Start invoicing in Czechia under the right trade.
The first step is choosing the trade. Tell me what you will invoice for, and I match it to a trade category. Filing the trade licence (živnostenské oprávnění) itself is quick. The registrations after it take more work, and a wrong trade takes longer to fix than to file.
Who this is for
- You freelance and invoice clients in Czechia or abroad
- Your residence application rests on a registered business
- You are employed in Czechia and want to become self-employed (OSVČ, a sole trader registered in the Trade Licensing Register)
- Before setting up an s.r.o. (a limited liability company), you want to test the activity
What I handle
These lines become your written scope, confirmed before any work starts.
- Confirming if your work is a free trade or needs proof of qualification
- A document list for your nationality and residence status
- Preparing and filing the notification at the trade licensing office (živnostenský úřad)
- A registered business address, if you do not have a suitable one
- Tax registration with the Financial Administration (Finanční správa), the Czech tax authority
- Registration with the Czech Social Security Administration (ČSSZ) and your health insurer
- A short written list of recurring obligations and when each falls due
What you prepare
Some steps only you can take. Better to know them before you decide.
- Describe, in plain terms, the work you will actually invoice for
- Obtain a criminal record extract from your country of citizenship
- Send proof of qualification if the trade is not a free trade
- Choose a health insurer, because the registration is in your name
Documents usually needed
- Passport, and a Czech residence document if you already have one
- Criminal record extract from your country of citizenship
- Proof of the business address with the owner's consent
- Proof of qualification or experience for vocational and regulated trades
- Certified Czech translation of documents issued abroad
Treat this list as a guide. Requirements vary with the type of trade and your nationality, so confirm them before you order documents.
How it runs
Step by step, in the order it happens.
- 01
Match the trade
You tell me what you will invoice for. I match it to the trade categories and flag anything that falls outside a free trade.
- 02
Documents
Documents from abroad go first. They take the longest to obtain.
- 03
Filing
I file the notification at the trade licensing office and keep your case open until the entry shows in the Trade Licensing Register.
- 04
Tax and insurance
Tax registration comes next, then social security and health insurance. Everything stays in the same case.
What I do not do myself
- Bookkeeping, tax returns and the annual overviews for social security and health insurance. A tax adviser or accountant handles these.
- Legal or tax advice on how you invoice. Legal questions go to a partner lawyer.
- Fees charged by the trade licensing office and other authorities. You pay them to the office directly.
- A promise about how the residence authority will view your business, or how long any office takes
Questions about this service
Can I live in Czechia on a trade licence alone?
No. A trade licence registers a business. It isn't a residence permit. If you need one, that's a separate application, and the trade licence is often one of the documents behind it.
How long does registration take?
The filing at the trade licensing office is usually quick. Documents from abroad set the real pace. Those are criminal record extracts, translations and any apostilles, so I start with them.
Prices
Know the price before you commit. Government and consular fees are not included, and you pay them at the counter.
Trade licence
fromCZK10,600
Official sources
Procedures change. Before you file, check each point with these authorities.
Related services
Tell me what you need to get done.
Two short steps and no documents. If a different service suits you better, the reply says so.
- Business hours
- Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00 CET