FAQs for Trade Enquires

1. I would like to sell my products in Austria. How should I go about it?

Please fill up the form under this link https://forms.gle/RYSYGUS82126hDZg9 or write us an e-mail on comm.vienna[at]mea.gov.in detailing the products you wish to sell with a small company writeup complete with contact details, including postal address, etc. Upon receipt of this email the Mission will send a response with company lists.

2.  Where can I find a comprehensive guide with the rules and regulation and further information about exporting to Austria?

Under the link below you shall find a comprehensible first steps guide to the Austrian Market including ‘Market and Customer’ information, ‘Sales, Distribution and Transport’, ‘Import Regulations Laws’ as well.

http://www.advantageaustria.org/international/zentral/business-guide-oesterreich/exportieren-nach-oesterreich.en.html

3.Are there any Business Directories in Austria?

Business directories are offered by several publishers allowing online queries, some gratis some with charges. Please note that the addresses found through these platforms are not endorsed by our Mission in as far as their reliability is concerned. Financial information and Credit Ratings can be requested directly from your business partner in Austria.

 

4.Where can I find major information about Trade Fairs in Austria?

Visiting and exhibiting at Trade Fairs is especially important for market entry.  More information about the organizers and locations can be found at http://messen-austria.at. Shall you require any information further about a specific trade fair, please get in contact with us.

5. Are there any commercial agents/ consultants in Austria whom I can approach and can further get help to explore various opportunities in Austria?

If you are looking for sales representatives in Austria, please refer to the database http://register.handelsagenten.at/en/branchensuche.html of the Austrian Association of Commercial Agents.

We have also prepared a list of Consultants in Austria. They have been active in assisting companies of both the countries to find the right business partner. If you require this list, please send us am email on comm.vienna[at]mea.gov.in

6.Where can I get information if I am looking to various investment opportunities in Austria?

If you require information on Investing in Austria, please refer to the government operated consulting firm ‘ABA’ the Austrian Business Agency under http://aba.gv.at/EN/Home/ABA-Invest+in+Austria.aspx.  ABA is the first business address for international investors seeking information in the business location Austria.

7.Is there any platform where I can get information about India-Specific Business Opportunities?

The Austrian Trade Commission in India maintains a list of current business opportunities that are either ‘offered’ or ‘wanted’ online at https://www.advantageaustria.org/in/en/search/partners?industry%5B%5D=1085-7&query=

8. I am looking for Austrian products to import to India; please give me contacts of Austrian Chamber of Commerce.

Please fill up the form under this link https://forms.gle/RYSYGUS82126hDZg9 or write us an e-mail on comm.vienna[at]mea.gov.in detailing the products you wish to sell with a small company writeup complete with contact details, including postal address, etc. Upon receipt of this email the Mission will send a response with company lists.

Furthermore, you may also wish to contact the Austrian Commercial Section in India. Their contact details are:

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA New Delhi 66, Sunder Nagar
New Delhi -110 003, India

Tel: +91 11 4363 5020
Fax: +91 11 4363 5026

Email: newdelhi[at]advantageaustria.org
Web: www.advantageaustria.org/in

9. What are the customs and duty rates in Austria?

Austria refers to European directives on packaging, import regulations and customs duties. In general, European Union regulations are principally quite liberal. Austria is liable to the common tariffs of the EU.

For information on how to export to the European Union (EU) please access to the website of the Export Helpdesk of the European Commission: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/tradehelp/ The Export Helpdesk is an online service to facilitate market access to the European Union.

 

10. I would like to make a Joint Venture with anAustrian company. Who should I contact?

For the creation of joint ventures, you may wish to seek advice from the Austrian Commercial Section in India. Their contact details are:

ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA New Delhi
66, Sunder Nagar
New Delhi 110 003
India

Tel: +91 11 4363 5020
Fax: +91 11 4363 5026

Email: newdelhi[at]advantageaustria.org
Web: www.advantageaustria.org/in

11. I would like to have detailed statistics of Austria. How do I get these?

Statistics of Austria may be accessed from a number of websites:

  • The Statistic Austria Office http://www.statistik-austria.at/ provides statistics on different sectors of Austria.
  • The Austrian national Bank https://www.oenb.at/en/ provides latest FDI figures to and from Austria.
  • India- Austria bilateral trade
  • Other trade-related statistics websites:

-Trade Map: https://trademap.org/Index.aspx 
-Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database,http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/newxtweb/

 

12.I would like to check the credentials of a potential business partner. How should I go about it? 

First and foremost, it is mandatory for each company in Austria to register with their Provincial Chamber of Commerce in their respective states in Austria. Please write an email to comm.vienna[at]mea.gov.in giving the name and contact details of the company. Our Mission will run the query through the Federal/ Provincial Chamber of Commerce in Austria and get back to you at the earliest.

GISA queries

Since May 2018, the Austrian Business Licence Information System's (GISA) searches have been free of charge and do not require registration.The Austrian Business Licence Information System (Gewerbeinformationssystem Austria – GISA) contains the most important business-related data of all commercial operations established in Austria. In GISA, interested users may obtain information by rapid and simple means, in particular the name and/or business name, location and wording of the business licence of a commercial entity. Currently GISA is the only authentic source of information for data of individual businesses, which are not included in the companies register.

GISA queries are free of charge and require no registration. Both the search queries and the excerpts are available in German and English. For more information kindly visit: https://www.bmdw.gv.at/en/Topics/Enterprise/GISA--Austrian-Business-Licence-Information-System-/GISA-procedures.html

Commercial register query

The general ledger is kept by storing the entries in a central database, the so-called commercial register database in the Federal Computing Center in Vienna.Public access to this database is carried out on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Justice through so-called clearing houses.

More information on : https://www.justiz.gv.at/html/default/2c9484852308c2a601240b693e1c0860.de.html

List of Clearing houses as given on the Federal ministry of Justice can be found under: https://www.justiz.gv.at/home/e-justice/verrechnungsstellen795.de.html

13. What is a Cyber-fraud and how to avoid becoming a victim?

Embassy of India, Vienna has in past received cases of cyber-fraud. In these cases, a hacker mediates business correspondence between the legitimate Buyer and Seller, then acting on behalf of the selling company instructs the Buyer to make payment to a new bank account, mentioning various reasons. Once the payment is done, the fraudsters either transfer the payment to various other bank accounts or takes it out in cash within short notice from the local bank office. By the time the fraud is exposed, usually the money has already disappeared. Unfortunately, in this case a quick action by the Police is necessary to freeze the fraudulent bank account for any hope of recovery.

To avoid becoming a victim to a cyber-fraud, it is recommended to:

  • make sure that the password to your email account is regularly modified;
  • business deals through email should be backed up with documents, phone calls, meetings, etc. especially when dealing with a new business partner;
  • take clear note of the bank accounts of the business partner, and should there be a sudden change, a second confirmation through telephone and other means is advisable;
  • ask the bank for verification of the given bank account;
  • notify the Embassy asap, so that it may forward the complaint for an early Policeintervention

14.  A Cyber-fraud has happened. My company was tricked to make the bank transfer to a false bank account. How can you help?

  • Please notify your bank, so that it can contact the other bank in SWIFT message to take action. 
  • In such cases however only the police can order the bank to freeze the given bank account. Therefore it is best that the Cyber Crime Department of your area in India and the Financial Intelligence Unit- India is contacted, which in turn will contact the Austrian Police Authority which shall refer the case to the bank involved. The FIU can order the bank to freeze the account for two days allowing police to ask the bank to freeze the account another two days pending investigation. 
  • Please make sure you provide full company credentials to the authorities substantiating your claim. However immediate action is required, as the fraudsters take the money as soon as possible. Please note, that as the strict privacy law does not allow any data from bank account holders to be given by banks, only the police can take appropriate action, once the facts have been established. 
  • You can also contact the Austrian Federal Criminal Police Office under intimation to our office. Their contact details are:

Bundeskriminalamt
Meldestelle Geldwäsche
Josef Holaubek-Platz 1
1090 Wien
E-Mail: A-FIU[at]bmi.gv.at

Your request must contain the following:

  • Official claiming letter that the company wants its money back
  • Bank account number to which the money should be transferred
  • Request for unfreezing and transfer back of the money
  • The official letter has to have an official signature and should contain the attachment document certifying that the person represents the company (i.e. certification of registration by the Registrar of companies, official company details by Registrar of companies, Signature specimen, etc.).
  • The official number of the police procedure.


Embassy of India Vienna, Austria