Austria Company Formation FAQs

While Austria does not have any restrictions on having nominee directors or shareholders, please note that for an Austrian GmbH or stock corporation (AG), the corporate director and every member of the supervisory board are fully liable, regardless if they are merely nominees.

If you are not already a citizen of any country in the European Union, European Economic Area or Switzerland, there are two residency schemes you can apply for in Austria to receive a Red-White-Red card. The first is the Self-Employed Key Worker category for those whose self-employed venture will create a macroeconomic benefit. The other is for Start-up Founders working on products, services or processes that will bring innovation to the marketplace.

Foreigners can hold 100% of the shares in an Austrian GmbH, or limited liability country (LLC). There are no residency restrictions on directors and shareholders, and as a result, they can be from any country and do not have to reside in Austria. 

In some circumstances, a private foundation registered in Austria can receive a dividend tax exemption, as well as lower gift and corporate taxes. Austria also has some deduction schemes for entities involved in Research and Development (R&D). There are several options for accessing these breaks. For more tax benefits in Austria, visit our benefits page. 

There are several Austrian banks that allow you to open offshore bank accounts. They range from local institutions to Austrian branches of top financial institutions. Our team of offshore experts will guide through the best options for banking in Austria.