Online GmbH Formation in Austria (eGründung)
We prepare the § 9a GmbHG electronic founding for one founder who will also run the company.
- Sole shareholder and sole managing director§ 9a Abs. 1
- EUR 10,000 capital, EUR 5,000 in cash§ 9a Abs. 2
- Photo ID shown in person at the bank§ 9a Abs. 6
On the § 9a route the notarial deed goes; the bank's identity check stays.
What the § 9a route removes, and what it keeps
The simplified founding under § 9a GmbHG, which the Business Service Portal calls *eGründung*, is open to one founder only: a single natural person who is sole shareholder and sole managing director. The share capital is exactly EUR 10,000, of which EUR 5,000 is paid in cash (§ 9a Abs. 2).
It removes the notarial deed for the declaration of establishment and the certified form for the Firmenbuch (companies register) application. It keeps a bank visit: the founder is identified in person against an official photo ID. Several founders or a corporate shareholder use the notarial route, set out under forming an Austrian GmbH.
What's included
Eligibility check
We test the plan against § 9a Abs. 1 GmbHG: one natural person as sole shareholder and sole managing director. If it does not fit, we say so before anything is filed.
The declaration of establishment
We draft it to the statutory minimum plus the managing director's appointment, optionally with formation costs up to EUR 500 and a profit-appropriation clause (§ 9a Abs. 3 GmbHG).
The eGründung bank procedure
We prepare you for the Bankverfahren (bank procedure): the new account, the EUR 5,000 cash deposit, the in-person identity check, the specimen signature and the banking-secrecy release.
Electronic Firmenbuch filing
We prepare the application, filed electronically without certified form (§ 9a Abs. 5 GmbHG), while the bank's documents reach the register directly.
Who it is for
A solo founder who will also run the company
You will hold every share yourself and be the only managing director. That is the one structure § 9a Abs. 1 GmbHG admits.
A founder who wants no notarial deed
The declaration and the register filing need neither a notarial deed nor certified form. The capital deposit and the identity check still happen in person at a bank.
How the electronic founding works
The statute sets the order, not durations, so the steps carry none. The notarial route follows the GmbH formation steps instead.
Confirm eligibility
One natural person holds every share and is the sole managing director (§ 9a Abs. 1 GmbHG). With several founders or a corporate shareholder, the notarial route applies.
Open a new account
At a bank offering the Bankverfahren, EUR 5,000 is paid in cash into a newly opened account of the future shareholder and managing director (§ 9a Abs. 2, 6 GmbHG).
Identity check at the bank
The bank verifies identity by personal presentation of an official photo ID under § 6 FM-GwG, even for an existing customer, and takes the specimen signature itself (§ 9a Abs. 6).
The bank sends the file
Once released from banking secrecy, the bank sends the bank confirmation of capital, the ID copy and the specimen signature electronically to the Firmenbuch, where they count as originals (§ 9a Abs. 7–8).
Electronic declaration and filing
The declaration is made electronically, identifying the shareholder beyond doubt, with no notarial deed; the Firmenbuch application needs no certified form (§ 9a Abs. 4–5 GmbHG).
Electronic founding under § 9a GmbHG
- Confirm eligibilityOne natural person, sole shareholder and sole managing director, § 9a Abs. 1
- Open a new accountEUR 5,000 in cash into a newly opened account, § 9a Abs. 2 and 6
- Identity check at the bankOfficial photo ID in person, even for an existing customer; specimen signature, § 9a Abs. 6In person
- The bank sends the fileConfirmation, ID copy and specimen signature straight to the Firmenbuch, § 9a Abs. 7 and 8
- Electronic declaration and filingNo notarial deed, no certified form, § 9a Abs. 4 and 5
Not sure how this applies to your GmbH?
Send us your question before you commit to anything.
Documents you will need
- An official photo ID, presented in person at the bank (§ 9a Abs. 6 GmbHG)
- EUR 5,000 in cash for the newly opened account (§ 9a Abs. 2 GmbHG)
- The declaration of establishment: minimum content and the managing director's appointment
- Your specimen signature, taken by the bank itself
- Your express release of the bank from banking secrecy (§ 38 Abs. 2 Z 5 BWG)
- Proof, by type and amount, of any taxes, fees or costs paid from the deposit
- A photo ID copy of any beneficial owner domiciled abroad, uploaded through USP (§ 5 Abs. 2 WiEReG)
Notarial and electronic founding compared
The two founding routes as the GmbHG stands on 28 September 2026. Outside § 9a, the general rules decide what the minimum capital of an Austrian GmbH is.
| Step | Notarial route | Electronic route (§ 9a GmbHG) | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can use it | Any founder structure, including several founders or a corporate shareholder | One natural person, sole shareholder and sole managing director | § 9a Abs. 1 GmbHG |
| Share capital | The general capital rules of the GmbHG | Exactly EUR 10,000, of which EUR 5,000 paid in cash | § 9a Abs. 2 GmbHG |
| Founding document | Notarial deed | Declaration of establishment made electronically, identifying the shareholder beyond doubt; statutory minimum content, the managing director's appointment, optionally formation costs up to EUR 500 and a profit-appropriation clause | § 4 Abs. 3, § 9a Abs. 3–4 GmbHG |
| Firmenbuch application | Certified form | Electronic, no certified form | § 11 Abs. 1 UGB, § 9a Abs. 5 GmbHG |
| Where the cash goes | A company or managing-director account at free disposal, or a notary's escrow account | A newly opened account of the future shareholder and managing director | § 10 Abs. 2, § 9a Abs. 6 GmbHG |
| Which bank | A domestic credit institution or a CRR credit institution under § 9 BWG | A bank offering the Bankverfahren; the Business Service Portal lists eleven as of 6 September 2026: Bank Austria/UniCredit, BAWAG, BKS Bank AG, easybank, Erste Bank, Oberbank AG, Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien, Raiffeisen-Landesbank Steiermark AG, Raiffeisen Oberösterreich, Volksbank, Volkskreditbank | § 10 Abs. 2, § 9a Abs. 1 GmbHG; Business Service Portal |
| Identity | The § 9a bank check does not apply | Official photo ID presented in person at the bank, even by an existing customer; the bank takes the specimen signature | § 9a Abs. 6 GmbHG, § 6 FM-GwG |
| Proof of capital | Written confirmation of the bank or the notary, who is liable to the company for its accuracy | The bank's confirmation, ID copy and specimen signature, sent electronically straight to the Firmenbuch after release from banking secrecy; they count as originals | § 10 Abs. 3, § 9a Abs. 7–8 GmbHG; § 38 Abs. 2 Z 5 BWG |
Sources: GmbHG, consolidated text in the Austrian Federal Legal Information System (RIS); bank list from the Business Service Portal (USP), 6 September 2026. Law as at 28 September 2026.
What the § 9a route changes
Problems we solve
"No Austrian bank knows me yet"
Not every bank opens a pre-registration account for a non-resident without a relationship. The § 9a route runs through banks offering the Bankverfahren; the notarial route may use a notary's escrow account (§ 10 Abs. 2 GmbHG).
"Can the capital sit in my online account?"
Notaries often refuse a capital confirmation from an online provider, and whether an e-money institution qualifies under § 10 GmbHG is an open question. The § 9a route itself runs through a credit institution.
Ready to plan an electronic founding?
Send us your details; we set out each § 9a step and what the bank will ask for.
Why work with us
Prepared and reviewed by the gmbh-austria.com team. Updated 28 September 2026.
From our practice. What holds up a § 9a founding is rarely the declaration. It is the bank step: finding a bank that opens the new account for a founder without an Austrian banking relationship, and whether an online account can hold the capital, a confirmation notaries often refuse.
Related services
FAQ
No Austrian bank knows me yet. Can I still pay in the capital before the company exists?
Under § 9a GmbHG the cash goes into a newly opened account of the future shareholder and managing director, at a bank offering the Bankverfahren. Not every bank opens such an account for a non-resident without an existing relationship. On the notarial route, § 10 Abs. 2 GmbHG also allows payment into a notary's escrow account.
Can I pay the share capital into an online or fintech account?
The § 9a route needs a credit institution that provides the services in § 9a Abs. 6 and 7, and § 10 Abs. 2 GmbHG names a domestic credit institution or a CRR credit institution under § 9 BWG. Whether an e-money institution qualifies is an open legal question, and notaries often refuse a confirmation from an online provider.
Is the eGründung fully remote?
No. § 9a GmbHG removes the notarial deed for the declaration of establishment and the certified form for the Firmenbuch application; both are made electronically. It keeps one personal step: the bank must identify the founder against an official photo ID presented in person, even an existing customer, and take the specimen signature itself (§ 9a Abs. 6).
Can one person form a GmbH?
Yes. The § 9a route exists only for one person: a single shareholder who is a natural person and at the same time the sole managing director. The capital is exactly EUR 10,000, of which EUR 5,000 is paid in cash, and the founding document is a declaration of establishment made electronically (§ 9a Abs. 1, 2 and 4 GmbHG).
Can several founders or a company use the eGründung?
No. § 9a Abs. 1 GmbHG requires a single shareholder who is a natural person and also the sole managing director. A GmbH with two or more founders, a corporate shareholder or a managing director who is not the shareholder is formed on the notarial route, set out under forming an Austrian GmbH.
How much share capital does the eGründung require?
Exactly EUR 10,000, of which EUR 5,000 is paid in cash (§ 9a Abs. 2 GmbHG). The cash goes into a newly opened account of the future shareholder and managing director. If taxes, fees or costs have been paid out of the deposited amount, that must be proved by type and amount.
Which banks offer the eGründung bank procedure?
The Business Service Portal lists eleven as of 6 September 2026: Bank Austria/UniCredit, BAWAG, BKS Bank AG, easybank, Erste Bank, Oberbank AG, Raiffeisenlandesbank Niederösterreich-Wien, Raiffeisen-Landesbank Steiermark AG, Raiffeisen Oberösterreich, Volksbank and Volkskreditbank. Each opens the new account and sends its confirmation, the ID copy and the specimen signature straight to the Firmenbuch.
Can a FlexCo be formed the same way?
Yes. § 4 FlexKapGG expressly refers to § 9a GmbHG, so a FlexCo can use the same simplified founding. The conditions are those of § 9a: one natural person as sole shareholder and sole managing director, a newly opened bank account, and the in-person identity check at the bank.
What does the bank confirmation prove?
The written bank confirmation is the mandatory proof that the cash has been paid in, and the confirming bank is liable to the company for its accuracy (§ 10 Abs. 3 GmbHG). On the § 9a route the bank sends it, with the ID copy and the specimen signature, straight to the Firmenbuch, where these documents count as originals.
What is the official business register in Austria?
The Firmenbuch, the Austrian companies register kept by the registry courts. On the § 9a route the application to the Firmenbuch is filed electronically and needs no certified form (§ 9a Abs. 5 GmbHG), and the bank transmits its confirmation, the ID copy and the specimen signature to the register directly.
What goes into the declaration of establishment?
Only the statutory minimum content plus the appointment of the managing director. Optionally, it may provide for reimbursement of formation costs up to EUR 500 and include a profit-appropriation clause (§ 9a Abs. 3 GmbHG). It needs no notarial deed: it is made electronically, in a way that identifies the shareholder beyond doubt (§ 9a Abs. 4).
Can I use my existing account at the bank?
No. § 9a Abs. 6 GmbHG speaks of payment into a newly opened account of the future shareholder and managing director. Being a customer already does not shorten the identity check either: the bank must verify identity by personal presentation of an official photo ID under § 6 FM-GwG, even for existing customers.
Does a beneficial owner living abroad need to do anything extra?
Yes. For a beneficial owner with no Austrian domicile, the company must also upload a copy of an official photo ID through the Business Service Portal (§ 5 Abs. 2 WiEReG). Banks are obliged entities under § 9 WiEReG and can query the beneficial owners register themselves.
Want the § 9a steps set out for you?
Send your plan, or write to info@gmbh-austria.com; we reply with what the electronic founding requires.