Trade License in Austria: Which Address You Need

To register a trade (Gewerbe) in Austria, you must provide a real physical address as your business location, and a PO box is not accepted. A rented business address in Vienna's first district meets this requirement from 49 euros per month plus VAT, so you can complete the registration without renting an office or publishing your home address. Here is how the address requirement works in practice, as of June 2026.

What address does the Austrian trade register require?

The trade registration requires a Gewerbestandort, a business location: a concrete, physically existing address where your business can receive official mail. This address appears in the public trade register and is where authorities send documents. In practice, founders choose between three options:

• Home address: legally fine, but publicly visible and tied to every private move.
• Rented office space: the expensive route, with central Vienna offices costing several hundred euros per month.
• Registered business address: a real office address you use as your official location without renting your own space there.

Whatever you choose, the address must physically exist and mail must be deliverable there. The guide to registered addresses in Austria explains the legal background in detail.

Can I use my home address for the trade license?

Yes, you can, but it comes with three practical drawbacks. First, your home address becomes public information: it shows up in the trade register, in your website imprint and on every invoice you send. Second, every time you move, you must update the registered business location, plus your imprint, contracts and registrations. Third, a residential address signals a side project rather than an established business, which matters when you pitch to corporate clients.

Many founders therefore separate living and business: they keep working from home while the official location sits at a business address in Vienna's first district.

Is a PO box enough for registering a trade in Austria?

No, a PO box is not accepted as a business location. Austrian authorities require an address where official letters can actually be delivered to your business, and a PO box does not qualify. The same applies to a bare c/o line without an underlying agreement.

A registered business address is fundamentally different from a PO box. At Seitenstettengasse 5/37, 1010 Vienna, your company uses a real office building in the first district, two minutes on foot from the U1/U4 station Schwedenplatz. Mail is received, logged and, depending on your plan, scanned the same day. You can also collect your mail in person any day of the week, Monday to Sunday.

How much does a compliant business address cost?

A business address in Vienna's first district costs between 49 and 149 euros per month plus VAT at 1010.works, depending on the plan:

• Basic: 59 euros per month, or 49 euros with annual billing. Address plus mail reception.
• Plus: 89 euros per month, or 79 euros annually. Adds unlimited mail scans, so you see every letter digitally wherever you are.
• Premium: 149 euros per month, or 129 euros annually. Includes acceptance of RSb registered letters with postal power of attorney, EU-wide forwarding and 4 hours of meeting room use per month.

All plans can be cancelled monthly. Compare that to a small office in the city centre, which costs many times more and is not required for the registration at all. Full details are on the pricing page.

How do you register a trade with a rented address?

The process is the same as with your own premises; you simply need the right to use the location. The typical sequence:

• Book the business address and keep the agreement as proof that you may use the location.
• Register the trade with the competent authority, online or in person, stating the business address as your location.
• Update your imprint, invoice templates and stationery with the new address.
• Mail handling starts on day one: pick up letters in person Monday to Sunday or receive them as scans.

One important detail for later: official RSb letters can be accepted directly under a postal power of attorney in the Premium plan. RSa letters are addressed to you personally and are deposited by the postal service; no address provider can accept those for you.

Conclusion

Austrian trade registration needs a real, deliverable address, and a PO box will not pass. Your home address works but exposes your private life and ties the registration to every move. A registered business address solves both issues for 49 to 149 euros per month: a stable first-district location with professional mail handling, cancellable monthly.

Secure your business location at Seitenstettengasse 5/37, 1010 Vienna: get a business address in Vienna from 49 euros per month and register your trade with a professional address from day one.