Education

Apprenticeship (Lehre) in Austria: contract, probation period, apprentice pay, vocational school and final exam

An apprenticeship in Austria lasts two to four years depending on the trade, with about 80 percent of the training in the company and 20 percent at vocational school (Berufsschule); it rests on a written apprenticeship contract that the company registers with the apprenticeship office (Lehrlingsstelle) of the Chamber of Commerce within three weeks, the first three months are a probation period, and apprentice pay follows the collective agreement. It ends with the final apprenticeship exam (Lehrabschlussprüfung; register with the Lehrlingsstelle at the earliest six months before the apprenticeship ends); the contract can only be ended early in the cases the law provides, and the Berufsreifeprüfung (Lehre mit Matura) can add eligibility for university.

Last updated: 8 October 2026 · Draft – not yet editorially reviewed.

An apprenticeship (Lehre) in Austria combines training in a company with lessons at a vocational school (Berufsschule). The written apprenticeship contract (Lehrvertrag) sets out the relationship with the training company; an apprenticeship generally lasts two to four years, depending on the occupation. 1 4 9

Who needs this

An apprenticeship is available after completion of the nine years of compulsory schooling. The Lehrvertrag is concluded with a training company for an occupation on the official list of apprenticeship occupations (Lehrberufsliste). If the apprentice is under 18, a legal representative must also consent to and sign the contract. 9 11
Apprentices who completed relevant training may have a shorter apprenticeship. Previous time in the same or a related apprenticeship must be credited under the applicable rules; training completed abroad can be credited by agreement with the training company. 4

Step by step

After receiving an apprenticeship offer, ask the training company which documents to bring. Sign the written Lehrvertrag and keep the copy given to you. The apprenticeship begins on the date agreed in the contract. 9 1
The training company registers the contract with the apprenticeship office of the Chamber of Commerce (Lehrlingsstelle der Wirtschaftskammer) and also registers the apprentice for Berufsschule and social insurance. It must register the contract within three weeks of the apprenticeship starting and inform the apprentice. 9 11
Complete training in the company and at Berufsschule. Approximately 80 percent of training time is spent in the company and 20 percent at school. School lessons may run throughout the year, in blocks, or seasonally, depending on the arrangement. School time counts as working time. For apprentices under 18, working time may not exceed eight hours a day and 40 hours a week. Apprentices are entitled to five weeks of leave a year. 1 2 11
Prepare for the final apprenticeship examination (Lehrabschlussprüfung). An ordinary application can be made no earlier than six months before the contract’s end date, through the Lehrlingsstelle in the relevant federal state. The office must communicate the exact examination date at least three weeks beforehand. 5

Documents

For the Lehrvertrag, present the certificate from your last school class and evidence of training already completed. Non-EEA citizens additionally need labour-market authorisation. The training company determines which documents are needed in the individual case. 9
For the ordinary examination application, provide the Berufsschule completion certificate, or the certificate of a school whose attendance replaces all or part of the apprenticeship, and proof that the training company paid the examination fee. A marriage certificate or adoption agreement may also be needed; proof of citizenship may be needed if a name has changed. 5

Cost and time

An apprenticeship lasts two to four years, depending on the occupation. 4
Signing the Lehrvertrag costs the apprentice nothing. Apprentices receive an apprenticeship income (Lehrlingseinkommen) at the rate for their apprenticeship year under the applicable collective agreement (Kollektivvertrag). 9 11
The first examination fee was €137 in 2025 and is normally paid by the training company, so apprentices generally incur no examination cost. Second and third attempts are free; a candidate taking an extraordinary examination without an apprenticeship pays the fee themselves. 5
During the first three months, either party can end the apprenticeship without giving reasons, but must do so in writing. If the apprentice attends block-format Berufsschule during those months, termination is possible during the first six weeks of training in the company. A minor ending the apprenticeship during this probationary period needs parental or legal-representative consent. 10

Deadlines

The apprenticeship normally ends on the final training day specified in the contract. If the apprentice passes the Lehrabschlussprüfung earlier, it ends at the close of the week in which the examination was taken. 4
An early examination application is possible from the start of the final apprenticeship year if the training company agrees, or if the apprenticeship ended early by mutual agreement or through no fault of the apprentice. Berufsschule must already have been completed successfully. 5