Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Markets

Exporting from the UK to Austria: A market guide

Overview

Austria is situated in the heart of Europe. One of Europe’s wealthiest nations, Austria is a promising market for UK companies, especially for high quality products or services.

Trade statistics

£3.6 billion total UK exports to Austria for the four quarters to the end of Q1 2024

(Source: ONS UK total trade: all countries, seasonally adjusted
Last updated: July 2024)

35th largest UK export market

(Source: ONS UK total trade: all countries, seasonally adjusted
Last updated: July 2024)

0.4% of total UK exports for the four quarters to the end of Q1 2024

(Source: ONS UK total trade: all countries, seasonally adjusted
Last updated: July 2024)

Gateway to central and eastern Europe

Austria is a landlocked country in central Europe, sharing borders with 8 countries. Its location and excellent distribution, logistic and service links make it an ideal place to access the markets of central and eastern Europe.

Consumer market

If your product or service is successful in the UK, there’s a good chance of success in Austria too. It’s a similar market to the UK with similar business risks and requirements.

Top five UK goods exported to Austria , in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2024

Goods Value (£ million )
Cars 273.8
Specialised machinery (capital) 111.5
Medicinal & pharmaceutical products 84.4
Non-ferrous metals 77.2
Mechanical power generators (intermediate) 76.9

Source: ONS Trade in goods: country-by-commodity exports
Last updated: September 2024
Download the latest trade and investment factsheet for Austria.

Top five UK services exported to Austria , in the four quarters to the end of Q1 2024

Service Value (£ million )
Other Business Services 832.0
Travel 281.0
Telecommunications, computer and information services 220.0
Transportation 145.0
Financial 138.0

Source: ONS UK trade in services: service type by partner country, non-seasonally adjusted
Last updated: July 2024
Download the latest trade and investment factsheet for Austria.

Austria: at a glance

Economic growth

4.8%

Actual figure (IMF, 2022)
The UK is 4.1% (IMF, 2022, actual figure)

GDP per capita

$52,192

Actual figure (IMF, 2022)
The UK is $45,461 (IMF, 2022, projected figure)

Currency

Euro

Business language

German

You may need a translator

Time zone

GMT +1

Want to see more on Austria? Sign up for additional market data, content specific to your product or sector and to compare Austria side by side with other markets.

Opportunities for exporters

There are opportunities for UK companies across a broad range of industries. Our trade advisers in Austria have identified particular opportunities for UK businesses in the following sectors:

Check for trade barriers

Trade barriers, such as tariffs or taxes, can raise costs, cause delays, or even stop you from exporting. Check for any issues that may impact your business when exporting.

See current trade barriers

See resolved trade barriers

Check duties and customs

Find information on how to export goods from the UK. View the duties, rules, restrictions, and the documents you need for your products.

See current duties and customs procedures

Doing business in Austria

Preparing to export

Taxation

The UK and Austria have signed a double taxation agreement, meaning the same income is not taxed twice.

UK companies operating in Austria are subject to local taxation. Corporate income tax is 25%. Read more about tax in Austria.

VAT

If you’re registered for VAT in the UK, it may be possible to zero-rate the goods you export to Austria, provided certain conditions are met.

The general VAT rate in Austria is 20% for most manufactured goods and services. A lower rate of 10% is levied on food, agricultural products, property rents, and some other items.

Labelling

Product labels must be in German. There are specific labelling rules for:

  • certain genetically modified foodstuffs
  • alcoholic beverages over 1.2% by volume
  • allergens for foodstuffs and beverages

A mark of origin (‘Made in’) label is essential.

Services regulations

Information on rules for selling services and business travel to Austria is available on gov.uk.

Trade barriers

Check for any reported barriers to trading with Austria.

Report any trade barriers that are affecting your business so we can help fix them.

Operating in Austria

Intellectual property

Intellectual property (IP) rights are territorial and rights granted in the UK do not provide protection elsewhere. You should consider getting IP protection abroad if you want to trade overseas or sell to overseas customers via the internet.

The Intellectual Property Office provides practical information to help you protect, manage and enforce your IP abroad. Further support for British businesses can be found through a network of IP attachés, based in key UK export markets.

Payment terms

Customers in Austria may require credit terms to buy your products and services. Payment conditions must be factored into prices. For business-to-business transactions these can range from payment on receipt of goods (often with a small discount) to a negotiated 60-day payment. Late payment interest can be claimed.

Challenges

Some Austrian companies prefer to buy locally, so UK companies should think about what is unique about their product or service in advance.

Next steps

Contact us

Get ready to do business abroad

Step-by-step lessons to accelerate your exporting ability.

Read more
Contact us

Find the answers to your exporting questions

Get instant help from our online services and how-to articles or contact our Export Support Service to access our wider network of support.

Find answers

Something went wrong. Please try again.

Was this page useful?

Thanks for letting us know

Can you tell us why this page was useful?

Do not share any personal or commercially sensitive information.

Cancel

Thanks for letting us know

Can you tell us more about your feedback?

Do not share any personal or commercially sensitive information.

Cancel

Thanks for your feedback