Security Services (Sicherheitsgewerbe)
Key Facts
- Type: Regulated trade (Zuverlaessigkeitsgewerbe)
- Special: Requires reliability assessment before starting
- Qualification: Qualification exam
- Registration cost: Free (€0)
- Start immediately: NO — must wait for official decision
- Scope: Guard services, event security, personal protection
Important: Two Different Security Trades
Austria distinguishes between:
- Sicherheitsgewerbe (§94 Z.62): Guard services, personal protection, event security
- Sicherheitstechnik (§94 Z.63): Alarm systems, surveillance cameras, access control
These are separate qualifications. Many companies hold both.
Employee Requirements
Since 2019, all security employees must complete a mandatory basic training (Sachkunde) before starting work. Background checks are required for all personnel.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is security a reliability trade?
Security services involve public safety responsibility. The authority verifies reliability before granting approval. You cannot start immediately.
Do all security employees need training?
Yes, since 2019 all security guards must complete mandatory basic training (Sachkunde) before starting work.
Qualification: how to prove it
Sicherheitsgewerbe is a regulated trade under §94 Z.55 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: 2-6 Wochen (Zuverlaessigkeitspruefung)
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.55 . Last reviewed April 2026. This is not legal advice.