How to run a business as a hairdresser / beautician / nail technician
How to run a business as a hairdresser, beautician or nail technician
It depends on the field. Cutting and colouring hair falls under the craft trade Barbering and hairdressing (Holičství, kadeřnictví), beauty services and nail modelling are separate craft trades, and massage is a regulated trade — Massage, reconditioning and regeneration services. In all cases, however, two additional things apply compared with "office" fields: you must prove your professional qualification (apprenticeship certificate, accredited retraining or practical experience) and it is an epidemiologically significant activity — you must address business premises, an operating code and hygiene (KHS — the regional public health authority).
Which trade licence do you need? It depends on the field
Barbering, hairdressing
craft trade · Annex No. 1, Part A
Cutting, colouring, highlighting, blow-dry, perm, shaving and beard grooming. You prove your qualification under § 21–22 (apprenticeship certificate as hairdresser/barber, secondary school-leaving exam (maturita)/VOŠ/university in the field, accredited retraining + practical experience, or 6 years of practical experience).
Types of trade licencesBeauty services + Pedicure, manicure
two craft trades · Annex No. 1, Part C
Facial cosmetics, make-up, depilation, eyelash and eyebrow tinting (Beauty services) and, separately, manicure, pedicure and modelling of gel and acrylic nails (Pedicure, manicure). A typical nail technician who also does cosmetics needs both trade licences.
Types of trade licencesMassage, reconditioning and regeneration services
regulated trade · Annex No. 2
Sports, reconditioning and regeneration massages are not part of cosmetics — this is a regulated trade with stricter qualification requirements (physiotherapist, masseur under Act 96/2004 Coll., or accredited retraining / NSK professional qualification).
Types of trade licencesStep-by-step procedure
- Choose the right trade licences according to your services hairdresser → Barbering, hairdressing; nail technician → Pedicure, manicure (+ often Beauty services); massage → regulated trade: Massage, reconditioning and regeneration services. You do not pay extra for several trades in one notification. → detail
- Prove your qualification for each field apprenticeship certificate / maturita / VOŠ / university in the field, or accredited retraining (certificate with MŠMT accreditation, + practical experience if required), or 6 years of practical experience in the field (§ 21–22 and Part C of Annex No. 1).
- Don't have the qualification? Appoint a responsible representative if you do not meet the qualification yourself, you must, under § 11 of the Trade Licensing Act, appoint a responsible representative who meets the qualification and takes part in the operation.
- Notify the trade via the Single Registration Form (JRF) online at rzp.gov.cz or in person at any trade licensing office (živnostenský úřad) or Czech POINT — with a single form you handle your IČO (business ID), ČSSZ (Czech Social Security Administration) registration and health insurer enrolment. Provide proof of qualification. → detail
- Pay the administrative fee and wait for the extract 1 000 Kč for the first notification (800 Kč electronically); the office registers the trade and issues an extract with the IČO within 5 working days.
- Sort out the premises, operating code and KHS notification draw up an operating code (§ 21 of Act 258/2000 Coll.) and, from 1 January 2026, simply notify the KHS in writing of the day you start operating — you no longer need approval. → detail
- Set up your taxes and insurance consider the flat-rate tax (registration by 12 January) or the 80 % lump-sum expense allowance; register advance payments for social insurance (ČSSZ) and health insurance. → detail
Premises and hygiene: operating code and KHS notification
Hairdressing, cosmetics, manicure, pedicure and massage are, under § 19 of Act No. 258/2000 Coll., epidemiologically significant activities. You must have a health certificate (hygiene minimum) and an operating code under § 21 — disinfection and sterilisation of tools, hygiene, handling of laundry and waste, cleaning. Key change for 2026: from 1 January 2026 the KHS NO LONGER APPROVES the operating code. There is a shift from the approval regime to a notification regime — you must have the operating code drawn up and available during an inspection, but you only notify the KHS in writing of the day you start operating (notification of the premises to the trade licensing office under § 17 of the Trade Licensing Act is handled separately). Note: some public health authority websites still state "approval" — that is text from 2025. Source: Act 258/2000 Coll., KHS — verified 2026.
How to prove qualification (§ 21, § 22 and Part C of Annex No. 1)
| Way of proving qualification | What it means | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Apprenticeship certificate in the field | secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate (hairdresser/barber, beautician, etc.) — the most reliable document | § 21 / Part C of Annex No. 1 |
| Maturita, VOŠ or university in the field | secondary education with a school-leaving certificate in the field or with vocational-training subjects, higher vocational or university education focused on the field | § 21 / Part C of Annex No. 1 |
| Accredited retraining | retraining certificate or professional qualification (e.g. "manicurist and nail designer") — the course must have MŠMT accreditation; for a Part A craft trade, additionally + 1 year of practical experience (§ 22) | § 22 / Part C of Annex No. 1, Act 179/2006 Coll. |
| Practical experience in the field | 6 years of practical experience in the field without education or retraining, or proof of education in a related field + 1 year of practical experience | § 22 / Part C of Annex No. 1 |
| Responsible representative | if you do not meet the qualification yourself, you appoint a person who meets it and takes part in the operation | § 11 of the Trade Licensing Act |
Massage, reconditioning and regeneration services (a regulated trade) have their own, stricter list of qualifications (physiotherapist or masseur under Act 96/2004 Coll., a university degree with a rehabilitation/physical-education focus, accredited retraining or a professional qualification for massage). Source: Act 455/1991 Coll. (§ 11, § 21–22, Annexes 1 and 2), MPO — verified 2026.
80 % lump-sum expense allowance and flat-rate tax
Craft trades (hairdressing, cosmetics, manicure/pedicure) and the regulated trade of masseur benefit from the highest lump-sum expense allowance — 80 % of income (expense cap 1 600 000 Kč). For a low-cost operation (e.g. a nail technician working from home) this often works out more favourably than actual expenses. An alternative is the flat-rate tax — a single monthly payment covers tax and insurance contributions without a tax return or income and expenses statements (Band 1: 9 984 Kč/month; during 2026 an amendment reduces it to approximately 9 162 Kč, with any overpayment refunded; income limit 2 000 000 Kč/year, registration by 12 January). You only become a DPH (VAT) payer once your turnover exceeds 2 000 000 Kč/year. Source: Tax Administration (Finanční správa), the Income Tax Act — verified 2026. More in the OSVČ Taxes → section.
Frequently asked questions
Which trade licence do I need for hairdressing?
For nails and cosmetics, do I need one trade licence or two?
Do I need an apprenticeship certificate, or is a retraining course enough?
Does the public health authority (KHS) have to approve my operating code?
Can I do massage as part of cosmetics?
What if I have no education in the field at all?
Not sure which type of trade licence to choose?
Hairdressing and cosmetics are craft trades, massage is a regulated trade — and each type has different qualification requirements. Go through the differences between craft, regulated and permit (concession) trades.