Export Control

Export control authority

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy and its Export Control as a central licensing authority is responsible for the administrative execution of the federal export control policy. The Subject of the Export Control are commodities of military goods, mainly weapons and ammunition, armaments and dual-use items.

The legal basis for export control are the Foreign Trade Act 2011 and the Act on War Material. The military goods which are controlled are defined on the one hand by the Austrian Regulation on Foreign Trade along with its addenda, which in turn are based on the "Wassenaarcontrol" and the EU-list of military goods and the UN Firearms Protocol.

The process of deciding whether a permit can be issued, involves several stages, with other ministries also being involved as part of a consultation process, e.g. the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of European and International Affairs and the Ministry for Defence.

Depending on which procedure was requested, the duration of the processing by the authority changes. Therefore, applications to Export Control should be submitted early to avoid waiting times.

Contact

Division V/2 Export Control: exportkontrolle@bmaw.gv.at