English
Contact Lens Optician (Kontaktlinsenoptik)
GewO §94 Z.39
Verified: April 2026
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade
- Qualification: Qualification exam (Befaehigungspruefung)
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- Separate trade: Independent from general optician (Augenoptik)
- Note: General opticians already include contact lens fitting
What This Trade Covers
- Contact lens fitting and adaptation
- Corneal topography and measurements
- Sale and aftercare of contact lenses
- Specialty lenses (toric, multifocal, scleral)
Contact Lens Optician vs. General Optician
The general optician license (§94 Z.2 Augenoptik) already includes
contact lens fitting. This standalone trade exists for professionals who
want to specialize exclusively in contact lenses without the full
optician qualification.
Qualification Alternatives
- Qualification exam (Befaehigungspruefung) for contact lens opticians
- General optician qualification already covers this scope
- Individual assessment (§19 GewO) with documented experience
- Qualified manager (§39 GewO) who holds the qualification
Related Guides
Qualification: how to prove it
Kontaktlinsenoptik is a regulated trade under §94 Z.37 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: 1-5 Werktage (bei vollstaendigen Unterlagen)
- Start trading: immediately on registration — you do not have to wait for the decision
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.37 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.
Legally binding: German text of GewO 1994.