Austrian commercial debt carries a three-year limitation period that catches many foreign creditors off guard, since it is shorter than the general civil limitation most expect.
Where German limitation periods often run three years from year-end knowledge, Austrian commercial claims under the ABGB can start running earlier, so a debt that looks fresh may already be closer to time-barred than it appears.
Austria runs its own Mahnverfahren payment order process, distinct from Germany's, and it remains the fastest route to an enforceable title for undisputed commercial debt.
Claims filed through the electronic ERV court system move measurably faster than paper filings, which matters when a debtor is likely to object and delay is costly.
Everything covered in this video, in full written form, in the complete article.
Read the full guideA procedural guide to debt collection in Austria: Mahnverfahren, the three-year commercial limitation trap, and enforcement through the Gerichtsvollzieher.