# Self-Employed Personal Trainer in Germany, Austria, CH

> What you need to work as a self-employed personal trainer in Germany, Austria and Switzerland: registration, the small business VAT rules, AHV, liability insurance, data protection, hourly rates by city and a software stack.

*Author: Trainera Team  |  Published: 2026-10-07  |  Reading time: 9 min*

## What do you need to become a self-employed personal trainer in Germany, Austria or Switzerland?

In Germany you usually register a trade (Gewerbe) and can stay a small business without charging VAT as long as your turnover was no more than €25,000 in the previous year and stays under €100,000 in the current year. In Austria fitness training normally runs as a "free trade" (freies Gewerbe), and the small business limit is €55,000 gross. In Switzerland you only have to register for VAT once turnover reaches CHF 100,000, but as a self-employed person you pay AHV/IV/EO social insurance of up to 10.0% on your income.

This reflects the rules as of October 2026\. Tax and social insurance questions depend on your own situation, so treat this as an overview, not as a replacement for a tax adviser, a Swiss fiduciary (Treuhänder) or the relevant authorities.

## The three countries side by side

| Topic                      | Germany                                                                              | Austria                                                                                                                                  | Switzerland                                                                  |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Registration               | usually a trade (Gewerbe); liberal profession (Freiberuf) only for teaching activity | free trade "Erstellung von Trainingskonzepten für gesundheitsbewusste Personen" (creating training concepts for health-conscious people) | clarify with a fiduciary                                                     |
| Small business / VAT limit | previous year up to €25,000, current year up to €100,000                             | €55,000 gross, 10% tolerance                                                                                                             | VAT (MWST) registration from CHF 100,000                                     |
| Standard VAT rate          | 19%                                                                                  | 20%                                                                                                                                      | 8.1%                                                                         |
| Social insurance           | clarify with your tax adviser and health insurer                                     | SVS, current rates directly from the SVS                                                                                                 | AHV/IV/EO 10.0%, minimum contribution CHF 530                                |
| Data protection            | GDPR (DSGVO)                                                                         | GDPR plus the Austrian DSG, supervised by the DSB                                                                                        | revised FADP (revDSG) since 1 September 2023, supervised by the FDPIC (EDÖB) |

Sources: [§19 UStG](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/ustg%5F1980/%5F%5F19.html), [USP Austria](https://www.usp.gv.at/themen/steuern-finanzen/umsatzsteuer-ueberblick/weitere-informationen-zur-umsatzsteuer/weitere-steuertatbestaende-und-befreiungen/kleinunternehmen.html), [ESTV](https://www.estv.admin.ch/estv/de/home/mehrwertsteuer/mwst-steuersaetze.html), [AHV leaflet 2.02](https://www.ahv-iv.ch/p/2.02.d). We have no verified 2026 figures for SVS contributions in Austria, so ask the SVS directly.

## Germany: trade or liberal profession?

This is the first question almost every trainer asks, because registration and taxes depend on it. The answer from the German government's [start-up portal (Existenzgründungsportal)](https://www.existenzgruendungsportal.de/Redaktion/DE/BMWK-Infopool/Antworten/Gruendungsplanung/Freie-Berufe/unterrichtende-Taetigkeit/Personal-Trainer-freiberufliche-oder-gewerbliche-Taetigkeit) is sobering. A liberal profession is only possible for "teaching" activity, meaning organised instruction in a subject. Individually designed programmes count as advisory work and therefore as a trade. Because no specific qualification is required for fitness, the authorities usually classify personal training as a Gewerbe.

A B-licence and proof of nutrition training can support a classification as a freelancer (Freiberufler). The decision, though, is made by the tax office (Finanzamt) and the trade office (Gewerbeamt), not by you. In practice: if you mainly work 1:1 with individual plans, plan for a Gewerbe. If you teach fixed courses with a clear curriculum, you can make the case for the liberal profession.

### The small business rule (Kleinunternehmerregelung) since 2025

Since 1 January 2025 you count as a small business if your turnover was at most €25,000 in the previous year and stays at most €100,000 in the current year; your sales are then VAT-exempt. According to [IHK Stuttgart](https://www.ihk.de/stuttgart/fuer-unternehmen/recht-und-steuern/steuerrecht/umsatzsteuer-national/kleinunternehmerregelung-in-der-umsatzsteuer-1843632), turnover in the year you start is no longer projected to a full year: what counts is the actual turnover up to €25,000\. Above that you charge the standard rate of 19%, unless an exemption applies. We could not confirm an exemption for ordinary fitness training. Have your tax adviser check this before you set prices, because 19% on an hourly rate makes a big difference.

## Austria: registering the right trade

Austria has no trade called "personal trainer", and the term is not protected. According to the [WKO information paper](https://www.wko.at/oe/tourismus-freizeitwirtschaft/freizeit-sportbetriebe/infopapier-fitnesstrainer-personaltrainer.pdf) (Austrian Chamber of Commerce), "fitness trainer" falls under the trade wording "Erstellung von Trainingskonzepten für gesundheitsbewusste Personen". That is a free trade with no proof of qualification required. Once registered, you become a member of the WKO's professional association for leisure and sports businesses (Fachverband Freizeit- und Sportbetriebe).

Watch the boundary, though. Concepts for specific sports and sports science advice belong to the regulated trade "Lebens- und Sozialberatung eingeschränkt auf sportwissenschaftliche Beratung" (life and social counselling limited to sports science advice). For that you need a sports science degree or a coaching diploma from a federal sports academy (Bundessportakademie). Purely private lessons, on the other hand, do not fall under the trade regulations at all.

For VAT, the small business limit has been €55,000 gross since 2025; before that it was €35,000\. If you exceed it by up to 10%, the exemption still applies for the current year. If you voluntarily opt into VAT, you are bound to that choice for 5 years. The standard rate is 20%.

## Switzerland: VAT and AHV

In Switzerland you become liable for VAT (MWST) once your annual turnover from taxable services reaches CHF 100,000\. The standard rate has been 8.1% since 1 January 2024\. Many trainers who start on their own stay below that limit at first.

The AHV (old-age and survivors' insurance) is what you will notice more. According to [leaflet 2.02](https://www.ahv-iv.ch/p/2.02.d) (as of 1 January 2026), self-employed people pay 10.0% (AHV 8.1%, IV 1.4%, EO 0.5%). Lower incomes follow a sliding scale from 5.371% starting at CHF 10,100 up to 9.321%; you pay the full rate from CHF 60,500\. The minimum contribution is CHF 530\. There is no unemployment insurance for the self-employed and no compulsory accident insurance either, so you have to arrange accident cover yourself.

## Qualifications, insurance and extra income

"Personal trainer" is not a state-regulated profession in Germany. A licence is not mandatory, but it decides whether clients trust you and, as described above, whether you have a chance at liberal-profession status. Our guide on [how to get certified as a personal trainer](/blogs/how-to-get-certified-personal-trainer) shows the main routes.

In Switzerland it is worth looking at [Qualitop](https://www.qualitop.ch/), the quality label from Swiss Active for centres and method providers. Health insurers such as SWICA, Sanitas, CSS, Concordia and Atupri pay prevention contributions when clients train with Qualitop-certified providers. For clients, that is a real argument.

### Professional liability insurance

If a client gets injured during a session, it can get expensive quickly. Professional liability insurance (Berufshaftpflicht) is therefore the first policy you should take out. According to the comparison site [versicherdich.de](https://versicherdich.de/berufshaftpflicht/fitnesstrainer/), there are policies with €3 million cover from about €6.66 to €6.95 a month (for €30,000 to €50,000 turnover, checked in 2026). Specialist policies cost noticeably more: one example at [trainer-haftpflicht-versicherung.de](https://trainer-haftpflicht-versicherung.de/) starts at €312.38 a year. Compare cover and exclusions, not just the price.

### Prevention courses under §20 SGB V

In Germany, statutory health insurers subsidise certified prevention courses. The [Zentrale Prüfstelle Prävention](https://www.zentrale-pruefstelle-praevention.de/) (central prevention testing office) certifies courses and course leaders free of charge. In-person courses are certified for 3 years, online courses initially for 1 year. How much is reimbursed is up to each insurer. For trainers with the right qualification, it is a predictable second income stream alongside 1:1 training.

## Data protection: health data gets extra protection

As a personal trainer you ask about injuries, previous conditions, medication and weight. That is health data. [Article 9 GDPR](https://dsgvo-gesetz.de/art-9-dsgvo/) prohibits processing it in principle; one exception is explicit consent for specified purposes. In practice that means an intake questionnaire with clear consent, asking only what you really need for training, and not scattering the answers across private chats or notebooks.

If you use software that stores this data for you, you need a data processing agreement with the provider under [Article 28 GDPR](https://dsgvo-gesetz.de/art-28-dsgvo/). Ask every provider for one before you upload client data. In Austria the data protection authority (Datenschutzbehörde) in Vienna is responsible, including for data breach notifications. In Switzerland the revised Federal Act on Data Protection has applied since 1 September 2023\. Health data counts as particularly sensitive personal data there, and according to [OBT](https://www.obt.ch/de/infoboard/das-revidierte-datenschutzrecht-was-ist-zu-tun) fines of up to CHF 250,000 are imposed on the responsible individual, not the company.

## What you can charge per hour

There are no official statistics on prices, only surveys by platforms and providers. That is why the table below names the source and year. The German city figures are from 2023; we did not find newer figures per city.

| City                | Price per session (60 min)                     | Year      | Source                                                                                        |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Berlin              | €80 to €120                                    | 2023      | [jabata](https://jabata.co/blog/personal-trainer-kosten/)                                     |
| Munich              | €90 to €150 (2023); around €100 to €150 (2025) | 2023/2025 | jabata; [fitteam](https://www.fitteam.de/personal-trainer-muenchen-preise-und-kosten/)        |
| Hamburg             | €70 to €120                                    | 2023      | jabata                                                                                        |
| Cologne             | €70 to €120                                    | 2023      | jabata                                                                                        |
| Frankfurt           | €80 to €130                                    | 2023      | jabata                                                                                        |
| Vienna              | €80 to €150                                    | 2026      | [Personal Trainer Akademie](https://www.personaltrainerakademie.com/personal-trainer-kosten/) |
| Graz, Linz          | €70 to €120                                    | 2026      | Personal Trainer Akademie                                                                     |
| Salzburg, Innsbruck | €70 to €120 (higher in season)                 | 2026      | Personal Trainer Akademie                                                                     |
| Zurich              | CHF 150 to 300                                 | 2026      | [kenbuser.ch](https://kenbuser.ch/de/personal-trainer-kosten-schweiz-2026/)                   |
| Basel               | CHF 130 to 250                                 | 2026      | kenbuser.ch                                                                                   |
| Bern                | CHF 120 to 220                                 | 2026      | kenbuser.ch                                                                                   |

For online coaching in Germany, [Coachway](https://coachway.io/de/was-kostet-online-coaching/) quotes a typical €80 to €250 a month, depending on how much support is included. Before you sell a purely online programme with videos and check-ins, read our article on [the FernUSG and online coaching](/blogs/fernusg-online-coaching-germany): since a 2025 Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruling, a contract like that can be void without approval. For more on pricing, see [personal trainer prices by city](/blogs/personal-trainer-prices-by-city).

Keep VAT in mind when you do the maths. In Germany, a gross price of €100 above the small business limit contains about €15.97 of VAT; in Austria, at 20%, about €16.67\. If you plan around €100 and then become liable for VAT, you suddenly earn a sixth less.

## The software stack for getting started

At the start, a calendar, a spreadsheet and a chat app are often enough. From around ten clients it gets messy: plans in different formats, progress photos on your phone, unpaid sessions you are tracking in your head. A coaching platform puts all of that in one place. Trainera is one of them: training and nutrition plans, check-ins, habits, chat, payments, your own trainer website and a free client app for iOS and Android, in 26 languages. Questionnaires for intake forms are included on every plan, including the free one.

| Plan     | Germany and Austria (DE zone) | Switzerland (CHF) | Clients |
| -------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------- | ------- |
| Free     | €0                            | CHF 0             | 3       |
| Starter  | from €19.99                   | from CHF 19.90    | 10      |
| Pro      | from €49.99                   | from CHF 49.90    | 30      |
| Business | from €94.99                   | from CHF 99       | 75      |

Monthly prices as shown on [trainera.fit/pricing](/pricing); Switzerland has its own prices in Swiss francs there. For client payments there are four models: request only, a monthly subscription by card (with Apple Pay and Google Pay), payment per plan, and cash payments for in-person training, plus PayPal and bank transfer. Bookkeeping and tax returns stay with your tax adviser or accounting software. For the rest of the business set-up, use our [personal trainer business setup checklist](/blogs/personal-trainer-business-setup).

## Your first 30 days as a self-employed trainer

1. Find out how your work is classified: trade or liberal profession in Germany, free or regulated trade in Austria, AHV contribution liability in Switzerland.
2. Decide with your tax adviser whether you start as a small business, and calculate your prices both gross and net.
3. Take out professional liability insurance before your first client trains; in Switzerland, also arrange your own accident cover.
4. Set up an intake questionnaire with explicit consent and sign a data processing agreement with every software provider.
5. Set your prices using the city table and your qualifications, and have any online offer checked against the FernUSG first.
6. Pick one tool for plans, check-ins and payments while you still have few clients. Moving later takes more time.

_Plans, client app, check-ins and payments for your start: [see Trainera for personal trainers](/platform)._

## FAQ

### Is a personal trainer a trade or a liberal profession in Germany?

Usually a trade (Gewerbe), because individually designed programmes count as advisory work. Liberal-profession status is only possible for teaching activity, and the tax office and trade office decide.

### Up to what turnover am I a small business as a personal trainer?

In Germany up to €25,000 turnover in the previous year and €100,000 in the current year, in Austria up to €55,000 gross. In Switzerland you become liable for VAT from CHF 100,000 annual turnover.

### Which trade do I register as a fitness trainer in Austria?

The free trade "Erstellung von Trainingskonzepten für gesundheitsbewusste Personen" (training concepts for health-conscious people), with no proof of qualification. Sports science advice, by contrast, is a regulated trade.

### How much AHV do I pay as a self-employed personal trainer in Switzerland?

10.0% from an income of CHF 60,500; below that a sliding scale applies, starting at 5.371%. The minimum contribution in 2026 is CHF 530.

### How much does liability insurance cost for a personal trainer in Germany?

Comparison sites list policies with €3 million cover from about €7 a month; specialist policies cost considerably more. Compare cover and exclusions above all.

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Source: https://trainera.fit/blogs/self-employed-personal-trainer-germany-austria-switzerland