English
Pharmaceuticals & Poisons Trade (Arzneimittel und Gifte)
GewO §94 Z.1
Verified: April 2026
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade
- Qualification: Qualification exam or university degree in pharmacy/chemistry
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- Scope: Wholesale and retail of OTC pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and toxic substances
- Additional permits: May require hazardous substances permit under ChemG
What This Trade Covers
- Wholesale distribution of freely available (OTC) pharmaceutical products
- Sale of chemical reagents and laboratory chemicals
- Trade in toxic and hazardous substances (within GewO scope)
- Supply of disinfectants and sanitation chemicals
- Distribution of veterinary OTC products
- Import and export of permitted chemical substances
This is NOT a pharmacy license!
This trade covers the commercial distribution of certain pharmaceuticals and chemicals.
Prescription medications, dispensing to patients, and pharmaceutical counselling
are exclusively reserved for licensed pharmacies (Apotheken) under the Apothekengesetz.
Related Guides
Qualification: how to prove it
Arzneimittel/Gifte is a regulated trade under §94 Z.28 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.28 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.
Legally binding: German text of GewO 1994.