How to open a company in Austria?

Organizational and legal forms

The loyalty of Austrian legislation to foreign investors allows you to choose the best option for the legal form for your company. Therefore, after consulting with experienced experts representing FBS-Tax.com, you can choose one of the following options:

• A partnership with unlimited liability, represented by two types - Offene Erwerbsgesellschaft (OEG) and Offene Handelsgesellschaft (OHG).
• A limited partnership, which can also take one of two forms - Kommanditerwerbsgesellschaft (KEG) or Kommanditgesellschaft (KG).
• Private enterprise, referred to in local law by the term Einzelunternehmer.
• A public limited company called Aktiengesellschaft (AG).
• A closed limited liability company bearing the name Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung (GmbH), which is popular in Europe.
• Branch of a foreign company, called Zweigniederlassungen.

What is included in the price?

By paying for the registration of your company in the Republic of Austria, you receive the following range of services:

• payment of state fees;
• provision of a legal address and an agent in Austria;
• preparation and registration of constituent documents of partnership;
• payment of notary fees and fees for obtaining apostille on company documents;
• payment for nominal services in one year:
• preparation of one general power of attorney;
• issuance of company certificates;
• declaration of trust, a letter of transfer of shares;
• seal production;
• delivery of documents and seal by the courier to Ukraine.

Requirements for the company

Given the relatively high degree of responsibility, as well as the prestige of companies registered in the Republic of Austria, local legislation imposes rather broad requirements for their opening. In particular, the most significant of them are the following:

• The presence of at least one director (possibly nominal), who can be either an individual or a legal entity, and whose residence (or whose) does not matter, but the director must have EU citizenship.
• The presence of at least three members of the Board of Directors, among which the managing director may also be present.
• Availability of an office registered in Austria and a secretary.
• Presence of at least one shareholder (nominee shareholders are allowed).
• It is obligatory to have an Austrian legal address, and the registration address must have a lease agreement.
• The presence of the amount of authorized capital in the amount of 35,000 euros. At the same time, at least 17,500 euros must be paid upon registration.
• Shares are allowed only nominal with the specified face value, and the type of bearer shares is prohibited here.

Separately, it should be noted that if nominee directors and/or shareholders are used, the real owner of the company cannot be identified.

Austria's Corporate Law