Firmenbuch, GISA and the register of associations: what company data is public in Austria

Firmenbuch: identity of registered businesses

The companies register is kept by the regional courts, in Vienna by the Commercial Court. It records, among other things, the register number, the company name, legal form, seat and business address, line of business, and the name and date of birth of sole traders and of the persons authorised to represent the company (§ 3 FBG). Anyone may inspect it (§ 9 UGB).

The register number consists of a sequential number and a check letter, for example FN 123456a. It is the best key for identifying a business and usually appears in the legal notice: registered businesses must state, among other things, their company name, legal form, seat, register number and register court on business letters and websites (§ 14 UGB).

Individual searches yes, bulk extraction no

• Individual search: anyone may search the companies register individually (§ 34 FBG(1)), for example via JustizOnline. A free short extract must also be offered, showing among other things the company name, legal form, seat and business address, register number and, where available, the website address (§ 34(1b) FBG).
• Bulk and change queries are only possible under a licence from the Federal Ministry of Justice (§ 34(2) FBG), and personal data only for purposes connected with the register.
• Database protection: the Supreme Court has classified the Firmenbuch database as a protected database under § 76c UrhG (OGH, 9 April 2002, 4 Ob 17/02g). Systematically extracting substantial parts infringes this right.

Who is not in the Firmenbuch

Sole traders only have to register once they are subject to accounting obligations under § 189 UGB; other sole traders may register voluntarily (§ 8 UGB(1)). Registered sole traders use the suffix “e.U.”. Many craft and small businesses and most liberal professions are therefore not in the companies register.

GISA: the Austrian trade licence register

GISA holds trade licences. For natural persons, the public data include name, academic degrees, date of birth, the wording of the licence, locations, start and end dates and the GISA number; for legal persons also business address, legal form and companies register or ZVR number (§ 365a GewO(1), § 365b(1) GewO).

• The data can be searched free of charge online through the GISA search (§ 365e GewO(4)).
• A request for information must always relate to a single person or a single business (§ 365e(3) GewO).
• The GISA number identifies a trade licence, not a business. A business with several licences has several GISA numbers.
• GISA does not contain phone numbers or email addresses.

Register of associations

Associations are listed in the Central Register of Associations (ZVR). The public data include name, ZVR number, seat and address for service, the rule of representation and the names and roles of the representatives. A free online individual search is provided (§ 19 VerG(3)); collective searches are not allowed (§ 17 VerG(9)).

Lists kept by the chambers of the liberal professions

People practising a liberal profession are often in none of the three registers, but in their chamber’s list:

• Lawyers: entries in the list of lawyers are published by the Austrian Bar on its website (§ 5(5) RAO).
• Doctors: part of the data in the list of doctors kept by the Austrian Medical Chamber is public and available online (§ 27 ÄrzteG 1998).
• Tax advisers and auditors: the chamber keeps member lists open to public inspection (§ 173 WTBG 2017).
• Chartered civil engineers (Ziviltechniker) and the health professions in the health professions register also have public directories.

These lists also serve individual enquiries. How far they may be used for other purposes depends on the legal basis and the terms of use in each case.

Where contact details really are

Businesses publish phone numbers and email addresses themselves. The legal duties behind this are extensive in Austria:

• § 5 ECG: anyone offering an information society service, including a company website, must state among other things their name or company name, geographical address, contact details including an email address and, where applicable, register number, register court and VAT ID.
• § 14 UGB and § 63 GewO: registered businesses state their register details on business letters and websites; unregistered traders state their name and the location of their trade licence.
• § 25 MedienG: the disclosure names the owner of a website with name or company name and seat.

These details are statutory information duties. They make a business findable and verifiable, but they are not consent to advertising. Why that matters so much in Austria is explained in B2B marketing and § 174 TKG 2021.

What this means for a company database

A reliable company database for Austria cannot be “exported” from a register. It is built from many sources: open map data, public business directories, chamber lists and the legal notices of the businesses themselves. Register data are used to check individual cases, for example whether a register number matches the name.

This is how we work at kontaktdatenbank.at: we do not take over the Firmenbuch in bulk and do not sell register extracts. The register number and VAT ID only appear in the export if the business publishes them itself. The data sources and methodology page lists the sources in detail.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Firmenbuch contain phone numbers and email addresses?

No. The companies register contains, among other things, the register number, company name, legal form, seat and business address, line of business and the persons authorised to represent the company (§ 3 FBG). Phone and email are not included; the free short extract shows the website address where one is registered (§ 34(1b) FBG).

Can the whole Firmenbuch be downloaded?

No. Anyone may run individual searches (§ 34(1) FBG). Bulk and change queries are only possible under a licence from the Ministry of Justice (§ 34(2) FBG). The Firmenbuch is also protected as a database (§ 76c UrhG, OGH 4 Ob 17/02g).

Is every business registered in the Firmenbuch?

No. Corporations and partnerships are registered, but sole traders only once they are subject to accounting obligations under § 189 UGB; below that, registration is voluntary (§ 8(1) UGB). Many small businesses can therefore only be found in the trade licence register (GISA) or in their chamber’s list.

Is the GISA number a company number?

No. The GISA number identifies a trade licence. A business can hold several trade licences and therefore several GISA numbers. The companies register number or the VAT ID are better unique keys for a business, where available.

As of 25 October 2026. Statutes and the Supreme Court decision from the Austrian federal legal information system (RIS), retrieved on the same day. This article is general information and does not replace legal advice in an individual case.