Toolkit — Permit Management for Events · Vienna

Which procedure applies to my event?

Determines the procedural track under the Events Act 2020: subject to registration, subject to notification, or without prior involvement. First question first — it overrides all others.

1. Does the event take place in a commercial installation for which a commercial-installation permit corresponding to the event type exists?

§ 3 para. 3 of the Vienna Events Act — if this applies, suitability assessment, registration and notification are dispensed with.

2. Where does the event take place?

3. How many visitors can be present simultaneously?

4. Does any of these apply? (multiple choice)

Threshold Calculator & Planning Duties

Enter the number of persons — the tool derives which concepts, documents and deadlines are triggered. The thresholds are a minimum standard, not a goal: the professional assessment of the concrete risk profile remains necessary.

Simultaneously present visitors

Capacity of the venue (for § 21)

Location

Planned event date

Submission Documents & Authority Coordination

Missing documents are the most frequent cause of procedural delays. The decision deadline begins only with completeness — an incomplete registration sets no deadline in motion.

Basic Registration Particulars § 16 Vienna Events Act

Event type and description of the sequence

type, programme, temporal sequence

Maximum number of simultaneously and altogether present persons

visitors and other present persons (personnel, participants); methodically grounded, not a figure of wishes

Date, time, start and duration Location and designation of the event venue incl. location of the premises Particulars on music / noise-intensive activities with emission values§ 23 Reference to an existing suitability assessment

if present — decides between § 16 (full examination) and § 17 (simplified)

Documents in at least two copies, signed by the applicant

Plans

Site plan, to scale

event area with boundaries, entrances and exits, escape routes to adjacent streets/areas, stages/stands/structures, sanitary, medical stations, fire-brigade and rescue accesses, movement and staging areas, barriers

Floor plans (for events in buildings)

fire-compartment boundaries, room designation/size/height, ground-floor height level relative to street, exits, circulation-route width, clear door passage width + opening direction, stairs with step height, ramps with inclination, structures, seats incl. wheelchair spaces, safety lighting

Grid plan

for large events — unambiguous location designation in an occurrence ("field C7" instead of "at the back left")

Concepts (threshold-dependent)

Security concept from 5,000 · § 31 para. 1

minimum content: hazard analysis + risk assessment with derived measures; order service (number, locations, tasks); reachability by public + individual transport; visitor-stream guidance. Authority can require it below the threshold too.

Medical concept from 5,000 · § 31 para. 3

by an admitted rescue service, coordinated with MA 70; emergency physicians, paramedics, command personnel, equipment

Awareness concept from 5,000 · since 01.07.2026

officers named; written concept

House / ground rules from 1,000 · § 27

effective only if made visible at the entrance and enforceable by the personnel

Fire-protection concept

at corresponding events; otherwise integrated into the security concept

Technical Proofs

Civil-engineer expert opinion on stability and operational safety

for stages, grandstands, towers, tents, sound/light control stands — before commissioning, must be available at the venue. In the open additionally: permissible wind speed, measures, evacuation triggers

Proof of electrical installation

proper erection and inspection; ÖVE/ÖNORM E 8101 ff.

Acoustic proof § 23 para. 6

on official request — maintenance of the immission limit values in the concrete placement plan

Special trades: pyrotechnics / lasers / open flames / drones

respective permits and qualification proofs

Authorities and Deadlines

Body	For what	Deadline / note
MA 36	Event authority, registration, suitability assessment	1 month; > 5,000 persons: 3 months — from completeness
MA 46	Road-traffic permit for public traffic areas § 82 Road Traffic Act	4 weeks — drawn in by MA 36 for events subject to registration
MA 70	Professional rescue service, medical-concept coordination	mandatory from 5,000
MA 42	City Gardens — events in parks / green areas	separate permit
MA 60	Veterinary office — events with animals	occasion-related
Charge for use	Special use of public ground	In Vienna the § 82 application counts at the same time as an application under the Vienna Charge for Use Act

Basic rule: for formats subject to permit, preparations may begin only after the granting of the permit. Legal remedy: complaint within 4 weeks of delivery, to the issuing authority.

Legal note. A tool for structuring the procedure and practice, not a legal opinion and no substitute for expert assessment in the individual case. Binding in every case are exclusively the applicable statutory, ordinance and guideline texts in their current version and the respective official decision. Thresholds are a minimum standard, not a goal — an event can fall below any concept obligation and nonetheless be highly problematic. Legal position: Vienna Events Act 2020 as amended 2025 (awareness provisions since 01.07.2026), MA 36 event-venue guideline, Road Traffic Act 1960. Other provinces deviate (security concept e.g. Tyrol from 1,500, Salzburg from 2,000 participating persons).

Thomas Schüller · ORCID 0009-0003-9799-6747 · forschung@tschueller.com · CC BY 4.0

Toolkit — Permit Management for Events

Which procedure applies to my event?

Threshold Calculator & Planning Duties

Submission Documents & Authority Coordination

Basic Registration Particulars § 16 Vienna Events Act

Plans

Concepts (threshold-dependent)

Technical Proofs

Authorities and Deadlines

Venue Inspection Checklist

Escape and Rescue Routes

Safety Lighting & Power

Structures & Rigging

Number of Persons & Order Service

Medical Provision, Infrastructure, Surroundings

Organisation

Evaluation & Follow-up

Immediately After the End of the Event

Incident Documentation

Target vs. Actual

Lessons Learned & Archiving