Debt collection · Austria

🇦🇹 Your customer in Austria is not paying?

Goods delivered, invoice overdue, the buyer in Austria silent. This page explains how a B2B claim is collected in Austria, how long it takes, and which interest and costs can be charged to the debtor. Incasso Mentor sets up and runs this process on your behalf: we choose the right route, bring in the local specialist, follow every step and report to you in Turkish. You only take the decisions. Information as of September 2026.

Austria at a glance

The four figures that matter most to a Turkish exporter. Fees and rates change; before any legal step we confirm the current figures with our partner.

€75,000
Up to this amount the Mahnverfahren: Zahlungsbefehl without a hearing, 14 days to pay, 4 weeks to object. No objection: enforceable title.
11.23%
B2B commercial default interest (UGB § 456, from 16 September 2026): ONB base rate + 9.2 points.
€5,000
Above this amount a lawyer is mandatory at the Bezirksgericht; always at the Landesgericht (above €15,000).
3 years
Limitation for commercial claims (ABGB § 1486). Note: a demand does not interrupt it, only an acknowledgment or a court step.
Process

How collection in Austria proceeds

Amicable phase

German-language demand; interest and the €40 flat fee (UGB § 458) are claimed. Agency fees are capped by law; we work with a GISA-registered partner.

Mahnverfahren

Order for payment at the Bezirksgericht up to €75,000; up to €5,000 via the agency, above through a lawyer. No objection: directly enforceable title.

Court action if objected

Ordinary proceedings: Bezirksgericht up to €15,000, Landesgericht above; appeal to the Oberlandesgericht. Fees per the GGG scale.

Enforcement and insolvency

Bezirksgericht and Gerichtsvollzieher: movable assets, wages, bank accounts, forced sale. A judgment is valid for 30 years. Insolvency at the Landesgericht: Konkurs or Sanierungsverfahren (minimum 20% offer).

Our role

We organise your collection in Austria

Collecting a debt in a foreign country on your own is exhausting: language, law, finding the right firm, negotiating fees, not missing deadlines. This is exactly where Incasso Mentor comes in. We review your file, obtain an independent credit report on the debtor and determine the most suitable route for Austria.

Then we set up the process: we select the registered agency or lawyer in Austria, hand over a complete and well-prepared file, fix the fee on your behalf in advance and follow every step. You work with one contact, in your own language. Every decision is yours; no step is taken without your approval.

What you do, what we do

You: send us the invoice, contract and delivery documents.

We: assess the file, obtain the credit report and report the route and cost to you in writing.

We: select and brief the local specialist in Austria, fix the fee and watch the deadlines.

We: report every development in Turkish and answer your questions.

You: take the decision at every stage. Legal steps only with your approval.

Three points that matter for a Turkish exporter

A demand does not interrupt the limitation period

In Austria only an acknowledgment or a court step stops the clock. If the 3-year period is close, we do not lose time with demands: straight to the Mahnverfahren.

The amount decides the route

Up to €5,000 an agency can also run the court step; above that a lawyer. For files of €20,000 and more we therefore plan with a lawyer from the start and obtain a fixed quote.

EU procedures closed

The European order for payment and small claims are closed to Turkish companies; the national Mahnverfahren is fast and cheap anyway. The judgment is enforced in the EU under Brussels I-bis.

Frequently asked questions

How long does collection in Austria take?

Unopposed Mahnverfahren: 14 days to pay plus 4 weeks to object, about 2–3 months including service; a defended case longer.

Do I need a lawyer?

Not up to €5,000; above that at the Bezirksgericht and always at the Landesgericht. Not for the enforcement application.

What is the judgment worth in Turkey?

An Austrian judgment is enforced in the EU without extra formalities; in Turkey recognition (tenfiz) is needed, rarely relevant since the debtor's assets are usually in Austria.

Incasso Mentor is not a law firm. We coordinate the amicable phase; where a legal step is needed, an authorised lawyer, enforcement officer or registered agency in Austria acts with your approval. This page is general information, not legal advice. Source legislation: ABGB (§§ 1486, 1497), UGB (§§ 456, 458), ZPO (§ 244), Enforcement Code (§§ 290–292), Insolvency Code, Court Fees Act. Information as of September 2026.

Submit your Austria claim today

Share your invoice and the basic documents. We review the file and report the route in Austria and the expected cost to you in writing, in Turkish; the rest we plan together. B2B, from €20,000 per debtor.

Submit a collection case →