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Guide

Social insurance for the self-employed in Austria (SVS)

If you are self-employed in Austria, your social-security cover runs through the SVS under the GSVG rules — health, pension and accident insurance, plus a retirement provision. It is separate from income tax, and it is worth budgeting for from day one.

What the SVS is

The SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen) is the social-insurance institution for the self-employed, operating under the GSVG (the trade social-insurance act). It covers health insurance, pension insurance and accident insurance, and collects the self-employment provision. Whether you run a licensed trade (Gewerbe) or work as a Neue Selbständige, this is where your contributions go — entirely separate from the income tax you settle with the tax office.

The contribution rates

SVS contributions are calculated as a percentage of your contribution base (Beitragsgrundlage), which is derived from your profit — plus one fixed amount:

  • Health insurance (Krankenversicherung): 6.80%
  • Pension insurance (Pensionsversicherung): 18.50%
  • Self-employment provision (Selbständigenvorsorge): 1.53%
  • Accident insurance (Unfallversicherung): a fixed €12.95 per month (about €155 per year), regardless of profit

Added up, the percentage part comes to roughly 26.83% of profit, on top of the fixed accident amount. A useful rule of thumb is to set aside a bit more than a quarter of your profit for the SVS alone — before income tax.

Minimum and maximum contribution base

Contributions do not scale without limit. There is a minimum contribution base, so very low profits still attract a minimum contribution, and a maximum contribution base (the Höchstbeitragsgrundlage), above which no further contributions accrue. Both limits are set per year and rise over time, so check the current figures for the year you are budgeting.

In the first years, the SVS bills provisional contributions on a minimum basis and later reconciles them against your assessed profit. That reconciliation usually produces a back-payment — plan for it so it does not catch you out.

The Neue Selbständige

A large group of independent workers — many creative, scientific, teaching and expert roles — need no trade licence and count as Neue Selbständige. They do not appear in the GISA trade register, but they still register with the SVS and pay contributions once their income passes the relevant threshold, and they report the activity directly to the tax office. Our guide to registering as self-employed covers which track applies to you.

Estimate your contributions

To put rough numbers to your own profit, use the SVS contribution calculator. Because SVS contributions are largely deductible before income tax, it also helps to look at income tax in Austria alongside it.

Frequently asked questions

What does the SVS cover?

The SVS (Sozialversicherung der Selbständigen) is the social-insurance body for self-employed people in Austria. It covers health insurance, pension insurance and accident insurance, and it collects the self-employment provision (Selbständigenvorsorge). It is separate from income tax, which the tax office handles.

How much are SVS contributions?

Contributions are a percentage of your contribution base: 6.80% for health insurance, 18.50% for pension insurance and 1.53% for the self-employment provision, plus a fixed accident-insurance amount of €12.95 per month. Together the percentage part is roughly 26.83% of profit, on top of the fixed accident amount.

What is the Neue Selbständige category?

Neue Selbständige are self-employed people whose work needs no trade licence (Gewerbeschein) — many creative, scientific, teaching and expert activities. They still register with the SVS and pay contributions once their income crosses the relevant threshold, and they report their activity to the tax office directly.

Why do the first years often bring a back-payment?

In the early years the SVS charges provisional contributions on a minimum basis because your actual profit is not yet assessed. Once the tax office finalises your profit, the SVS reconciles the difference — which usually means a back-payment. Setting money aside from the start avoids a surprise.

General information, not individual advice — rates and contribution-base limits change yearly, so confirm current figures with the SVS. For your own case, consult a Steuerberater (tax adviser). Sources: SVS, WKO, USP.