A new supplier offers its services, a client asks for proof of a trade licence, or you want to see how your own trade is registered. Anyone who wants to look up a trade licence (Gewerbeschein) in Austria uses the GISA search, the public search of the Austrian trade information system (Gewerbeinformationssystem Austria). It is free of charge, needs no registration and, on request, produces an officially signed extract.
This article explains what GISA is and how the trade licence, the GISA extract and the overall trade licence (Gewerbelizenz) fit together. It then walks step by step through the search, the GISA number, the content of the extract and the cases in which the trade authority provides information itself. The information comes from the Ministry of Economy (BMWET), the Business Service Portal (USP), the GISA website and the Trade Regulation Act (GewO).
Key points at a glance:
- Since March 2015, GISA has been Austria’s nationwide trade register and has replaced the 14 former decentralised trade registers.
- Anyone can look up a trade licence: the GISA search is free of charge and needs no registration.
- The search runs by natural person, by legal person or directly by GISA number.
- The GISA extract is available in German and in English and carries an official electronic signature (Amtssignatur).
- The search works with the wildcard * and phonetically, and can include ended trades.
- Details such as place of residence or social security number are released only by the trade authority, and only where there is a legitimate interest.
What is GISA?
GISA, short for Gewerbeinformationssystem Austria, is the central register of trade businesses in Austria. In March 2015 it replaced the 14 decentralised trade registers. Since then, trade registrations, relocations, the opening of premises and the appointment of managing directors can be handled electronically, directly in GISA.
According to the USP, the Austrian trade information system holds the central business data of all trade businesses established in Austria, such as name or company name, location and the wording of the trade licence. For sole traders who are not entered in the company register (Firmenbuch), GISA is currently the only authentic source of information. The free search also covers the register of insurance and credit intermediaries and the register of travel insolvency cover.
What is entered in GISA
Which data go into GISA is set by the Trade Regulation Act. For natural persons acting as trade licence holders, managing directors or branch managers, section 365a GewO lists, among other things:
For other legal entities, such as a GmbH, section 365b GewO contains a separate list. It also includes the legal form and the business address for service of documents, and for associations the ZVR number instead of the company register number. Which of these data can be viewed publicly is shown in the section on the GISA extract.
Trade licence, GISA extract and Gewerbelizenz
In everyday language, the trade licence (Gewerbeberechtigung) is often called a Gewerbeschein; the WKO also puts the two terms side by side. Once all requirements are met after a trade registration, the authority generally enters the applicant in GISA within three months at the latest under section 340 GewO; the trades listed in section 95 GewO follow a separate procedure with a formal decision. It gives notice of the entry by sending an extract from GISA. This GISA extract serves as proof of the trade licence; with its official signature, it counts as an authentic public document according to the BMWET.
Since May 2018 there has also been the digital Gewerbelizenz under section 38 GewO. It brings together all active trade licences of a person, with the key information on each one. The digital Gewerbelizenz, too, is available in German or English as an officially signed document via the normal GISA search. From there, a link leads directly to the detailed extract for a single trade licence, without a new search.
Legally, the Gewerbelizenz comes into being with the first trade registration of a person who had no trade licence until then. It is extended with every further registered trade and only ends when the last trade it covers ends. Under section 38 GewO, the Gewerbelizenz and the trade licence (Gewerbeberechtigung) are personal rights that cannot be transferred.
GISA and the company register
GISA is the trade register in Austria, while the company register (Firmenbuch) is a separate register. A GISA entry therefore shows the company name and company register number next to the GISA number, where the business is entered in the company register; for associations the ZVR number takes their place. For sole traders without an entry in the company register, GISA is currently the only authentic source.
When searching for a legal person, the company register number can be entered directly as a search criterion, as can the register number of an association. This helps when several businesses have similar names.
Looking up a trade licence online: how the GISA search works
According to the BMWET, the GISA search is free of charge and needs no registration; the search and the extracts are available in German and in English. For the search, a surname is enough for persons, and for businesses the name, the company register number or the association register number. The process in six steps:
Go to gisa.gv.at/abfrage; an active pop-up blocker should be switched off for this page.
Choose between searching by natural person, by legal person or by trade via the GISA number.
Enter the surname or the business name; if unsure of the spelling, use the wildcard * or the phonetic search.
If needed, add the federal state, the political district or municipality and part of the trade wording.
Pick the right entry in the list of results, as one business can hold several trade licences.
Open the GISA extract and save it as a PDF; the document carries an official signature.
Search by person, business or GISA number
The search form offers three routes. When searching for a natural person, such as a sole trader, the surname is mandatory; first name and date of birth narrow down the results. When searching for a legal person, such as a GmbH or an association, the name or designation, the company register number or the association register number is entered. The third route is the search by trade via the GISA number.
This makes it possible to look up a trade licence even when not all details are known: the wildcard * and the phonetic search help with uncertain spellings. To look up a trade that no longer exists, the option for ended trades is switched on. Foreign entries for insurance and credit intermediation can also be included. According to a note in the form, restricting the search by federal state or district switches this option off automatically.
Looking up the GISA number
Every entry in GISA has a GISA number. For natural persons as for other legal entities, the Trade Regulation Act counts it among the data to be entered in GISA, together with the Global Location Number (GLN). Under section 365e GewO, it is one of the data on which anyone can obtain information.
The GISA number can be found in the GISA extract of the entry in question. If it is already known, the search by trade leads directly to the entry; the form asks for the GISA number as a number of up to ten digits. This is useful, for example, when a business partner passes on their GISA number and you want to check the entry without a name search. In the result list of a name search, too, the GISA number helps to tell entries with the same name apart.
The GISA extract: content and use
The GISA extract is the document that the public search produces for an entry; what is often called a trade licence extract is exactly this document. According to the BMWET, the extracts carry an official signature in both German and English. This means they can be used as an authentic public document internationally too, provided the other side accepts official documents in English.
A GISA extract in English is available online via the English search, and it is possible to switch languages within the search. The English version does not translate the trade wording, because a translation could unintentionally change the scope of the authorisation.
Which data are public
Which details anyone may look up is governed by section 365e GewO, and the public search shows only these data. The distinction at a glance:
| Examples | Who receives information | |
|---|---|---|
| Public data | Name or company name, role, exact designation of the trade, location, date the licence came into being, GISA number, company register number, for persons also the date of birth | Anyone, free of charge via the GISA search |
| Data requiring a legitimate interest | Place of birth, nationality, place of residence, social security number | Only via the trade authority, with a credibly shown legitimate interest, usually in person |
The BMWET adds that the authority gives no information on data requiring a legitimate interest by phone or through other channels that cannot be authenticated. For such extracts, it is necessary to contact the district administrative authority in person. For some further data stored in GISA, the Trade Regulation Act provides for no information at all. By contrast, the Austrian Economic Chambers (WKO), as far as they need the data for their statutory tasks, and the security authorities for their tasks in security administration and criminal justice receive unrestricted information.
What a GISA extract is needed for
A GISA extract shows which trade licence a business holds, where it is registered and which trade wording it covers. That makes it suitable as proof for clients, for example in public tenders. The other way round, it helps when you meet a new business partner: the wording shows which activity the registered licence covers.
In tenders, a few details matter. If a business holds several trade licences, the extract with the wording that matches the tendered service is the one to submit. Which form the proof must take and how recent it has to be is set out in the tender documents. The officially signed extract can be retrieved again for this at any time.
Anyone who can no longer find their own Gewerbeschein can retrieve the GISA extract again free of charge at any time and save it as a PDF. For one’s own trade, a free certified extract can also be requested via the GISA procedures. Where data that are not public are concerned, such as confirmation including a place of residence, the route leads to the trade authority.
Information from the trade authority
Not every question can be settled through the public search. According to the USP, information from GISA is provided by the district administrative authority, that is the district authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft), in statutory cities the municipal authority (Magistrat) and in Vienna the municipal district office. The request for information can be made in person, in writing or electronically. No stamp duties or federal administrative fees are charged for this.
For individual requests, the trade authority offers an online web form that can be used with or without ID Austria. Under section 365e GewO, every request for information has to concern a single person or a single business.
The Trade Regulation Act allows many forms for this: a request for information can be made orally, by phone, in writing, by fax, electronically or in any other technically possible way. If an oral or telephone request does not make clear which information is wanted, the authority may ask for it in writing. For extracts containing non-public data, however, the BMWET points to the personal route to the district administrative authority, as described above.
Regional and local authorities and public-law bodies that need trade data for their statutory tasks have their own access via the Portal Austria. For trade procedures concerning one’s own trade, such as a registration or a change, GISA-Express has been available since 25 February 2026: when the applicant signs in with ID Austria or another electronic identity and all requirements are met, the requested licence or change is released without further processing and can be verified publicly in GISA straight away.
In short: looking up a trade licence in Austria works free of charge via the GISA search, by person, business or GISA number. The GISA extract carries an official signature and comes in both languages.
A business account for the registered trade
Once the trade is entered in GISA, a separate account helps to keep the business’s income and expenses apart from private money. With Vivid, sole traders (Einzelunternehmer) from Austria can open a business account, as can companies such as a GmbH and new self-employed persons (Neue Selbständige), who need no trade licence. Opening the account itself costs nothing. In brief:
Even on plans without a monthly fee, individual services can incur charges. These include additional cards, cash withdrawals above certain allowances or premium features from higher plans.
Vivid at a glance: an online business account for sole traders, new self-employed persons and companies such as a GmbH in Austria, with plans from €0 a month.
Keep business and private money apart
Open the Vivid business account online, whether for a sole trader or a GmbH.
Frequently asked questions
Where can a trade licence be looked up in Austria?
Via the free GISA search at gisa.gv.at. The search runs by person, business or GISA number, and no registration is needed.
Is the GISA search free of charge?
Yes. The Ministry of Economy provides the public data for searching free of charge, without registration.
Is the GISA extract the Gewerbeschein?
The GISA extract proves the registered trade licence, which in everyday language is often called a Gewerbeschein. After the entry, the authority sends such an extract as notice. With its official signature, it counts as an authentic public document.
What does a GISA extract contain?
Among other things, name or company name, trade wording, location, GISA number and, where applicable, the company register number. The extract from the public search contains only public data. Place of residence or social security number are not included.
Where can the GISA number be found?
In the GISA extract of the entry in question. Via the search by trade, the GISA number also leads directly to the entry; it has up to ten digits.
Is the GISA extract available in English?
Yes, via the English search. The extract carries an official signature; only the trade wording stays in German.
What if the Gewerbeschein has been lost?
Simply retrieve the GISA extract again and save it as a PDF. For one’s own trade, a free certified extract can also be requested. For data that are not public, the trade authority is responsible.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. The rules mentioned are based on the Trade Regulation Act and on information from the Ministry of Economy, the Business Service Portal, the Austrian Economic Chambers (WKO) and the GISA website; for a specific case, the trade authority is the right point of contact. Payment services are provided by Vivid Money S.A., 21 rue Glesener, Luxembourg, L-1631, Luxembourg, an Electronic Money Institution authorized and regulated by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, Luxembourg, under the register number W00000015.
