Chickpeas, a high-quality source of protein, are still rarely cultivated in Austrian agriculture, although they are undoubtedly one of the beneficiaries of the changed climatic conditions due to their high drought tolerance. Despite increasing demand, European countries, including Austria, are still heavily dependent on imports. Among other things, many Austrian farmers lack the availability of suitable varieties and seeds for their specific growing environment to cultivate chickpeas. In this project, various foreign chickpea varieties were cultivated in 2023/24 in a variety trial in the dry cultivation area of Austria, in Fuchsenbigl, Marchfeld, and analysed for their characteristics such as appearance, growth, yield and protein content, whereby clear differences between the varieties were observed. The germination capacity of the seed of some chickpea varieties was weak, which is why the seed vigour was adjusted. In appearance, the chickpeas differed mainly in two types: Kabuli and Desi, with the Kabuli type being better known and more popular in Europe. The varieties varied significantly in growth, ripening time, yield and protein content. The yield recorded at a normalised dry matter content of 86 % was between 16 and 24 dt/ha, with a protein content of between 19.2 % and 23.0 %. In order to be able to make reliable statements about which varieties grow best on Austrian soils and in the Austrian climate, trials lasting several years are necessary. The inclusion of chickpeas in the Austrian Seed Regulation or in the EU catalogue of varieties would guarantee higher seed quality and the supply of healthy, high-quality and high-yielding varieties.