01
Ownership and beneficial owners
Prepare a clear ownership chart and the information required for professional KYC and beneficial-owner checks.
International buyer pathway
International ownership is only one part of operational readiness.
The relevant path depends on the buyer, beneficial owners, proposed management, intended activity, banking context and any regulated-trade or immigration requirements.
This preview intentionally avoids categorical nationality, residence, work-permit or remote-signing claims until reviewed for the specific scenario.
Can a non-resident buy and manage an Austrian GmbH?
International ownership of an Austrian GmbH is common, and general company law does not make Austrian residence a condition of being a managing director. But ownership, commercial-law management, trade-law management, tax substance and any residence or work authorisation are five separate questions, each decided by a different body of rules.
The practical answer therefore depends on who is buying, who will manage the company, what the company will do and where it will genuinely be managed from. Those questions are assessed together, before a company is selected.
No categorical rule about nationality, residence, work authorisation or remote signing is published on this website. Each conclusion requires Austrian legal, tax and, where relevant, immigration advice for the specific case.02
Management roles
Commercial-law management, trade-law management, tax substance and immigration or work authorization are distinct questions and should be assessed separately.
03
Banking after a change of control
An existing account does not remove the bank’s independent KYC, signatory and approval process.
04
Remote or in-person execution
The available method depends on the transaction, identification, documents and the coordinating professional’s requirements.
Your Austrian adviser
Direct access
Speak to a consultant before you commit.
A first conversation is about business fit: what the company has to do, when it has to start, who will own and manage it, and whether acquiring an existing GmbH is genuinely the better route for you.
What the first conversation covers
- Intended business activity and start window
- Ownership, management and residence context
- Whether an existing company beats a new formation
- Which company attributes are genuinely required
- How the cost would be composed for your case
What it never asks for
- Passports or identity documents
- Source-of-funds evidence
- Any document upload on this public website