Foot Care (Fusspflege)
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade
- Qualification: Qualification exam
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- Exam fees: Covered by government since July 2023
- Start immediately: Yes, upon registration
- Important: Cosmetic foot care only, NOT medical podiatry
What This Trade Covers
- Nail trimming and shaping
- Callus and corn removal
- Cosmetic foot treatments
- Nail design and lacquering
- Foot massages and wellness treatments
- Mobile foot care services (home visits)
Specializations That Increase Earnings
Advanced techniques command premium prices:
- Brace therapy (Spangentechnik) for ingrown nails
- Nail prosthetics (Nagelprothetik)
- Orthonyxie (nail correction)
- Diabetic foot care specialist (in cooperation with physicians)
Vollstaendige deutsche Version →
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I treat diabetic patients as a foot care specialist?
Cosmetic foot care yes. Medical podiatry for diabetic foot conditions requires medical qualifications and physician cooperation.
Is mobile foot care allowed?
Yes, mobile foot care (home visits) is very popular, especially with elderly clients. You need portable hygiene equipment.
Qualification: how to prove it
Fußpflege is a regulated trade under §94 Z.19 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:
- Lehrabschluss Fußpfleger
- 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.19 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.