Insurance
Where you are insured in Austria depends on your employment relationship.
Requirements for employees
You provide services that may be considered dependent under social security law. For example, e.g. as a bar worker or waiter and if your working conditions correspond to an employment relationship, such as fixed working hours. In this case, the brothel operator is responsible for your insurance and tax payments. The brothel operator must register you with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (Österreichische Gesundheitskasse, ÖGK) and forward your tax payments to the tax office. However, this only applies as long as you work in this brothel.
Requirements for self-insurance
If you also work as a self-employed sex worker or are not employed by a brothel, you must take out insurance with the SVS (Social Insurance for the Self-Employed). It is not possible to work as a sex worker in Austria as a non-self-employed person (i.e. without an employment contract) (i.e. without an employment contract).
Insurance through the brothel operator
The prerequisite for this is that you work as a bar worker or waiter in a business and your working conditions correspond to an employment relationship (e.g. fixed working hours). In this case, the brothel operator is responsible for your insurance and also for your tax contributions. The brothel operator must register you with the Austrian health insurance company (ÖGK) and pay your taxes to the tax office. ATTENTION: This only applies as long as you work in this brothel.
Ask the brothel operator for a confirmation of your registration with the ÖGK. As soon as you are registered with the ÖGK, you will receive an eCard.
This means that the visit to the doctor is free of charge (doctor with a contract with the health insurance company).
If you also work as a self-employed sex worker, you must take out insurance with the SVS Sozialversicherung für Selbstständige (social insurance for the self-employed).
Contact
ÖGK Österreichische Gesundheitskasse Salzburg
Engelbert-Weiß-Weg 10
5020 Salzburg
+43 5 0766 17
www.gesundheitskasse.at
Insurance for the self-employed
As a sex worker, you have to register as a ‘new self-employed person’ in Salzburg within one month of starting work with the SVS Social Insurance for the Self-Employed. Regardless of how much you earn.
Income above the insurance limit
If your annual income from self-employment is more than 6.613,20 euros (as of 2025), you must take out insurance with the SVS. The income limit applies regardless of whether or not you have other income. Insurance cover begins on the first day of work. The insurance includes health, accident and pension insurance, as well as a self-employment pension.
You can only cancel this compulsory insurance if you can prove that your annual income is below the insurance threshold.
Income below the insurance threshold
If your annual income from self-employment is less than € 6.613,20 (as of 2024), you must also register with the SVS, but you are not required to take out insurance. In this case, insurance is voluntary.
The SVS offers a low-cost insurance option (health and accident insurance): This option is opt-in and costs about 50 euros per month. Insurance cover begins on the day the SVS receives the application. The insurance premium is charged quarterly (every three months) at 150 euros. You can also request monthly payments.
You can suspend the insurance (in writing) if you interrupt your activity.
As soon as you no longer need insurance, you can cancel in writing. If you do not do this, you will continue to pay!
WARNING: If you do not pay the contributions, you will incur debts.
Contact
SVS Salzburg
Auerspergstraße 24
5020 Salzburg
+43 50 808 808
www.svs.at