Hairdresser License (Friseur und Perückenmacher)
Key Facts
- Type: Craft trade (Handwerk) — Master exam required
- Master exam: 5 modules — free since 1 July 2023 (first and second attempt)
- Registration: Free (€0)
- Barber shops: Same license required (falls under Friseur)
- Start immediately: Yes
Where did you obtain your qualification?
For a regulated trade you submit your Befähigungsnachweis (qualification proof) with the registration — the Key Facts above show what counts for this trade.
For a qualification obtained in the EU/EEA or Switzerland, Directive 2005/36/EC gives you the right to a formal recognition or equivalence procedure (Anerkennung/Gleichhaltung). Do this before registering.
For a qualification obtained outside the EU/EEA the recommended path is the individual assessment (§ 19): your training and experience are assessed for equivalence.
Three routes without a formal qualification: individual assessment (§ 19), the qualification exam (exam fees covered by the government since 2023), or a qualified manager (§ 39).
Individual assessment (§ 19) Qualified manager (§ 39) All 4 paths
Important for Non-German Speakers
Can I open a barber shop?
Yes, but barber shops fall under the same trade license as hairdressers (Friseur und Perückenmacher / Stylist, §94 Z.22). The master exam or an alternative qualification is required.
Qualification Paths
- Master exam (Meisterprüfung) — 5 modules, free since July 2023
- Individual assessment — apprenticeship + years of experience
- Qualified manager — appoint someone with the master qualification
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What exam do I need to open a hair salon in Austria?
The hairdresser trade requires a Master exam (Meisterpruefung). Exam fees are covered by the government since 2023.
Can I rent a chair in someone else's salon instead?
Yes, chair rental (Stuhlmiete) is a common way to start with lower risk while building your own client base.
This trade is expressly exempt from the installation permit
Qualification: how to prove it
Friseur is a regulated trade under §94 Z.22 of the Austrian Trade Act (GewO 1994). The standard route is the master craftsman exam (meisterprüfung).
- 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:
- Sechs Jahre ununterbrochen einschlägig als Selbständiger oder Betriebsleiter (Weg 2 der Zugangsverordnung)
- Lehrabschlussprüfung Friseur und Perückenmacher (Stylist) + drei Jahre als Selbständiger oder Betriebsleiter (Weg 3 der Zugangsverordnung)
- Mindestens zweijährige anerkannte einschlägige Ausbildung + vier Jahre als Selbständiger oder Betriebsleiter (Weg 4 der Zugangsverordnung)
- Drei Jahre einschlägig selbständig + fünf Jahre einschlägig unselbständig (Weg 5 der Zugangsverordnung)
- Individuelle Befähigung nach §19 GewO — auch beschränkt auf Teiltätigkeiten, etwa 'eingeschränkt auf Herrenfriseur'
- Bestellung eines gewerberechtlichen Geschäftsführers nach §39 GewO
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 vollständigen 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
- Meisterprüfungszeugnis (oder individueller Befähigungsnachweis)
- 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 |
Sole trader, GmbH, or partnership?
Trade law does not prescribe a legal form — but it does draw one line. Under § 9 (1) GewO, legal entities and registered partnerships (GmbH, OG, KG) may hold a trade licence, but they „must have appointed a managing director (§ 39)“ — a named person who carries the qualification and the legal responsibility for the trade. As a sole trader you are that person yourself.
Whether a GmbH pays off financially depends on profit, drawings, SVS contributions and allowances. There is no general profit threshold, and that question belongs to a tax adviser, not to this page.
Running this trade alongside a job
Nothing in Austrian law forbids running a trade as a side business. Two things about social insurance are regularly misremembered, and both cost money.
- The obligation follows Chamber membership, not profit. Under § 2 (1) 1 GSVG compulsory SVS insurance attaches to membership of the Economic Chamber, which you acquire with the trade licence itself. It therefore applies in a year in which you make no profit at all.
- There is an exemption — but only on application. § 4 (1) 7 GSVG lets very small businesses be exempted while turnover and income stay under the limits it refers to. Nothing happens automatically: without the application, the obligation stands.
If you are employed, check your employment contract separately for a secondary-activity clause — that is a matter between you and your employer, not trade law.
Legal basis: GewO 1994 §94 Z.22 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.