Obtaining a trade license

If you wish to pursue activities that meet the characteristics of a trade, you must apply for a Trade License. A Trade License is an authorisation to conduct activities which fall into the scope of trade business and is valid for the entire territory of the Slovak Republic. One sole trader may pursue several business activities but needs to hold a Trade License for each of them. In addition to obtaining a trade license, you must also obtain a suitable type of residence that will enable you to conduct business in Slovakia.

A Trade License may be acquired by notifying the competent Trade Licensing Office according to a permanent residence in Slovakia or if you do not have permanent residence, the Trade Licensing Office in the region according to the place of your business. Follow these steps:

1. Fill in the application form.

NOTE: In the case of a foreign person/organizational unit of a foreign person's company, it is necessary to fill in the data on the head of the company ("vedúci podniku"). If an Authorised representative is appointed, it is necessary to fill in the details on his/her appointment, his/her consent to the appointment and his/her declaration.

2. Submit a criminal record extract from your home country or the country where you resided for a continuous period longer than 6 months within the last 5 years. The criminal record must not be older than 90 days, must be apostilled/superlegalized and must be translated to the Slovak language by an official translator certified by the Ministry of Justice of the Slovak Republic. If you are a Slovak natural person it is sufficient to state the information necessary for a request of the criminal record extract of the Slovak Republic (you do not submit a criminal record extract from your home country).
3. Submit an entitlement to use the property that is considered a registered address of the business. This is proved either by a lease agreement (in case you will do business in rented premises; the lease agreement must include an explicit statement that the property may be used for the purpose of business) or by a notary verified written consent of the property owner allowing you to conduct business within such property.
4. Submit the document proving your qualification or the qualification of your Authorised Representative to conduct a craft or regulated trade (proved by a certificate of apprenticeship, attestation, diploma, authorization, etc.).
5. Pay the relevant administrative fee 
   • 5 EUR for unregulated trades, or
   • 15 EUR for regulated or craft trades.

Further administrative fees related to trade business can be found on the website of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic.

The Trade Licensing Office shall issue a Trade License no later than 3 working days of the receipt of the application along with all attachments. 

You are obliged to notify the competent Trade Licensing Office of any changes and amendments to the data and documents stipulated in the application and submit the respective documents within 15 days of the occurrence of the change.