Debt Collection Agency License (Inkassoinstitute)
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade (reglementiertes Gewerbe)
- Qualification: Entrepreneur exam + specific professional competence
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- FMA license: Not required (Inkasso is a trade, not a financial service)
- Professional rules: Standesregeln apply (code of conduct)
- Note: Cannot provide legal advice or representation in court
What Does This Trade Cover?
The debt collection trade license covers the extrajudicial recovery of debts on behalf of creditors:
- Sending payment reminders and formal demand letters (Mahnschreiben)
- Negotiating payment plans and settlements with debtors
- Monitoring outstanding receivables and managing dunning processes
- Tracing debtors and verifying current addresses
- Preparing documentation for potential court proceedings (but not filing them)
- International debt collection within the EU framework
Standesregeln (Code of Conduct)
Debt collection agencies in Austria are subject to professional conduct rules (Standesregeln) that regulate their operations:
- Fair treatment: Debtors must not be harassed, threatened, or misled about legal consequences
- Transparency: All fees and costs must be clearly communicated to both creditor and debtor
- Data protection: Strict GDPR compliance when processing debtor personal data
- Separation of funds: Collected amounts must be kept in a separate trust account (Anderkonto)
- Identification: The agency must clearly identify itself in all communications with debtors
No FMA License Needed
Unlike banks or financial service providers, Inkassoinstitute do not need a license from the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA). Debt collection is classified as a trade under the GewO, not as a financial service under the BWG or WAG. The trade authority (Bezirksverwaltungsbehoerde) is the competent registration body.
Qualification Requirements
- Entrepreneur exam (Unternehmerpüfung) or equivalent education
- Professional competence in civil law, enforcement law (Exekutionsrecht), and accounting
- Individual assessment (§19 GewO) with proof of relevant experience in the field
- Qualified manager (§39 GewO) who holds the required qualifications
Vollstaendige deutsche Version →
Related Guides
Qualification: how to prove it
Inkasso is a regulated trade under §94 Z.32 of the Austrian Trade Act (GewO 1994). The standard route is the qualification exam (befähigungsprüfung).
- Examined by: Meisterprüfungsstelle 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 |
| 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.32 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.