Austria

Shiatsu was legally recognized as a distinct profession in 2003—in the so-called Massage-Verordnung (BGBl. II Nr. 68/2003). Although Shiatsu thus falls, in a sense, under the category of massage as a trade, it was at the same time clearly distinguished from commercial massage as a “holistic, self-contained system.”

To obtain a business license -that is, the authorization to practice Shiatsu commerciallyon a self-employed basis – 650 hours of instruction over a training period of at least 3 years and written proof of 150 Shiatsu sessions are required. Proof of successful completion of training through the Austrian Shiatsu Federation (ÖDS) is recognized by the business licensing authorities as a prerequisite for granting a business license, since the legal regulations do not specify a state examination.

While the legal requirements have remained unchanged since 2003, the guidelines of the ÖDS – which all schools within the association adhere to – have been slightly raised; for example, in 2011, 50 hours of (Western) pathology were integrated into the ÖDS’s curriculum to preempt issues with the Ministry of Health. Other differences between the ÖDS curriculum and the statutory minimum requirements include, for example, the fact that the 150 practical sessions are supervised by the schools to ensure a high standard of quality.

As part of the recognition of the ÖDS Shiatsu training within national and, consequently, European qualification frameworks (NQF/EQF), further minor adjustments were made to the ÖDS curriculum, such as a mandatory final thesis, 16 hours of professional law and ethics, and 16 hours of economic fundamentals. In total – including the supervised practical training – the ÖDS curriculum, which was classified at Level 6 of the NQF/EQF in April 2024, now comprises 1,037 hours.

With minor differences in content – such as the additional hours in professional law and economic fundamentals mentioned above, as well as a mandatory final thesis – the ÖDS now offers two distinct credentials: the statutory minimum curriculum required to obtain a business license, and the NQR Level 6 diploma, which represents the high standard of the training.

Specifically, to practice Shiatsu professionally as a self-employed individual in Austria, one needs an active business license, which – in addition to the standard requirements for business activities – is obtained by fulfilling the legal requirements as set forth in the Massage Ordinance and confirmed by passing the ÖDS examination.