Heating Technician (Heizungstechnik)
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
- Also covers: HVAC, ventilation, cooling systems
Why This Trade Is Booming
What This Trade Covers
- Heat pump installation and commissioning
- Biomass heating systems (pellets, wood chips)
- Solar thermal systems
- Gas and oil heating (existing systems)
- Underfloor heating and radiator systems
- Ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
Qualification Alternatives
- Qualification exam (Befaehigungspruefung)
- HTL diploma in mechanical engineering + 3 years experience
- University/FH degree in relevant engineering + 2 years experience
- Individual assessment (§19 GewO)
- Qualified manager (§39 GewO)
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Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is heating technology booming in Austria?
Austria's federal heating-replacement subsidy (formerly Raus aus Oel und Gas, today run as Kesseltausch by the KPC on umweltfoerderung.at) drives massive demand for heat pumps, biomass, and solar thermal. We deliberately quote no amount: rates change with every funding round, and rounds close once the budget is spent.
Does the heating license cover air conditioning?
Yes, Heizungstechnik covers heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC). The qualification includes all three areas.
One qualification, several trades
Austrian trade law lists this as a verbundenes Handwerk (combined trade). § 94 Z 31 GewO reads, verbatim: „Heizungstechnik; Lüftungstechnik (verbundenes Handwerk)“
This licence reaches further than its name
The second sentence goes further still: they are also entitled to carry out the activities of the refrigeration and air-conditioning trade (Kälte- und Klimatechnik, § 94 Z 37) — no second registration needed.
Qualification: how to prove it
Heizungstechnik is a regulated trade under §94 Z.31 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 + Praxis
- Relevant HTL technical college 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 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
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 |
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.31 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.