Abstract. Marine organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts have been studied from the Early and Middle Miocene of the Central Paratethys in Austria (Vienna and eastern Alpine Foreland basins) and Hungary (Pannonian Basin), and compared with assemblages of similar age from the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The presence of a diverse flora of 71 taxa, including such biostratigraphical markers as Apteodinium spiridoides, Cerebrocysta poulsenii, Cordosphaeridium cantharellus, Cribroperidinium tenuitabulatum, Exochosphaeridium insigne, Glaphyrocysta reticulosa s.l., Habibacysta tectata, Labyrinthodinium truncatum subsp. truncatum, Palaeocystodinium miocaenicum, and Unipontidinium aquaeductus, has allowed the establishment of five biozones that characterize the Ottnangian, Badenian and Sarmatian local stages (collectively equivalent to the mid-Burdigalian, upper Langhian and Serravallian stages). This is the first study to demonstrate the applicability of dinoflagellate cysts for detailed stratigraphic correlation and palaeoenvironmental interpretation in the Early and Middle Miocene of the Central Paratethys area.