Unrestricted trade fields: how many there are and what to choose

One trade, and yet 80 fields. How is that possible?

Say you want to sell through an e-shop, write commissioned blog posts and occasionally advise someone on marketing. Three different activities. How many trade licences do you need?

One. The unrestricted trade.

Here is the point that confuses many beginners. The unrestricted trade is legally only one single trade. Its name is the unwieldy "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 to the Trade Licensing Act", and you find it in Section 25(2) of the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). Inside, this one trade is divided into fields of activity, and there are many of them.

Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act numbers the fields from 1 to 82. But note: numbers 54 and 81 are abolished, so there are 80 active fields in reality. You may therefore see three figures in different sources: 80, 82 and "over 80". The safe statement is: 80 active fields, numbered up to 82. The current list is always published by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in the PDF for the registration form.

Why one trade certificate covers several fields

When you notify the unrestricted trade, you still notify only that one trade, and you choose which fields you want to carry on. You can take one field, five fields or all 80.

For your wallet, that means there is no surcharge for the number of fields. Whether you report one field or eighty, it is still one notification of one trade and one administrative fee.

Practical tip: Many craftspeople and freelancers have several fields reported "in reserve" when starting out. The logic is simple: who knows what you will do in two years. If you take fields today that you do not yet use, it costs nothing and you do not have to visit the office later. Extra fields do not burden you for tax or other purposes.

How to notify several fields at once without another fee

The procedure is exactly the same as for an ordinary trade set-up; in one step you tick several fields.

1. Fill in the Single Registration Form (JRF). In the section for the object of business, choose the unrestricted trade and list or tick the individual fields of activity. You can state as many as you want.
2. Submit it. Either in person at any Trade Licensing Office (CRM) or Czech POINT contact point, or electronically through rzp.gov.cz.
3. Pay one fee. For the first entry into business it is 1,000 Kč (electronically with a 20 % discount, i.e. 800 Kč). This amount applies regardless of how many fields you reported. (Fees are governed by Act No. 634/2004 Coll.; verified 2026.)
4. Wait for entry. The Trade Licensing Office makes the entry in the register and issues an extract within 5 working days after delivery of the notification (Section 47).

Want to add a field later, once your trade is running? Extending the unrestricted trade by another field is free - 0 Kč. You simply notify the change to the office. The idea of "500 Kč for every additional field" does not apply; that rate concerns notification of another trade, for example a craft trade, not adding a field to the unrestricted trade.

Warning: The discount and free extension relate to the unrestricted trade. If you set up a craft or regulated trade alongside it, that is a separate trade and the 500 Kč fee applies. When several notifications are filed together in one submission, however, only one fee is paid: the highest one.

What the unrestricted trade does not require

The main reason the unrestricted trade is the most common of all is simple: you do not document any professional competence. No apprenticeship certificate, diploma or years of practice. You only have to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

• full legal capacity (traditionally age 18; exceptionally business from age 16 is possible with court consent),
• good standing (for Czech citizens, the office obtains the Criminal Register extract itself).

That is all. No exams, no chambers.

The most common fields by profession

To make this practical, here is an indicative cheat sheet. From 80 fields, a typical sole trader chooses a handful matching the activity.

Field No. 82 - a catch-all reserve

The very last field on the list is No. 82 "Manufacture, trade and services not elsewhere classified". It is a residual field for activities that do not fit under any more specific field. Treat it as a safety net, not a replacement. If your activity has its own field (IT = 56, marketing = 66), always report the specific one. Add field 82 as well if you do something unusual or plan to expand and want room to move.

What about a craft without an apprenticeship certificate?

A common situation: you can paint flats, do auxiliary construction work or assemble furniture, but you have no apprenticeship certificate. Does it fall under the unrestricted trade?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Classic crafts such as masonry, painting, joinery, hairdressing or hospitality services are craft trades (Annex 1), and competence is documented there. Without an apprenticeship certificate or practice, you cannot notify them yourself; you would need to appoint a responsible representative who has the competence.

But there are many craft-adjacent activities that the law leaves as unrestricted, and no paper is needed for them:

• 45 Preparatory and finishing construction work, specialised construction activities - auxiliary work on a building site, demolition, terrain preparation, but not masonry itself.
• 46 Glazing, framing and mount-cutting.
• 50 Maintenance of motor vehicles and their accessories - ordinary maintenance and care of a car, but not expert repairs, which are a craft.
• 75 Laundry for households, ironing, repair and maintenance of clothing.
• 77 Repair and maintenance of household goods.

Warning: The line between an unrestricted field and a craft can be thin, and the office assesses it by the content of the activity (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.). If you are unsure whether your specific activity falls under an unrestricted field or already under a craft, ask the Trade Licensing Office before invoicing. Carrying on a craft activity under only an unrestricted trade is unauthorised business.

Summary

• The unrestricted trade is one single trade with 80 active fields (numbered up to 82; numbers 54 and 81 are abolished).
• You can report any number of fields at once and pay one fee (1,000 Kč, electronically 800 Kč).
• Competence is not documented; legal capacity and good standing are enough.
• Adding a field later is free (0 Kč).
• For common professions: e-shop = 48 and 47, IT = 56, marketing = 66, photography = 68, consultancy = 60.
• Crafts such as hairdressing, masonry and hospitality services are not unrestricted trades; an apprenticeship certificate or practice is documented there.

The complete and always current list of all fields is in the Ministry of Industry and Trade catalogue. Before filing a notification, we recommend verifying the numbers and content of fields directly with the competent Trade Licensing Office or at rzp.gov.cz.