Registering as sex worker differs from federal state to federal state. Here is a short overview if you have to do the registration yourself, or if the brothel owner has to do it.
In Vienna and Burgenland you are responsible to register yourself at the appropriate authority before you start work.
In Upper Austria (Oberösterreich), Lower Austria (Niederösterreich), Carinthia (Kärnten), Tyrol (Tirol), Styria (Steiermark) and Salzburg it is the brothel owners responsibility to register you before you start working.
As part of the registration, you also have to do a health check. You will be checked for diseases like syphilis, gonorrhoea, HIV and tuberculosis. If everything is ok, you will get a health book (Gesundenbuch) (also known as a control card (Kontrollkarte), green card (grüne Karte) or ‘Deckel’).
You have to have the health book (Gesundenbuch) with you while working. The health check-ups are mandatory every 6 to 12 weeks. If the police come to check, the health book proves that you are legally working as a sex worker and that you have had regular health check-ups.
If you are moving or continue work at a different location, you have to register at the appropriate authority. You also have to inform them of any other changes (for example, a new last name because of marriage).
You have to de-register if you stop working as a sex worker.
Once you register as sex worker, you must then register at the finance department and with the social insurance. You have one month to do this, and this is because a sex worker working in Austria is legally seen as ‘self-employed’.
