English
Blasting Company (Sprengungsunternehmen)
GewO §94 Z.65
Verified: April 2026
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade (Zuverlaessigkeitsgewerbe)
- Special: Reliability assessment required before starting
- Qualification: Qualification exam + blasting license
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- Start immediately: NO — must wait for official decision
- Regulation: Among the most strictly regulated trades in Austria
Ultra-Strict Regulatory Framework
Blasting is a Zuverlaessigkeitsgewerbe (reliability trade). You cannot start
working upon registration. The authority must first verify personal reliability,
criminal record, and financial standing. Additionally, the federal Explosives
Act (Sprengmittelgesetz) and mining law (MinroG) impose further requirements.
What This Trade Covers
- Rock blasting for construction and mining
- Building demolition using explosives
- Tunnel blasting (NATM method)
- Controlled avalanche blasting
- Underwater blasting
Additional Requirements
- Blasting license (Sprengbefugnis) for each blasting operator
- Explosives storage permit from the district authority
- Liability insurance with high coverage limits
- Regular safety inspections and incident reporting
Related Guides
Qualification: how to prove it
Sprengung is a regulated trade under §94 Z.58 of the Austrian Trade Act (GewO 1994). The standard route is the qualification exam (befähigungsprüfung).
- Examined by: WK
- Exam modules: 5
- Exam fee: €0 — exam fees are covered by the federal government
If you cannot sit the exam, these routes are open to you:
- Individual assessment under §19 GewO
- Appointing a qualified managing director
Registering the trade
- Cost: Free — registration itself carries no fee
- Where: District administrative authority (Bezirksverwaltungsbehörde)
- Decision within: max. 3 months
- Typically takes: 2-6 Wochen (Zuverlaessigkeitspruefung)
You can register in these ways:
- Online via GISA (the trade register)
- Online via USP (the business service portal)
- In person at the authority
Who may register
- Minimum age: 18
- Citizenship or residence: Austria, EU, EEA or Switzerland
- Clean record: no disqualifying convictions (checked by the authority)
Documents to bring
- Photo ID
- Certificate of competence (Befähigungsnachweis)
- Criminal record certificate
Terms shown in German are the ones printed on the Austrian forms — you will meet them exactly like this at the authority.
Where to go, by province
| Province | Competent authority |
|---|---|
| Vienna | Magistrat der Stadt Wien, MA 63 |
| Lower Austria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft |
| Upper Austria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Linz/Wels/Steyr |
| Styria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Graz |
| Tyrol | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Innsbruck |
| Salzburg | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Salzburg |
| Carinthia | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Klagenfurt/Villach |
| Burgenland | Bezirkshauptmannschaft |
| Vorarlberg | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Bregenz |
Legal basis: GewO 1994 §94 Z.58 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.
Legally binding: German text of GewO 1994.