- Solution area:Organisations ,Processes ,Regulations and compliance ,
- Аdministrative level:District ,State ,Federation ,
- Solution process:Digitization and technology ,Public service ,
- Technology:Platform technology ,
Once-Only Platform Austria
Once entered – available everywhere: This is Modern Public Administration
In the digital age, no one should have to submit the same data multiple times to different authorities. This is where the Once-Only Platform Austria comes in: it lays the foundation for citizens and businesses to submit their data to the administration only once. All further required information is then exchanged securely, legally compliant, and automatically between authorities. This not only saves time and effort, but also improves service quality and drives the digital transformation of public administration.
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Quick Facts
How it works
The Once-Only Platform is based on the European Once-Only Principle and is technically implemented in Austria via the "Digital Austria Data Exchange" – or dadeX for short. dadeX serves as the central data hub for exchanges between administrative units at the federal, state, and municipal levels. When citizens or businesses submit an application, relevant data – with their consent and after authentication – is automatically retrieved from the responsible registers (e.g., population register, tax administration, family allowance database) and made available to the appropriate authority.
A concrete example is the city of Graz: Since 2024, parents have been able to register their children for kindergarten entirely online – including automatic calculation of financial support, matching with the population register, and verification of income. In the very first year, 26% of families used this fully digital service.
The highest standards of data protection are a given: dadeX ensures that all data is processed in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Moreover, the platform functions as a so-called “Register and System Network” (RSV) – a central building block for cross-border data exchange within the EU-wide Single Digital Gateway.
The Big Picture
With the Once-Only Platform, Austria is pioneering administrative digitization and data protection. The solution significantly reduces the burden on citizens and businesses by cutting red tape, shortening processing times, and eliminating media discontinuities. At the same time, it boosts trust in digital public services – because once someone experiences how smoothly a digital application works, they’re more likely to use digital offerings again in the future.
In addition, the structured and legally compliant exchange of data enables entirely new forms of cooperation within the EU. This paves the way for a digital single market where public services can be delivered efficiently across borders – a real added value for the economy, society, and public administration.
