Cosmetics Trade License (Kosmetik / Schönheitspflege)
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade
- Qualification: Qualification exam — 5 modules (or apprenticeship)
- Cost: Free registration, exam fees covered by government
- Includes: Skincare, makeup, nail care, permanent makeup
- Tattoo: Requires extended qualification within cosmetics
Services Covered
- Facial and body treatments
- Makeup application
- Nail care and nail design
- Eyelash extensions
- Permanent makeup
- Tattooing (requires extended qualification)
Can I combine with foot care?
Foot care (Fußpflege, §94 Z.19) is a separate regulated trade. You need two separate registrations but can operate both in one studio.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between cosmetics and foot care trades?
Cosmetics covers facial and body beauty treatments. Foot care (Fusspflege) is a separate regulated trade with its own qualification.
Can I do permanent makeup with a cosmetics license?
Basic permanent makeup may be covered, but advanced techniques may require additional training. Medical procedures are reserved for doctors.
Qualification: how to prove it
Kosmetik is a regulated trade under §94 Z.38 of the Austrian Trade Act (GewO 1994). The standard route is the qualification exam (befähigungsprüfung).
- Examined by: Meisterprüfungsstelle der Wirtschaftskammer
- 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:
- Lehrabschlussprüfung Kosmetiker/Schönheitspfleger
- Studienrichtung Medizin/Humanmedizin/Zahnmedizin
- Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegeausbildung (gehobener Dienst)
- Individuelle Befähigung bei nachgewiesener Praxis + Kenntnissen
- Appointing a qualified managing director
Registering the trade
- Cost: Free — registration itself carries no fee
- Where: District administrative authority — Bezirkshauptmannschaft or Magistrat
- 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
- By post
Who may register
- Minimum age: 18
- Citizenship or residence: Austria, EU, EEA or Switzerland — third-country nationals with a residence permit are also eligible
- Clean record: no disqualifying convictions (checked by the authority)
Documents to bring
- Valid photo ID
- Befähigungsnachweis (Prüfungszeugnis, LAP, oder gleichwertige Ausbildung)
- Strafregisterbescheinigung (bei <5 Jahren Aufenthalt in AT)
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 | MA 63 |
| Styria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Graz |
| Tyrol | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Innsbruck |
| Carinthia | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Klagenfurt/Villach |
| Upper Austria | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Linz/Wels/Steyr |
| Burgenland | Bezirkshauptmannschaft |
| Vorarlberg | Bezirkshauptmannschaft / Magistrat Bregenz |
Legal basis: GewO 1994 §94 Z.38 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.