Running a Business on a Trade Licence (Živnost) as a Foreigner

What you can do now

1. 1

   Check your residence document before registering

   A non-EU national registering a trade must show a visa for a stay over 90 days or a long-term residence permit (or permanent residence). Bring it to the Trade Licensing Office (živnostenský úřad).

2. 2

   Register in one place — tax and insurance included

   At the Trade Licensing Office you can use the single registration form to register with the tax office, social security and health insurance at the same time. For a standard notifiable trade the administrative fee is CZK 1,000.

3. 3

   Report every change within 15 days

   A change of address, place of business, a suspension or any other change must be reported to the Trade Licensing Office no later than 15 days after it happens.

4. 4

   Really run the business if your stay depends on it

   If your long-term residence permit was granted for business, you must show at renewal that you actually ran the business. Keep invoices, tax returns and proof of insurance payments — missing evidence is a common reason for refusal.

5. 5

   During an inspection: stay calm and keep the record

   The trade inspection, the tax office or customs may inspect your shop. You have the right to a written record, to an interpreter and to contact a lawyer. Do not sign what you do not understand.

Deadlines and money

Registering a standard notifiable trade costs CZK 1,000 and changes must be reported within 15 days. As a self-employed person you pay social security and health insurance advances and file an annual income-tax return. Missed obligations mean fines and can also affect the renewal of your residence. A lawyer usually charges a fixed fee to review your situation or to appeal a decision — ask for the price in advance.

Can you handle it yourself, or do you need a lawyer?

Many people register an ordinary trade themselves. Get a lawyer when you are fined after an inspection, when a residence renewal is refused for "not fulfilling the purpose of stay", when the tax office demands additional tax, or when you move from a trade licence to a company (s.r.o.).

When you contact a lawyer, bring your trade licence, residence card and any inspection record or decision, with the date you received it.

Documents to Prepare

• •Passport and residence card or visa
• •Trade licence registration
• •Invoices, accounting records and tax returns
• •Proof of social security and health insurance payments
• •Inspection record or decision, with the date received

Frequently Asked Questions

Legal background

Trade licensing is governed by the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). A foreign natural person notifying a trade must document a visa for a stay over 90 days or a long-term residence permit. Residence is governed by Act No. 326/1999 Coll.; a new long-term residence permit may be refused if the foreigner did not fulfil the purpose for which it was granted, unless serious and temporary reasons are shown.

Verified Sources

• Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.) — Zákony pro lidi
• Act No. 326/1999 Coll., on the Residence of Foreigners — Zákony pro lidi

Last reviewed: 2026-10-14

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