Childcare CPR & first aid requirements

First Aid & CPR Austria

If you work in childcare in Austria — whether at a daycare, preschool, home-based care, or camp — first aid and CPR certification is not optional. It's a licensing requirement, and for good reason: children are among the most vulnerable to choking, allergic reactions, and injuries. Being prepared to respond can mean everything.

Requirements at a glance

Regulatory frameworkChildcare staff must provide evidence of a 16-hour first-aid course for pediatric emergencies (no more than one year old at end of training); mandatory refresher of at least 8 hours every 5 years, documented. Childcare law is regulated at the Land (state) level (e.g. Vienna Tagesbetreuungsverordnung).
Governing authorityThe Länder (each state's early-childhood authority, e.g. City of Vienna); the Arbeitsinspektion for the general workplace first-aider obligation
Training hours16 hours required
Renewal periodEvery 5 years
New hire deadlineWithin 365 days of hire
Min. certified staffEvery person supervising children must hold and keep current the pediatric first-aid qualification (16 h)
Online training acceptanceOnline courses accepted
16 hours requiredEvery 5 yearsOnline courses accepted

What Austria requires

In Austria, childcare staff must provide evidence of a 16-hour first-aid course for paediatric emergencies, no more than a year old at the end of training, plus a documented refresher of at least eight hours every five years. Because childcare is regulated at the state (Land) level, the details are set by each Land — for example Vienna's Tagesbetreuungsverordnung — but the underlying expectation is that every person supervising children holds this qualification and keeps it current.

Anaphylaxis and medication administration

In Austrian kindergartens, any trained person may administer a child's adrenaline auto-injector in an emergency, provided written parental consent and a medical certificate are on file. The emergency kit is stored in a central, always-accessible place rather than locked away. When anaphylaxis sets in, how quickly that medication is used often decides the outcome.

How our courses meet these requirements

A recognized, standards-based certification — online theory paired with a hands-on skills check — meets Austria’s requirement and keeps your team ready to act.

Don't wait for renewal day

When a child chokes, has a seizure or reacts severely to an allergen, it's the first minutes that count — and they fall to whoever is present, not to the help arriving later. A recognised, standards-based certification gives your team the assurance to act correctly under pressure and lets parents know their child is in the best of hands. Training is more than meeting a rule; it's being ready for the moment that truly matters.