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Funeral Services (Bestattung)

GewO §94 Z.7   Verified: April 2026

Key Facts

  • Type: Regulated trade — Zuverlaessigkeitsgewerbe!
  • Special: Requires pre-approval before starting
  • Qualification: Qualification exam
  • Registration cost: Free (€0)
  • Start immediately: NO — must wait for official decision
  • Requirement: 24/7 availability expected
Zuverlaessigkeitsgewerbe (Reliability Trade) Funeral services require a reliability assessment before you can begin operations. The district authority evaluates your personal reliability, financial standing, and professional qualifications before issuing approval.

What This Trade Covers

Regional Differences

Funeral regulations vary significantly by Austrian state (Bundesland). Cemetery regulations, burial timeframes, and ecological burial options (tree burials, meadow burials) differ across regions. Some states are more progressive with alternative burial forms than others.

Qualification Alternatives

Vollstaendige deutsche Version →

Related Guides

Registration GuideStep-by-step CostsWhat you pay Qualification ProofHow to qualify Chimney SweepRelated trade

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the funeral trade a reliability trade?

Due to the sensitive nature and public trust required, authorities verify personal reliability and financial standing before approval.

Are ecological burials allowed in Austria?

Regulations vary by Bundesland. Some states allow tree burials and meadow burials, others are more restrictive.

Qualification: how to prove it

Bestattung is a regulated trade under §94 Z.5 of the Austrian Trade Act (GewO 1994). The standard route is the qualification exam (befähigungsprüfung).

  • Examined by: WK
  • Exam fee: €0 — exam fees are covered by the federal government

If you cannot sit the exam, these routes are open to you:

  • Relevant training plus practical experience
  • Individual assessment under §19 GewO

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.

Legal basis: GewO 1994 §94 Z.5 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.

Legally binding: German text of GewO 1994.