Austrian Company Name Rules – Free Guide | Miglena Hofer Consulting
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Before you register your Austrian company,
make sure your name actually qualifies.

Most founders spend weeks on a name — only to find out at submission that it doesn't meet Austrian law. This free guide tells you exactly what's allowed.

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Registering an Austrian company is already complex enough.

  • You found a name you love — but have no idea if it's legal. Austrian company name rules are strict, specific, and almost entirely in German. Most online sources are outdated, vague, or flatly wrong.
  • A rejection from the company register costs you weeks. You'll have to start the process over — with a new name, new documents, and more fees. It happens more often than you'd think.
  • There's no single reliable source in English. You've googled it. You've asked in expat groups. You still don't know if "International" is allowed, or whether your brand name counts as misleading. This guide answers that.

Everything you need to know about Austrian company names — in plain English.

No legalese. No German. Just the rules that matter, explained so you can actually act on them.

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The 3 core legal requirements

Every Austrian company name must pass three tests. Find out what they are — and how to check if yours does.

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Words you cannot use

Terms like "Bank," "Versicherung," "Austria," "International," and others are restricted by law. See the full list — and the exceptions.

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Required legal suffixes

GmbH, FlexCo, OG, KG — every structure requires a specific suffix. Know which one belongs to your company before you file.

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How to check for conflicts

The register only checks locally. You need to run your own trademark and trade-name checks — we tell you exactly where and how.

What makes a name valid

Examples of valid vs. invalid names, so you can test your own idea against real-world cases before submitting.

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Tips from 10 years in practice

What the official guides don't tell you — practical insights from a consultant who has navigated this process dozens of times.

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Hi, I'm Miglena.

I've spent 10 years helping international founders navigate the Austrian business system — the part that's opaque, bureaucratic, and frankly designed to confuse people who didn't grow up here.

I have two law degrees, I've founded 3 businesses myself, and I've personally walked the same path my clients are on. I know what the system actually looks like from the inside — and I built this guide so you don't have to figure it out alone.

10+ Years in Austria
50+ 5-star reviews
2 Law degrees

You're not the first international founder to feel out of your depth here.

★★★★★ 50+ verified 5-star reviews on Google
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"We hired Miglena to set up both our companies in Vienna and she supported us from A to Z, making things clear and understandable — this is rare in Austria! Her ability to navigate the bureaucratic system and not giving up upon challenging institutions makes it even more worth working with her."

Alion Caci Crossroads Media GmbH & Balo Flexco
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"Miglena is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and kind — exactly what you need when setting up a business in a new country! You'll have enough on your plate as a new business owner, and it feels so nice to just hand over this type of stress to someone much better equipped to deal with it."

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