English
Orthotics & Medical Devices (Bandagisten)
GewO §94 Z.4
Verified: April 2026
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade
- Qualification: Qualification exam or relevant healthcare degree
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- Scope: Bandages, orthopedic supports, compression garments, medical devices
- Health insurance: Contract with social insurance carriers required for reimbursement
What This Trade Covers
- Custom fitting and sale of orthopedic bandages and supports
- Compression stockings and lymphedema garments
- Braces, splints, and orthotic devices
- Breast prostheses and post-surgical support garments
- Medical aids such as walking aids and rehabilitation devices
- Consultation on correct usage and fitting of medical devices
Bandagist vs. Orthopaedie-Techniker
A Bandagist focuses on off-the-shelf and custom-fitted supports, bandages, and compression garments.
The Orthopaedie-Techniker (§94 Z.56) manufactures prosthetic limbs and complex orthopedic devices.
These are separate regulated trades with different qualification requirements.
Related Guides
Qualification: how to prove it
Orthopädietechnik is a regulated trade under §94 Z.3 of the Austrian Trade Act (GewO 1994). The standard route is the qualification exam (befähigungsprüfung).
- Examined by: 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 Linz/Wels/Steyr |
| 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.3 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.
Legally binding: German text of GewO 1994.