Austria's 2026 Insurance Intermediary Regulation introduces updated qualification paths for agents, brokers and wealth advisers
A brand-new regulation (Versicherungsvermittlungs-Verordnung 2026) replaces the 2010 rules and sets out exactly how insurance agents, brokers, and wealth advisers who also sell insurance must prove their qualifications to operate in Austria. It entered into force on 23 July 2026.
What changed
The 2010 Insurance Intermediary Regulation is repealed and replaced in full. Three routes to qualification now exist: (1) passing the statutory aptitude exam, (2) documented uninterrupted practical experience — generally three years (or two years if a recognised prior qualification is held), or (3) a relevant university-level degree of at least 60 ECTS (with at least 30 ECTS in legal and insurance subjects) combined with three years of supervised practical experience.
Who is affected
Anyone wishing to start working as an insurance agent (Versicherungsagent), insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler), or as a wealth adviser (Gewerbliche Vermögensberatung) who also intermediates life or accident insurance in Austria. Employees directly involved in selling insurance products must additionally hold appropriate training, such as the BÖV field-service certificate.
Key thresholds and limits
Practical experience must be full-time (or equivalent accumulated part-time hours) and must cover insurance contract law, intermediary law, and the main insurance branches. Crucially, the experience must not have ended more than ten years before the date of application. Teaching roles do not count as qualifying experience. Restricted or ancillary activities require only a narrower exam limited to general insurance basics and the relevant branch.
Transitional provisions
All certificates issued under the predecessor regulations of 2003 and 2010 remain fully valid and are automatically recognised under the new framework without any need to re-qualify.