A lifetime transfer requires a different review.
First establish whether there has been a death and whether Section 19 TÄG applies. A lifetime transfer must be reviewed under the professional-law and contractual rules applicable to that structure.
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Continuing a veterinary practice after death: chamber notice and registration
Mag. Bernhard Brandauer, Rechtsanwalt
Continuing an Austrian veterinary practice after the owner's death: Section 19 TÄG covers the Chamber notice, Veterinary List entries and an extension up to one year.
When a self-employed veterinary professional dies, the practice may continue for a limited period under specific statutory conditions. Section 19(3) of the Veterinary Act, or TÄG, allows a veterinarian entitled to practise to continue the deceased veterinarian's practice under the deceased person's name for six months for the benefit of the heirs.
The continuation must be reported to the Chamber. An extension is possible only in justified cases and may last no longer than one year in total. Section 19(4) TÄG also requires both the continuation and its end to be entered in the Veterinary List.
This article explains the professional-law process under Section 19(3) and (4) TÄG. The driving-school succession article covers a different permit and management issue. For a separate family-business example, see the family pharmacy succession article.
Short check
Which steps should be organised first after the death?
This short check separates eligibility, the Chamber notice and the Veterinary List.
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What type of practice is to continue temporarily?
All paths at a glance
Overview of all answers.
The facts must be organised before the notice is prepared.
Record the date of death, practice form, heirs and proposed veterinarian. The application of Section 19 TÄG can then be coordinated with the Chamber.
Temporary continuation requires a veterinarian entitled to practise.
Identify the veterinarian who will actually continue the practice and confirm the professional entitlement. Record the heirs' role separately from the professional responsibility.
The continuing person should be selected before the notice.
Clarify who will continue the practice under the deceased person's name for the benefit of the heirs. Then prepare the Chamber notice and the Veterinary List entry.
The continuation also needs a documented end point.
Report the continuation to the Chamber and arrange the entries for its continuation and end in the Veterinary List. Record the intended end date and documents for the later entry now.
An extension beyond six months requires a justified case.
Present the concrete reasons for the requested extension to the Chamber. The total continuation may not exceed one year and Section 19(3) TÄG does not provide for an automatic extension.
The notice and the list entry should be handled together.
Organise the notice of continuation to the Chamber and the Veterinary List entry. Also record how the later end of the continuation will be documented.
What Section 19 TÄG allows after a death
Section 19(3) TÄG applies when a self-employed veterinarian has died and left a practice. A veterinarian entitled to practise may continue that practice under the deceased person's name for six months for the benefit of the heirs.
The rule creates a time-limited continuation. It supports the heirs' interests while leaving the professional entitlement with the veterinarian who actually practises. The practice therefore remains subject to the statutory special rule throughout the period.
This continuation case is different from a planned lifetime transfer. General business continuation rules do not answer this specific professional-law question. The relevant framework is Section 19(3) and (4) TÄG, including its notices and list entries.
Coordinate the Chamber notice and Veterinary List
The continuation must be reported to the Chamber. Section 19(4) TÄG also requires the continuation to be entered in the Veterinary List. The notice and the list entry are related steps with different functions.
For preparation, bring together the date of death, the deceased person's name, the practice name, the veterinarian who will continue the practice and the heirs' interest in one file. This makes it possible to identify who is actually continuing the practice and which period the entry covers.
The list must also show the end of the continuation. The end point should therefore be planned from the beginning. A notification of the death alone does not replace the continuation notice or the Veterinary List entry.
When an extension up to one year is possible
The statutory basic period is six months. The Chamber may extend it in justified cases. The law also sets a clear maximum: the continuation may last no longer than one year in total.
An extension therefore does not follow automatically because the succession is unfinished. The concrete reason must be made understandable to the Chamber. The file should show why continuation beyond the basic period is needed and how the remaining period will be used.
Planning must focus on the total period. A timeline covering the six-month period and any possible extension helps coordinate the list entry, communication with the Chamber and the later end of the continuation.
The practice name and sign during continuation
Section 19(3) TÄG permits continuation under the name of the deceased veterinarian. The practice sign does not have to be removed during the statutory continuation.
The provision describes a special transition for the existing practice. Continuing under the former name should not be confused with a new company name or a lifetime transfer of a veterinary company.
The public presentation should still make clear who is actually providing veterinary services. The responsible person, Chamber notice and Veterinary List entry should describe the same temporary continuation.
Document the end and the next succession step
Section 19(4) TÄG requires the end of the continuation to be entered in the Veterinary List as well. The temporary continuation therefore needs a record of its end, not only a practical change in daily operations.
During the continuation, the family can assess whether and in which legally permissible form a longer-term solution should be implemented. That decision concerns a separate transfer or company structure and must be kept distinct from the temporary continuation for the heirs.
The file should contain the statutory basis, Chamber communications, entries, any extension decision and the evidence of the end. This shows which step rests on Section 19 TÄG and which step belongs to a later structure.
Prepare the continuation in five steps
First record that a self-employed veterinarian has died. Second identify a veterinarian entitled to practise for the temporary continuation. Third prepare the notice to the Chamber.
Fourth arrange the continuation and later end in the Veterinary List. Fifth assess whether a justified request for an extension is needed. Even with an extension, the total period may not exceed one year.
The documents guide for the first succession consultation can be expanded with the death certificate, Chamber correspondence, list entry and a continuation timeline.
Frequently asked questions about continuing a veterinary practice
Who may temporarily continue a deceased veterinarian's practice?
Under Section 19(3) TÄG, a veterinarian entitled to practise may continue the practice under the deceased person's name for six months for the benefit of the heirs.
How long may the continuation last?
The basic period is six months. The Chamber may extend it in a justified case, but the total continuation may not exceed one year.
Does the practice sign have to be removed immediately?
No. Section 19(3) TÄG permits continuation under the deceased person's name without removing the practice sign.
What must be entered in the Veterinary List?
Section 19(4) TÄG requires both the continuation of the practice and its end to be entered in the Veterinary List.
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