Tourist guide is a protected profession in Austria. Anyone who guides guests for payment through cities, landscapes and sights needs a state examination and a trade licence. Here is the most important information for all of Austria on one page (as of October 2026). For binding information, contact the trade group for leisure and sports businesses of the Chamber of Commerce in your federal state.
Legal basis
- Tourist guide is a regulated trade (§ 94 no. 21 and § 108 Trade Regulation Act 1994).
- It requires a certificate of competence: a course of at least 250 lessons and the qualifying examination at the master craftsman examination office of the Chamber of Commerce. The exam is valid for all of Austria.
- After that comes the trade registration with the district authority. With the licence, membership of the Chamber of Commerce and social insurance with the SVS begin.
Source: WKO Upper Austria, information sheet for tourist guides, January 2026
What is allowed without a licence
- Commentary in vehicles of excursion, hire car, taxi and horse carriage businesses
- Tours inside buildings or sites by those entitled to them or their staff, for example in museums, churches or exhibitions
- References to sights by tour escorts (a free trade) while looking after travellers
Employed or self-employed
Those who pass only modules 1 and 2 of the exam (without the business part) may work as employees in the name and on behalf of a self-employed guide. Self-employment also requires module 3 (business and legal knowledge) and the trade registration.
Licence card and badge
- Licensed guides carry a photo ID issued by the district authority, listing their languages. Since 2 January 2025 it is a free credit-card format.
- The Chamber of Commerce owns the brand "austriaguides". Guides with an active licence may use the logo and the badge "Austria Guide, staatlich geprüft".
Guides from other EU and EEA countries
Guides from another EU or EEA country who want to work in Austria temporarily and occasionally need to file a service notification with the Ministry of Economy. The profession or training must be regulated in the home country, or at least one year of professional experience in the last ten years is required. The public service register shows who is entitled. Those who settle in Austria need a trade registration; foreign qualifications can be recognised.
Source: WKO, trade practice by foreign tourist guides
Insurance and fees
- Social insurance with the SVS starts automatically with the licence.
- Professional liability insurance is strongly recommended; we have not found a legal obligation.
- Each federal state sets its own basic chamber fee.
Training
Everything about courses, exam, costs and funding is under Training.
austriaguide.at is an independent portal by guides for guides and not part of the Chamber of Commerce. No guarantee for the information, as of October 2026.