Production and treatment of fermentation spirit, consumer spirit, spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages

A licensed (concession) trade for the production and treatment of fermentation and consumer spirit, spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages. It requires a concession, professional qualification under s. 21/s. 22 and an opinion of the relevant authority (from 1 July 2025 the spirit excise duty administrator – the customs office); beer, wines, mead and growers' distilling are excluded.

Conditions for operating

General conditions under s. 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record (integrity is required; medical fitness need not be proven).
Professional qualification under s. 21 or s. 22 in one of the following variants:
- secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate in the relevant field + 1 year of practice in the field;
- secondary education with a school-leaving examination in the relevant field + 1 year of practice in the field;
- higher vocational education in the relevant field + 1 year of practice in the field;
- university education in the relevant area;
- a document recognising professional qualification + 1 year of practice in the field;
- a document verifying or recognising full qualification under Act No. 179/2006 Coll., or six years of practice in the field.
The concession is granted in administrative proceedings; the authorisation arises only on the day the decision granting the concession becomes final (s. 10(1)(b)).
An opinion of the relevant state administration authority on the concession is required; from 1 July 2025 (Act No. 218/2025 Coll., amending the Spirit Act No. 61/1997 Coll. and Annex No. 3 to the Trade Licensing Act) this is the spirit excise duty administrator, i.e. the customs office – until then it was the Ministry of Agriculture. The Trade Licensing Office is bound by a negative opinion of the relevant authority and will reject the application (s. 52(1)).
It is possible to appoint a responsible representative under s. 11, who is approved by the Trade Licensing Office in the case of a concession.
Administrative fee for a concession application: CZK 1,000 (first entry into business), CZK 500 for a further concession.

Examples of activities

production of spirit drinks (distillates, liqueurs, herbal and fruit spirit drinks)
operation of a distillery and production of fermentation spirit
production and treatment of consumer spirit (rectification, dilution)
denaturing of spirit
production of other alcoholic beverages containing spirit
industrial production of distillates

What this trade is and what it is for

The licensed (concession) trade "Production and treatment of fermentation spirit, consumer spirit, spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages" authorises the commercial production and treatment of spirit and beverages containing spirit. It falls under Annex No. 3 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.), i.e. the strictest category of trades. Unlike notifiable trades, it is not enough to notify the activity — to carry it out you need a concession, which the Trade Licensing Office decides on in administrative proceedings. The subject matter is in particular the production of fermentation and consumer spirit, its treatment (rectification, denaturing, dilution) and the production of spirit drinks and other alcoholic beverages intended for consumption or further processing.

The following are expressly excluded from the title: beer, fruit wines, other wines, mead and fruit distillates obtained by growers' distilling. These activities do not fall under this concession and are governed by their own regime.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The trade covers both industrial and craft production and treatment of spirit and beverages containing spirit:

production of fermentation spirit (spirit from sugary and starchy raw materials)
production and treatment of consumer spirit (rectification, dilution, purification)
production of spirit drinks (distillates, liqueurs, fruit and herbal spirit drinks)
production of other alcoholic beverages containing spirit
denaturing of spirit and other technological treatments

What does not belong here: the production of beer, fruit and other wines, mead and fruit distillates from growers' distilling (a different regime). The production of sulphite or synthetic spirit is a separate licensed (concession) trade (field No. 2). The mere sale of spirit drinks falls under the unqualified (free) trade "Wholesale and retail"; the separate sale of fermentation and consumer spirit and spirit drinks is dealt with as a special licensed (concession) trade. Growers' distilling operated by a growers' distillery also has its own regulation.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

The applicant must meet the general conditions under s. 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record. Integrity is required for this trade (s. 6); medical fitness need not be proven.

A professional qualification is also required. According to the database of regulated activities, s. 21 or s. 22 of the Trade Licensing Act applies, in several variants:

secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate in the relevant field,
secondary education with a school-leaving examination in the relevant field,
higher vocational education in the relevant field,
university education in the relevant area,
a document recognising professional qualification, or
a document verifying or recognising full qualification under Act No. 179/2006 Coll.

With vocational education, 1 year of practice in the field is required (variants 1, 2, 3 and 5), or six years of practice in the field for the variant without the relevant education.

Because this is a licensed (concession) trade, granting the concession additionally requires an opinion of the relevant state administration authority. This relevant authority changed in 2025: until 30 June 2025 the opinion was issued by the Ministry of Agriculture (on the basis of the Spirit Act No. 61/1997 Coll.); from 1 July 2025 the relevant authority is the spirit excise duty administrator, i.e. the customs office (a body of the Customs Administration of the Czech Republic that administers the excise duty on spirit). The change was brought in by Act No. 218/2025 Coll., which amended the Spirit Act and Annex No. 3 to the Trade Licensing Act. The Trade Licensing Office is bound by the opinion of the relevant authority under s. 52(1) — in the case of a negative opinion it will reject the application.

A natural or legal person who does not personally meet the professional qualification may appoint a responsible representative under s. 11. The representative must meet both the general and professional conditions and is approved by the Trade Licensing Office in the case of a concession.

How to obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) — for a licensed (concession) trade you submit a concession application.
Submit the application in person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Prove your professional qualification (documents on education and practice, or a responsible representative) and the documents needed for the opinion of the relevant authority (s. 50).
Wait for the opinion of the relevant authority — the customs office as the spirit excise duty administrator; the relevant authority usually issues its opinion within 30 days (s. 52(1)).
The decision granting the concession is issued by the Trade Licensing Office, usually within 30 days of the commencement of proceedings. The authorisation arises only on the day the decision becomes final (s. 10(1)(b)), not on submission of the application.
Registration in the register and a register extract are carried out by the office within 5 working days of the decision becoming final (s. 54(1)).

The general procedure is described in the guide on how to set up a trade.

Documents and fees

the completed URF (concession application),
proof of identity; the office usually obtains the criminal record extract itself,
documents on professional qualification (education and practice), or the appointment of a responsible representative,
supporting documents for the opinion of the relevant authority (the customs office as the spirit excise duty administrator),
administrative fee of CZK 1,000 on first entry into business, CZK 500 for a further concession or amendment of the decision.

Frequently asked questions

Is a notification enough to operate, or do I need a concession?

You need a concession. This is a licensed (concession) trade under Annex No. 3; the authorisation arises only when the decision granting the concession becomes final, not on notification.

Who comments on the application?

From 1 July 2025 the relevant authority is the spirit excise duty administrator, i.e. the customs office (previously the Ministry of Agriculture). The Trade Licensing Office is bound by its opinion (s. 52(1)); in the case of a negative opinion it will reject the application.

How long does processing take?

A concession is usually decided within 30 days; to this is added the relevant authority's time limit for issuing its opinion (usually up to 30 days). The actual time is therefore longer than for notifiable trades.

Does the production of beer or wine belong here?

No. Beer, fruit and other wines, mead and fruit distillates from growers' distilling are expressly excluded from this trade.

Can I do business through a responsible representative?

Yes. If you do not personally meet the professional qualification, you appoint a responsible representative under s. 11, whom the office approves in the case of a concession.