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How does company registration works in Czech Republic?

This article explains how you can start a business in the Czech Republic, covering where to register, whether the registration process is centralized, whether registration is mandatory for all types of businesses, and the associated registration fees.

1. Where to register?

Business registration in Czech Republic typically involves two main public registers/authorities:

a. Trade Licensing Office (Živnostenský úřad)

At the Trade Licensing Office, entrepreneurs apply for a trade licence, which authorizes them to conduct specific business activities. The Trade Register (živnostenský rejstřík), maintained by this office, records all licensed business operations in the Czech Republic. Sole proprietors are permitted to operate solely on the basis of a trade licence. However, companies such as limited liability companies (s.r.o.) or joint-stock companies (a.s.) must not only obtain the appropriate trade licences for their business activities but also be registered in the Commercial Register in order to acquire full legal status.
 
Note: North Data does not uses this source and therefore we do not cover all sole proprietorship data in Czech Republic.
 

b. Commercial Register (Obchodní rejstřík)

The Commercial Register (Obchodní rejstřík) serves as the official public record for companies and certain other legal entities, overseen by regional registry courts (with the Municipal Court responsible in Prague) under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. Legal entities—including limited liability companies, joint-stock companies, partnerships, and cooperatives—are formally established only upon successful registration in the Commercial Register. This registration is both mandatory and constitutive, meaning that a company is recognized as a legal entity only after completing this process.
 

Note: Sole proprietors are generally not listed in the Commercial Register unless they choose to opt in or meet specific criteria, such as a very high annual turnover.

2. Is business registration mandatory?

In Czech Republic, all business activities must be registered in some form. Every entrepreneur – whether a sole proprietor or a company – is generally required to obtain a trade licence (živnostenské oprávnění) before conducting business. This applies to sole traders (živnostníci/OSVČ) and all types of legal entities (partnerships, companies, cooperatives, etc.), except for certain professional activities governed by special laws (e.g. attorneys, doctors) which have their own licensing regimes. In practice, a trade licence (or other relevant business authorization) is mandatory for all standard businesses in order to operate legally.

3. Is registration centralized?

The Czech business registration process has been streamlined through “one-stop shop” mechanisms, though it isn’t fully unified into a single step. Trade Licence Offices act as Central Registration Points (CRM) where a new entrepreneur can handle multiple registrations in one place.

4. What is the cost of registering a business?

Typical company-formation costs in the Czech Republic usually include a trade licence fee of around 1,000 CZK (about 40 EUR), a court registration fee of roughly 6,000 CZK (about 250 EUR) if filed through the registry court, or about 2,700 CZK (around 110 EUR) when registration is completed directly via a notary under simplified conditions. Additional notary-related costs for deeds and certifications generally range from approximately 3,000 to 6,000 CZK (about 120–250+ EUR) depending on document complexity and any in-kind contributions. Minor administrative fees also apply typically 50 to 500 CZK each (roughly 2–20 EUR) for items such as criminal record extracts, proof of address, certified signatures, or land registry documents.