Butchery and meat processing

Butchery and meat processing is a craft trade (field No. 1 of Annex No. 1 to the Trade Licensing Act) covering the slaughter, cutting and processing of meat and the production of meat and smoked-meat products. To notify it you need a professional qualification under Section 21 or Section 22 of the Trade Licensing Act and to meet the general conditions under Section 6 (full legal capacity and a clean criminal record).

Examples of activities

• Slaughter of animals for slaughter and cutting of meat
• Production and processing of meat, meat semi-products and products
• Production of sausages, smoked-meat and salami products
• Smoking, curing and preserving of meat
• Cutting and portioning of meat to order
• Sale of one’s own meat and smoked-meat products within the butchery
• Production of meat tins and pâtés
• Processing of poultry, fish and game

What the trade is and what it is for

Butchery and meat processing is a craft trade classified under field No. 1 of Annex No. 1 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll., as amended). It entitles you to the slaughter of animals for slaughter, the cutting and processing of meat, the production of meat and smoked-meat products and their sale within the trade carried on. It is a traditional craft for which the law requires proof of a professional qualification, because it involves working with food and raw materials of animal origin.

This trade authorisation forms the basic business title. Alongside it, further legal regulations apply to your activity, in particular veterinary and hygiene regulations (e.g. the Food Act and the regulations of the State Veterinary Administration), which deal with the approval and registration of the establishment.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The trade Butchery and meat processing covers in particular:

• the slaughter of animals for slaughter, the cutting and portioning of meat,
• the processing of meat, the production of meat semi-products, sausages, salamis, pâtés and tins,
• the smoking, curing and preserving of meat,
• the processing of poultry, fish and game,
• the sale of one’s own products within the trade carried on.

Boundaries with neighbouring trades: The standalone retail sale of meat and meat products without producing them falls under the unqualified (free) trade (the field “Wholesale and retail”). The production of ready meals from meat for immediate consumption (e.g. in a fast-food establishment) belongs to the Hospitality activity trade. If you are unsure about the classification of a specific activity, verify the scope with the Trade Licensing Office.

Statutory conditions for obtaining the trade

You must meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record. Medical fitness is not required for this trade under the Trade Licensing Act. At the same time, no obstacles to carrying on a trade under Section 8 may exist (e.g. ongoing insolvency or a court-imposed ban on activity).

Furthermore, you must prove a professional qualification, which the Trade Licensing Act classes among the special conditions for carrying on a trade (Section 7). Under Section 21 one of the variants is enough (no practice required): an apprenticeship certificate in the relevant field, a school-leaving (maturita) certificate in the relevant field, a diploma from a higher vocational school in the relevant field or from a university in the relevant area of study programmes, a document on the recognition of professional qualification, or a document on full professional qualification under Act No. 179/2006 Coll.

If you do not have education directly in the field, you will use Section 22 – education in a related field or retraining supplemented by 1 year of practice in the field. The exception is university education in a related area, for which Section 22 does not require practice. Without a document on education, the qualification may be proven by 6 years of practice in the field.

You may also secure the professional qualification through a responsible representative under Section 11 – a person who meets the conditions and is responsible for the proper operation of the trade. This person may hold the office of responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

1. Prepare the documents on education, or practice, and, for a responsible representative, their consent.
2. Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) – with a single submission you handle the trade as well as registrations with the tax office, the social security administration and the health insurance company.
3. Submit the notification at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, online via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or via Czech POINT.
4. Pay the administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (only CZK 800 for electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz).
5. The Trade Licensing Office enters you in the Trade Register within 5 working days and issues an extract.

The trade authorisation arises on the day of notification (provided the conditions are met), not only on the issue of the extract. You will find the detailed procedure in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

• Identity document and a completed URF.
• Proof of professional qualification under Section 21, or a document on education/retraining and practice under Section 22.
• When using a responsible representative, their declaration and documents under Section 11.
• Administrative fee: CZK 1,000 (on paper), CZK 800 (electronically via rzp.gov.cz).
• Registration deadline: within 5 working days of notification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate as a butcher, or is practice enough?

The apprenticeship certificate is not the only route. Under Section 22, education in a related field with 1 year of practice, retraining with 1 year of practice, or 6 years of practice in the field without a document on education is also enough. University education in a related area is recognised even without practice.

Is butchery an unqualified or a craft trade?

It is a craft trade (field No. 1 of Annex No. 1 to the Trade Licensing Act), so a professional qualification is submitted – unlike for unqualified trades.

Must I have my own slaughterhouse and establishment?

Not under the Trade Licensing Act. However, if you slaughter or process meat, the establishment is subject to veterinary and hygiene regulations and, as a rule, to approval or registration with the State Veterinary Administration.

What if I do not have the professional qualification?

You may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 who meets the conditions and is responsible for the proper operation of the trade.

When can I start doing business?

The authorisation arises on the day of notification provided all conditions are met; the office enters you in the Register within 5 working days.

Sources

• Database of regulated activities of the Ministry of Education – Butchery and meat processing
• Trade Licensing Act No. 455/1991 Coll. (Zakony pro lidi)
• Ministry of Industry and Trade