Vienna Business Agency & Expat Center — international company attraction and talent services

The Vienna Business Agency (Wirtschaftsagentur Wien) is the City of Vienna's investment promotion and economic development agency, operating since 2001. It combines two complementary functions: attracting and supporting international companies, and servicing international skilled workers and their families through the Expat Center Vienna and the Business Immigration Office (BIO).

What it does: the agency provides free consultations — in up to 12 languages — on company formation, tax, regulatory compliance, real estate search, and recruitment support. The Expat Center is a single point of contact for key workers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and scientists relocating to Vienna, handling visa and residence-permit queries. The BIO streamlines business immigration for companies bringing international talent.

Measurable results (2024): 218 international companies from 47 countries set up operations in Vienna, generating ~€530 M in investment — up 25% on 2023 — and 915 new jobs; Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland were the top countries of origin. Expat Center and BIO completed 5,200+ consultations in 2024. The ViennaBusiness digital platform attracted nearly 1 million visitors in its first year (launched Jan 2024). 20-year cumulative: 3,100+ companies, €4.7 B investment, ~24,000 jobs.

Vienna context: home to 53 international organisations, 124 embassies, and residents from 181 countries; nearly 50% of Viennese are bilingual and 30%+ trilingual; consistently ranked as the world's most popular congress destination.

Why it is a good practice: integrating company-attraction with a dedicated Expat Center and Business Immigration Office under one roof reduces friction for both employers and international talent, delivering measurably increasing inward investment year after year.

Read the full analysis: https://viennabusinessagency.at/