Selling Cosmetics in Austria: Rules, Authorities and Labels

Austria is a compact, quality-minded market where drugstores, pharmacies and organic shops carry a wide range of cosmetics, and where shoppers expect clear German-language information. If you want to sell cosmetics in Austria, the EU rules are the same ones you already follow, and Austria adds a short list of national points: German on key label items, a national implementing ordinance, regional food-control authorities and packaging obligations for online sellers. This guide explains them for brands that are compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 or preparing to be.

The short answer

You need the standard EU file for Austria: a responsible person in the EU, a signed CPSR, a product information file and a CPNP notification. Nationally, the Austrian Cosmetics Implementation Ordinance (Kosmetik-Durchführungsverordnung) requires German for key label information, control sits with the supervisory authorities of the federal provinces, and foreign online sellers should check Austrian packaging licensing. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm details with the competent authority.

The EU baseline in brief

Four elements apply in every EU country:

• Responsible person (RP): an EU-established company or person named on the label who is accountable for compliance.
• Safety report (CPSR): Part A (product data) and Part B (safety assessment), signed by a qualified safety assessor.
• Product information file (PIF): the CPSR, formula, manufacturing information, claim evidence and test reports, kept ready for the authorities.
• CPNP notification: the product is notified in the European portal before it is placed on the market.

An Austrian chamber of commerce guide stresses that the regulation applies directly in all member states and takes precedence over national rules. Austria has no separate cosmetics dossier.

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Who supervises cosmetics in Austria?

Cosmetics fall under the Austrian Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act (LMSVG). Products on the market are checked by the competent supervisory authorities. According to an Austrian chamber of commerce guide, control is the responsibility of the provincial governor in each federal province, who uses the food-control departments of the provincial government. Other descriptions refer more generally to the food-supervision authorities of the provinces together with the Federal Ministry responsible for health.

The AGES, the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, supports this work. It describes taking samples at drugstores, supermarkets, health food shops and markets, and at manufacturers and importers, and testing them in its cosmetics department in Vienna and in state laboratories. AGES says it assesses roughly 700 to 1,000 products a year for substance rules, labelling and microbiological requirements. It also offers a voluntary marketability opinion that a responsible person or retailer can order, which is not a legal requirement.

Distributors share the responsibility. Before making a cosmetic available, a distributor must check that the label information is present and that the language requirement of Article 19(5) is met, so your Austrian retailer will often ask you first.

Which language must the label use in Austria?

Article 19(5) leaves the language of certain label items to each member state. In Austria this is regulated by the Kosmetik-Durchführungsverordnung (BGBl. II No. 330/2013). The chamber of commerce guide of November 2025 states that in Austria the following must be in German:

• the nominal content at the time of filling,
• the minimum durability date or the period after opening,
• the particular precautions for use, and
• the function of the product, unless it is obvious from its presentation.

The same ordinance deals with the labelling of unpackaged cosmetics and with how information is given when it does not fit on the pack. In practice, plan the whole consumer-facing text in German: warnings, usage instructions and claims. Clear, plain German works for all regions; if you reuse a label written for another German-speaking market, have it read once by someone who knows Austrian shoppers.

AGES also reports that official checks find gaps. In a sampling campaign of cosmetics from fairs and markets, 27 samples were examined and in four of them the legally required German labelling was missing. Small sellers and market stalls are therefore not exempt.

Documentation: what language and where?

The product information file must be kept at the address on the label and made available to the authorities. According to AGES, it is usually kept in German; the regulation itself requires that information given to the authority be in a language it can easily understand. That is why many brands with an English CPSR prepare a German summary or translation. Agree this with your safety assessor early, so it does not hold up an inspection request. Our signed CPSR goes straight into the product information file.

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Packaging obligations for sellers shipping to Austria

Packaging is outside the cosmetics regulation, but it matters if you ship to Austrian consumers from another country. According to the Austrian chamber of commerce, under section 16b of the Packaging Ordinance 2014 a foreign online seller that ships packaged goods directly to private end consumers in Austria must take part in an Austrian collection and recovery system and appoint an authorised representative in Austria. If you supply an Austrian business instead, the Austrian importer is generally the obligated party. These rules and their application are updated regularly, so check them with the licensing systems or the chamber before your first consignment.

What do retailers and marketplaces expect?

Retail buyers in Austria usually ask for the same core evidence before they list a product:

• The CPNP notification reference and the responsible person details.
• A statement that a signed CPSR exists, often with supporting challenge test, stability and microbiological reports.
• A label or artwork proof showing the German text.
• Evidence for claims, because advertised effects must be provable according to AGES.

Treat these as typical expectations rather than fixed rules, since each chain sets its own supplier checklist.

Checklist for selling in Austria

1. Confirm that your responsible person is established in the EU and named on every label.
2. Check that the CPSR is signed and that the test reports behind it are complete.
3. Notify each product in the CPNP before the first sale.
4. Put the nominal content, minimum durability or period after opening, precautions and function in German.
5. Prepare German usage instructions and claim wording.
6. Keep the product information file in one place, with a German version or summary ready.
7. If you ship directly to Austrian consumers, check the packaging licensing and authorised representative rules.
8. Prepare retailer data: INCI list, label proof, claim evidence.

Read also Selling Cosmetics in Germany: Rules, Authorities and Labels

Common mistakes

• Using an English or German-for-Germany label without checking the four items that must be in German.
• Putting German only on the outer box while the container itself carries none.
• Selling at fairs or online without a responsible person or file.
• Making claims without evidence in the file.
• Shipping to consumers from abroad and ignoring Austrian packaging rules.

Frequently asked questions

Is a German label from Germany enough for Austria?

Usually the German text itself works, because the requirement is German, but you must still check that all required items are present and that the responsible person and CPNP data are correct. Have it reviewed once against the Austrian ordinance.

Do I need an Austrian responsible person?

No. The responsible person must be established in the EU. One person can cover Austria and the other EU countries.

Can I rely on my English CPSR?

The report is valid EU-wide. For inspections, the authority must be able to understand the information, and AGES says the file is usually kept in German, so prepare a German version or summary.

Key takeaways

• One EU dossier covers Austria; the national points are German on key label items and local control.
• The provinces’ food-control authorities supervise, with AGES supporting sampling and testing.
• Foreign online sellers should check packaging licensing and the authorised representative rule.
• Keep claims evidence, test reports and a German summary ready for retailers and inspectors.