Customs Authority Austria (ZAÖ)

The Customs Authority Austria is set up as a levy authority, fiscal authority for criminal offences, administrative authority, and budget-managing body. The employees are based at the respective locations of the Regional Customs Units or Customs Offices of the Customs Authority Austria and work there. At present, there are about 1,600 employees working throughout Austria.

Structure of the Customs Authority

Two sectors in the Customs Authority Austria (ZAÖ) control the Regional Customs Units nationwide.

  • Sector Business Management
  • Sector Law Enforcement

The following tasks fall within the Sector Business Management:

  • Freight transport, customs law and legal services, excise duties
  • Postal customs clearance
  • Competence Centre, e.g. prohibitions and restrictions, Central Information Office Customs, central office for binding tariff information

The Sector Law Enforcement covers:

  • Travel and mobile controls (Scan-Mobil), Contaminated Sites Remediation Act
  • Customs audit, customs investigation, criminal matters and safeguarding of public revenue
  • The previous customs offices are being set up as 5 Regional Customs Units with Customs Offices. The Customs Laboratory acts as a service unit for all Regional Customs Units.

Principles and basics

All employees are committed to the principles of non-discrimination, truthfulness and official secrecy, and treat the customers of the Customs Authority with courtesy and respect. In the spirit of fair play, the customs administration supports those who pay or want to pay their taxes and duties to the correct amount and on time, and persecutes those by the book who deliberately evade customs and fees.

In the customs administration, there is no difference in remuneration between male and female employees; non-discrimination is a major concern for us. Workplace health promotion also has a high priority. Working hours are geared to official requirements (e.g. opening hours, customs clearance), but can also take individual needs into account through the possibility of flexitime.