12 ways Vienna supports international businesses
Relocating a team, opening a new office, or scaling into a new city can be daunting, requiring a series of steps to acquire permits, establish legal structures, identify funding, find premises, hire people and meet the right partners. Vienna supports international businesses both with practical, hands-on advice for navigating the bureaucracy while also providing long-term business environment advantages.
This helps international companies reduce complexity and move faster. You can start exploring Vienna’s business landscape right here on ViennaBusiness, where you will find pages that provide overviews of key sectors. And when you’re ready to take the next step, here are 12 concrete ways Vienna directly supports international businesses.
You are moving to Vienna for a job and need a residence and work permit? The Business Immigration Office provides confidential, independent, cost-free consultations. It supports both individual international professionals and their family members, as well as companies hiring international specialists and executives. Not sure whether to apply for the Red-White-Red Card or EU Blue Card, a special settlement permit for researchers or artists, residence permits for self-employed persons or temporary permits such as ICT/Mobile ICT or that for seconded employees? No problem. Reach out to the Business Immigration Office at the Vienna Business Agency and book an in-person or online appointment.
Relocation works best when everyday life works – especially for families. The Vienna Business Agency’s Expat Center offers cost-free consultations for internationals relocating to Vienna, expats already living here, and HR teams supporting expat employees. Guidance spans living and working in Vienna, referrals to key institutions, and information on childcare, schools, taxes, residence permits, and housing. When needed, the team connects you with experienced partners such as lawyers and tax advisors that speak your language. The Expat Guide complements this with a practical online handbook for internationals moving to the city.
International talent retention is easier when people feel connected. The Expat Club, a service of the Vienna Business Agency, is a network for international professionals to meet, socialise, and discover the Viennese lifestyle in an informal setting. Founded in 2014, it has grown to 2,800 enthusiastic members. The club meets regularly and organises various free-of-charge events, company visits, and outings across the city. For newcomers, it is a fast way to build a local network.
Setting up a company involves many moving parts – especially across borders. The Vienna Business Agency provides personalized support for international startups and companies of all sizes and industries until the business is settled, with cost-free consultations in multiple languages. Support covers founding and company types, tax and residence law, and business location search for offices or commercial spaces, including help with meeting rooms in the startup phase. In 2024, this service helped 218 companies settle in Vienna. Vienna believes in human support for human beings, so do reach out today.
Businesses move faster when they can speak to someone who understands the local landscape. The Vienna Business Agency provides cost-free expert consultations for startups and companies on founding, expansion, location, and network contact. Experts can help you navigate your sector in Vienna and connect you with suitable partners and key contacts. Formats include founder and startup coaching, growth and expansion consultations, innovation consultations (technology and creative industries), sustainability consultations, business location consultations and more. In 2024, almost 8,400 consultations at the Vienna Business Agency supported entrepreneurs and companies.
Vienna-based companies can apply for Vienna Business Agency funding programmes to realise novel development proposals (not day-to-day operating costs). Funding supports projects related to digitalisation, neighbourhood business, research and development, the media, business locations, or internationalisation. In 2024, almost 1,500 projects were funded. If your proposal pursues climate and environmental objectives or promotes employment, diversity, or digitalisation in Vienna, it can earn additional points in the assessment. Good to know: funding experts help identify the most suitable opportunity for your idea or project, so do get in touch with them before you apply!
A strong ecosystem is built through shared learning and the right connections. The Vienna Business Agency offers more than 200 free workshops, coachings, and networking events for founders, covering essential founding topics plus financing, marketing, law, and impact. Programmes also pick up current trends, including AI and food innovation. Structured formats include the Founders Lab (63 founding projects supported) and the Growth Lab focused on international scaling for Viennese startups. Check out Vienna Business Agency events here or, for a broader list of international, English-language business events taking place in Vienna, have a look at the ViennaBusiness event calendar.
For successful companies, talent is make-or-break. Vienna’s excellent educational system, including internationally attractive tertiary education programmes in English, creates a strong talent pipeline across industries. The HTL system (Higher Level Technical Schools) combines general education with higher-level vocational training in fields from engineering and computer science to design, film, robotics, biomedicine, cybersecurity, coding & AI. Vienna is also one of Europe’s great university cities, with 25 public universities plus private universities, universities of applied sciences, and colleges of education – supported by over 200,000 students and around 50,000 researchers. In other words, Vienna has a strong, well-traveled and multilingual talent pipeline.
Searching for the right space in Vienna? The Vienna Business Agency supports you in the search with production, laboratory research and commercial premises, so you can move from setup to operations with fewer delays. Vienna Business Agency experts can consult on finding premises to rent or buy in general, while also developing special use premises for the city. These include the Startup Labs at ViennaBioCenter (fully equipped, affordable lab spaces in a leading life sciences cluster), the Technology Centre Seestadt (flexible space concepts and a community for technology businesses), and Gewerbehof Seestadt (an all-in-one solution for artisans, manufacturers, office work, and stock). The focus is on affordability, suitability, strong infrastructure, prime locations, and short distances between home and work.
Vienna’s research environment is not incidental—it is the result of sustained investment. Over the past 15 years, the number of workers in Vienna’s R&D sector increased by more than 50%, placing the city 4th in Europe by share of R&D personnel. In 2021, Vienna counted 51,124 R&D personnel (35% of Austria’s total) and a research quota of 4.04%. That same year, Vienna hosted 1,700 research sites (31% of Austria’s total) and accounted for 31% of national R&D spending: €4.1 billion of €13.2 billion. Read the City of Vienna’s latest R&D report to learn more.
International growth depends on talent attraction – and retention. Vienna combines great beauty and cultural richness with liveability: around 50% of the city’s area is green, and 63 kilometres of waterfront (including the Danube) expand everyday options for leisure and sport. The public transport network is extensive, reliable and affordable. For families, the City of Vienna subsidises 100% of kindergarten tuition fees for both public and private kindergartens, while parents typically only pay for additional costs such as meals and optional special programmes. Learn more about what makes Vienna great for expats here.
ViennaUP is one of Europe’s largest startup events and the biggest decentralised startup festival, initiated by the Vienna Business Agency and hosted by ViennaBusiness. Ranked in 2025 among the five best European startup events according to StartupBlink, ViennaUP is a one-stop-shop for founders, investors and others interested in meeting the local and international innovation community. The format is designed to feel inspiring, accessible, and authentic for visitors – new and returning alike. Participants are invited to challenge boundaries, share breakthrough insights, and dive deep into Vienna’s diverse startup ecosystem. If you’re trying to decide whether Vienna is a great fit for you, this festival is an excellent way to learn more.
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