months, you must apply for a registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) at the settlement authority (in Vienna: the MA 35) within 4 months of arrival. It documents your EU residence right. Without it you risk an administrative fine — but you can still work, since your right to work does not depend on the certificate.

Which countries count as EU, EEA and Switzerland?

All 27 EU member states, plus the EEA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and Switzerland. The same rules apply to citizens of all these countries: work and start a business without a permit.

Does this also apply to the United Kingdom?

No, since Brexit the United Kingdom is a third country. British citizens need a residence permit to work in Austria — unless they already lived here before 2021 and hold the "Article 50 TEU" permit.

My partner is not from the EU — can they work too?

Family members of EU citizens (spouses, registered partners, children) receive a residence card and can work with it too — employed and self-employed. The application goes through the settlement authority.

Who's allowed to work?

Working and starting a business in Austria as an EU citizen

With a passport from the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, you are treated the same as Austrians when it comes to work: no visa, no work permit, no approval needed. You can register a trade from day one. There are only two formalities to take care of — here is what they are.

Last updated on 20.07.2026 · All figures as of 2026, without guarantee

What applies to you as an EU citizen?

The EU right to free movement is one of the strongest rights you have: you can live and work in any EU country — employed or self-employed, without any permit.^[1] The same applies to citizens of the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland. For trade registration, you are treated completely the same as Austrians.^[3]

Which two registrations do you need to take care of?

Residence registration: register your address

Within 3 days of moving in, you register your address at the registration office (in Vienna: any district registration service). It is free — you just need the registration form signed by your landlord and your passport.^[2]
Registration certificate: document your EU residence right

If you stay longer than 3 months, you apply for the registration certificate at the settlement authority (in Vienna: the MA 35) within 4 months of arrival. As a self-employed person, you simply show your trade registration or other proof of your activity for this.^[1]

The order does not matter — do not wait for the authorities

You do not have to wait for the registration certificate before you can work. Your right to work comes directly from EU law, not from a piece of paper. Many people register their trade first and then use exactly that registration as proof for the registration certificate.

How do you register your trade?

Exactly like Austrians: free of charge, online via the Business Service Portal, or in person at the trade authority. Instead of an Austrian ID, you show your EU passport or national ID card. The full guide: Registering a trade in Austria. After that, everything runs as standard: SVS insurance, the small business rule, invoices.

What else should you keep in mind?

Certificate of good conduct: if you have not been registered in Austria yet (or for less than 5 years), you need a certificate of good conduct from your home country for the trade registration — no older than 3 months.
Social insurance from your home country: if you were previously insured in another EU country, clarify the switch to the SVS — insurance periods from EU countries are not lost, they count together towards your pension.
Taxes: you pay taxes where you mainly live and work. If you are active in two countries, get advice once — double taxation agreements regulate this.

It gets complicated across borders

You live in Bratislava and clean in Vienna? You are insured in Hungary but work here? Cases like these are workable, but the rules for social insurance and taxes are specific. Clarify this in advance — for free, at the WKO founder service or the SVS — rather than paying more later.

Who helps you get started?

bop was built for people making a fresh start in Austria — many of them from other EU countries. The app guides you through trade registration, the SVS and invoices in your language, and translates every official letter for you. Sign up on the homepage, no obligation, and you will be there from the start.

Frequently asked questions

: No. The EU right to free movement covers both employed and self-employed work. You can work from day one, register a trade and start a business — just like Austrians.
: If you stay in Austria for longer than 3 months, you must apply for a registration certificate (Anmeldebescheinigung) at the settlement authority (in Vienna: the MA 35) within 4 months of arrival. It documents your EU residence right. Without it you risk an administrative fine — but you can still work, since your right to work does not depend on the certificate.
: All 27 EU member states, plus the EEA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, and Switzerland. The same rules apply to citizens of all these countries: work and start a business without a permit.
: No, since Brexit the United Kingdom is a third country. British citizens need a residence permit to work in Austria — unless they already lived here before 2021 and hold the "Article 50 TEU" permit.
: Family members of EU citizens (spouses, registered partners, children) receive a residence card and can work with it too — employed and self-employed. The application goes through the settlement authority.

Sources

Official information, retrieved on 20.07.2026:

oesterreich.gv.at: Aufenthalt für EU-/EWR-Bürger:innen — registration certificate, residence right from 3 months
oesterreich.gv.at: Meldepflicht und Meldezettel — registering your address within 3 days
WKO: Gewerbeanmeldung — EU/EEA citizens are treated the same as Austrian nationals
migration.gv.at: Leben und Arbeiten in Österreich — official information for newcomers

This article was partly researched, translated and written with the help of language models (AI). We check the content carefully, but errors can still slip in — please cross-check important details with the official sources linked above.

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Keep reading

Who's allowed to work?

Working and starting a business in Austria as an EU citizen

What applies to you as an EU citizen?

Which two registrations do you need to take care of?

Residence registration: register your address

Registration certificate: document your EU residence right