Mountain and ski guides are people who, in return for payment, guide or accompany mountain and ski tours including in particular rock and ice tours and high alpine ski tours. The professional practice of this activity requires an authorisation. It may only be awarded to natural persons.

Note:
alternatively, your Member State of origin can provide recognition  by means of the European Professional Card (EPC).

• Nationality:
  • Austria;
  • EU Member State;
  • EEA Contracting State;
  • third country if according to European Union law or on the basis of an international treaty the same rights of access to the profession are to be granted as to nationals;
• age of majority;
• reliability: impeccable record;
• medical fitness;
• professional qualification:
  • by successfully passing the mountain and ski guide examination;
    • only persons who can prove their mountaineering and skiing skills (reports on the tours carried out in the last 2 years) are permitted to train as mountain and ski guides;
    • training is divided into a rock course, an ice course and a winter course, with the courses each comprising a theoretical and a practical part. Note: for more detailed information on training, please contact the competent authority.
  • by successfully passing the ski guide examination in accordance with the Styrian Ski School Law and successfully passing the preliminary examinations and the official partial examinations of the rock and ice courses.

Note: training courses and examinations at institutions of the Federation, of a province or of the Austrian Mountain and Ski Guide Association are deemed equivalent to a mountain and ski guide training course and examination, where the subject matter (examination material) corresponds to the subjects (examination subject matter) of the mountain and ski guide training and where the age of majority and proof of sufficient mountaineering and skiing knowledge are required for admission to the training course.

The authorities are obliged to issue the decision whithin six months after the application has been received. If the authority fails to decide within the specified deadline, you have the option of a " Säumnisbeschwerde" . This Säumnisbeschwerde" must include the name of the authority whose decision is pending. Additionally, the letter must state the request and provide evidence that the decision deadline of the authority has expired.

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The application must be submitted in writing. The application must be accompanied by the necessary supporting documents to prove the personal requirements. If all documents have been submitted to the authority and the personal requirements are met, notification will be sent of the granting of the authorisation. The mountain and ski guide will then be registered in the mountain and ski guide register.

If the authority has received all the documents and does not make a decision within a period of 3 months, the application is deemed to be approved (assumption of approval). This is not the case if the applicant was informed of an extension of the deadline by the authority in good time.

However, the assumption of approval can only occur if:

• an authorised recipient is given in Austria, or;
• there is a delivery point in Austria, or;
• there is registration with the delivery service pursuant to Section 33 of the Service of Documents Act, or;
• an electronic delivery address and a password were given in the procedure.

Note: the authority is obliged to issue a written confirmation of assumption of approval.

Proof of personal requirements, in particular:

• proof of nationality (for Austrians: proof of nationality, birth certificate or valid travel document);
• medical certificate;
• proof of professional qualifications:
  • by successfully passing the mountain and ski guide examination or;
  • by successfully passing the ski guide examination in accordance with the Styrian Ski School Law and successfully passing the preliminary examinations and the official partial examinations of the rock and ice courses.

1. APPLICATION FEE
   A fee of EUR 14.30 is payable for the submission of the application. A fee of EUR 47.30 is payable for applications for the granting of an authorisation or the recognition of a qualification or other legal requirement to start gainful employment.
2. ENCLOSURE FEE
   A fee is payable for each enclosure to be attached to the application. This amounts to EUR 3.90 per A3 sheet*. If the enclosure is larger than an A3 sheet, the fee per sheet of paper is EUR 7.20. The fee cannot exceed EUR 21.80.
   * The law uses the term 'sheet', which is paper whose page size does not exceed twice 210 mm x 297 mm in one or both directions.
3. PROVINCIAL COMMISSION FEE 
   If official acts of the authorities outside the Office are required for the processing of the application, a commission fee must be paid. The amount of the commission fee is as follows for each half hour or part thereof per participating official body:
   • for official acts from the district administrative authorities: EUR 17.00
   • for official acts from other authorities of the province: EUR 24.90

• §§ 3, 4, 10 Abs. 2  Berg- und Schiführergesetz 1976

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I have noted that the data provided by me, as well as any data received by the administration over the course of the preliminary investigation, will be automatically processed as per article 6, para. 1 lit. c and e of the General Data Protection Regulation in accordance with the underlying material laws of the legal process. Furthermore, I am aware that this is for the purpose of executing the legal procedure initiated by me, the granting of regulatory approval and also for the purpose of review. I have read the general information regarding: 

• the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, withdrawal and objection, as well as on data portability
• the right to lodge a complaint with the Austrian data protection authority
• the responsibilities of the process controller and the data protection officer as per https://datenschutz.stmk.gv.at.

Authentication or signature of the application is not required.

Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung
8010 Graz, Hofgasse 16

An appeal is possible against rulings issued by an authority and shall be filed by the party within a 4 weeks term with the authority that issued the ruling of first instance (against rulings without investigation procedure within a two weeks term). The term starts with the receipt of the written copy of the ruling, in the case of oral pronouncement simultaneously with it.

The appeal shall indicate the ruling it contests, the authority that issued the ruling and contain a motion of appeal with the reasons. No more appeal is admissible if the party expressly waived the right of appeal after receipt or pronouncement of the ruling.

Each ruling contains instructions on the right to appeal and indicates the authority and the deadline for submission of such appeal.

Point of Single Contact Styria

Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung
Abteilung 12 - Wirtschaft, Tourismus, Wissenschaft und Forschung
8020 Graz, Nikolaiplatz 3
Telefon: +43 316 877 4231
E-Mail: Homepage:  https://eap.stmk.gv.at

03.11.2022