Mountain and ski guides – permits, applications See explanation of the designation of:

Anyone engaging commercially in

·        guiding and accompanying people on mountain and ski tours and during sport climbing and skiing on downhill slopes off-piste as well as on skiing routes, pistes and cross-country skiing trails,

·        instructing people in the skills of mountaineering, ski mountaineering and sport climbing and teaching them the associated expertise,

·        instructing people in the skiing skills necessary for ski touring in direct connection with a planned ski tour and/or

·        taking organisational measures to carry out a planned mountain or ski tour or sport climbing activity

requires a mountain and ski guide permit.

A mountain and ski guide may recruit assistance from trainee mountain and ski guides and/or trainee sport climbing instructors, provided that their activities are covered by his or her liability insurance. Before that recruitment, the mountain and ski guide must satisfy him or herself as to the professional aptitude of the trainee mountain and ski guides and/or trainee sport climbing instructors.

EU citizens and nationals of other contracting parties to the EEA Agreement or Switzerland may temporarily and occasionally work as mountain and ski guides in Tyrol if

a) they are legally established in another country for the purpose of practising the profession,

b) the profession or training for that profession is regulated in that State or country within the meaning of the Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC) or, failing that, they have pursued an equivalent profession in that State or country for at least one year during the last 10 years,

c) the mountain and ski guides or, if the work in question is carried out in the context of a mountaineering school, its instructors are qualified to work in the field within the meaning of Section 2a(2) of the Bergsportführergesetz (Tyrolean Mountain Sports Act),

d) sufficient liability insurance is in place and

e) they possess the necessary knowledge of German.

Nationals of other States are entitled to work as mountain and ski guides in Tyrol on a temporary and occasional basis, even without a mountain and ski guide permit, provided that

a) they fulfil the conditions set out in points (b) to (e), as set out in the paragraph above,

b) they have received their guests in the State in question and

c) Tyrolean mountain and ski guides enjoy the same right in the State in question.

Domestic and foreign alpine associations may engage in the work if it is carried out exclusively for and by members of the association in question and neither the members doing the work nor the association in question are remunerated in excess of the costs incurred.

·        Age of legal majority and corresponding decision-making capacity

·        Reliability, physical and mental aptitude, and qualification to work in the field

·        Liability insurance cover of at least EUR 10 million

·        For native speakers of a foreign language, the absolutely necessary knowledge of the German language

If no recognition process for vocational qualifications takes place, qualification to work in the field must be demonstrated by means of a certificate showing a pass in the mountain and ski guides examination.

None. The work may only be carried out once the permit has been legally issued.

Processing time

The district administrative authorities are obliged to decide on any complete application without undue delay and within 6 months at the latest by issuing an administrative decision in writing.

An application for a mountain and ski guide permit must be submitted in writing. The documents to be included must be no more than three months old at the time of submission of the application. The application for a permit must be issued in writing in the form of an administrative decision.

Those who have been granted mountain and ski guide permits must be entered in the register of mountain and ski guides kept by the Tiroler Bergsportführerverband (Tyrolean federation of mountain sports guides).

At the same time as the award decision, the district administrative authority issues the mountain and ski guide ID card and the mountain and ski guide badge.

The mountain and ski guide permit becomes void upon the death of the holder or the revocation or relinquishment of the permit.

·        Birth certificate

·        Proof of citizenship

·        Proof of status as a beneficiary (EU, EEA, Switzerland and citizens of other States assimilated under treaties relating to European integration)

·        Confirmation of residence registration

·        Extract from the judicial record or equivalent for non-Austrian citizens

·        Medical certificate of physical and mental aptitude

·        Certificate from an accredited insurance provider confirming that the minimum amount of civil liability insurance is in place

·        Certificate of mountain and ski guides examination or decision recognising mountain and skiing training in the context of European integration

If the mountain and ski guides examination was passed more than 4 years before the application is submitted, confirmation of participation in a training event organised by the Tiroler Bergsportführerverband (Tyrolean federation of mountain sports guides) within the last 4 years must be submitted. This requirement does not apply if the applicant possesses a professional qualification recognised under the Tiroler EU-Berufsangelegenheiten-Gesetz (Tyrolean EU Vocational Affairs Act) and provides evidence of the training required by the law of the State concerned.

Type and format of evidence to be provided

The documents (copies) can be submitted in electronic form. Further information on the validity of applications can be found here: Bekanntmachungen zum rechtswirksamen Einbringen und deren technischen Voraussetzungen (Notices on legally valid submissions and technical requirements).

The photograph for the professional ID card must have dimensions of 3.5 x 4.5 cm (= standard passport photo) or at least 600 x 800 pixels (as a digital image). The image quality should be in line with the criteria for passports: http://www.passbildkriterien.at/oesterreich.html

According to the 1957 Gebührengesetz (Fees Act):

·        submission fee EUR 47.30, appended documents EUR 3.90, up to a maximum of EUR 21.80; fees in the event of electronic submission using a citizen card: submission fee EUR 28.40, appended documents EUR 2.30, up to a maximum of EUR 13.10

·        award decision: EUR 83.60

According to the 2007 Landes-Verwaltungsabgabenverordnung (Provincial Administrative Charges Ordinance):

·      granting of a mountain and ski guide permit EUR 110.00

·      issuing of a new mountain and ski guide badge EUR 25.00

·      issuing of a new mountain and ski guide ID card EUR 35.00

The costs incurred can be paid electronically by bank transfer once the applicant has been notified of the administrative decision.

• The District Authority

The competent authority for granting the approval is the district administrative authority in whose district the applicant has his or her principal residence. If the applicant’s principal residence is not in Tyrol, jurisdiction depends on where he or she is living at the time of the application; if the applicant is not living in Tyrol or there is doubt as to whether this is the case, the Innsbruck district authority has territorial jurisdiction. District authority finder

Online-Form

It is not mandatory to sign the application either electronically (using the Handy-Signatur app or e‑ID) or by hand.

Bergsportführergesetz (Tyrolean Mountain Sports Act)

Tiroler Bergsportführerverordnung (Tyrolean Mountain Sports Ordinance)

Tiroler EU-Berufsangelegenheiten-Gesetz (Tyrolean EU Vocational Affairs Act)

1991 Allgemeines Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (General Administrative Procedure Act)

1957 Gebührengesetz (Fees Act):

2007 Landes-Verwaltungsabgabenverordnung) (Provincial Administrative Charges Ordinance

Appeals against administrative decisions by the district administrative authorities can be brought before the provincial administrative court. Any appeal must specify the contested administrative decision and the authority that issued it. It must contain a request and set out the grounds on which the allegation of unlawfulness is based. The appeal must be filed in writing to the district administrative authority that issued the decision within 4 weeks of the date of notification of the decision and must contain information that makes it possible to assess its timeliness. The district administrative authority may issue a preliminary appeal decision. The appeal may be filed electronically: Beschwerde im Verwaltungsverfahren (portal for appeals within the administrative procedure).

If the administrative authority fails to make a decision within 6 months, you have the option of filing a complaint with the administrative authority regarding the delay. This must be filed with the defaulting district administrative authority. The complaint must specify that authority, set out a specific request and demonstrate that the authority’s time-limit for taking a decision has expired.