Manufacture and repair of musical instruments

A craft trade (field No. 20) covering the manufacture, building, adjustment and repair of stringed, keyboard, wind and percussion instruments, including their tuning. To obtain it you must document a professional qualification under Section 21 or Section 22 of the Trade Licensing Act.

Conditions for operating

General conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record. There must also be no obstacles to carrying on the trade under Section 8.

Professional qualification under Section 21 (one of the following options):
- secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate in the relevant field;
- secondary education with a school-leaving examination (maturita) in the relevant field;
- higher professional education in the relevant field;
- university education in the relevant area;
- a certificate of recognition of professional qualification;
- a certificate of obtaining a full professional qualification under Act No. 179/2006 Coll.

Substitute means of professional qualification under Section 22:
- secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate in a related field + 1 year of practice in the field;
- secondary education with a school-leaving examination in a related field + 1 year of practice in the field;
- higher professional education in a related field + 1 year of practice in the field;
- university education in a related area (without practice);
- a certificate of recognition of professional qualification for a related field or a certificate of retraining + 1 year of practice in the field;
- 6 years of practice in the field without a certificate of education.

The qualification may also be documented through a responsible representative under Section 11.
Medical fitness and liability insurance are not required.

Examples of activities

manufacture and building of guitars, violins and other stringed instruments
manufacture and repair of wind instruments
building and repair of organs and harmoniums
repairs and renovation of grand and upright pianos
tuning of pianos and other instruments
adjustment and overhaul of bowed instruments
manufacture of percussion instruments
restoration of historical musical instruments

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Manufacture and repair of musical instruments is a craft trade listed under field No. 20 of Annex 1 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It entitles you to the manufacture, building, adjustment, tuning and repair of musical instruments across all groups – from stringed and keyboard through wind to percussion. It is a traditional craft that combines work with wood, metal and fine mechanics, which is why the law sets a requirement for a documented qualification.

You will make use of this licence whether you want to build violins and guitars to measure, repair pianos and organs, tune instruments, or run a service for musicians and music schools.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

This trade covers in particular:

the manufacture and building of stringed instruments (violins, violas, cellos, guitars, harps, lutes);
the manufacture and repair of keyboard instruments (grand pianos, upright pianos, harpsichords) and the building of organs and harmoniums;
the manufacture and repair of woodwind and brass instruments (clarinets, flutes, trumpets, french horns);
the manufacture and repair of percussion instruments;
the adjustment, tuning, renovation and restoration of instruments.

Boundaries with neighbouring trades. The mere sale of musical instruments and sheet music (retail or wholesale) does not belong here – you carry that on under the unqualified (free) trade "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3". Likewise, the manufacture of simple folk and toy instruments without any requirement for a craft qualification may fall under an unqualified (free) trade. Where it concerns the manufacture of furniture or exclusively joinery processing of wood, the joinery trade, or an unqualified (free) trade focused on wood processing, applies. If you are unsure how to classify a particular activity, we recommend verifying it in advance with the Trade Licensing Office.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

You must meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act, that is, full legal capacity and a clean criminal record (documented by an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the office obtains itself). At the same time, there must be no obstacles to carrying on the trade under Section 8 (e.g. a previously imposed ban on the activity). The law does not require medical fitness or liability insurance for this trade.

Furthermore, as with any craft trade, you must prove a professional qualification. Under Section 21 you document it with one of the following options: an apprenticeship certificate, school-leaving examination or higher professional education in the relevant field, university education in the relevant area, a certificate of recognition of professional qualification, or a certificate of obtaining a full professional qualification under Act No. 179/2006 Coll.

If you do not have such education, you can use the substitute means under Section 22:

an apprenticeship certificate, school-leaving examination or higher professional school in a related field + 1 year of practice in the field;
university education in a related area without practice;
recognition of professional qualification for a related field or retraining + 1 year of practice;
6 years of practice in the field without a certificate of education.

If you do not meet the qualification at all, you may carry on the trade through a responsible representative (Section 11) who meets the conditions of Section 21 or Section 22 on your behalf and is responsible for the proper operation of the trade. A single person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Complete the Unified Registration Form (JRF).
Submit the notification at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Submit proof of professional qualification (or the appointment of a responsible representative) and pay the administrative fee.
The trade licence arises on the day of notification; the office will make the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days.

A detailed procedure can be found in the guide how to set up a trade.

Documents and fees

a completed JRF;
proof of identity;
proof of professional qualification under Section 21 or Section 22 (education, practice, retraining), or documents relating to the responsible representative;
the office verifies the clean criminal record itself from the Criminal Records Register;
an administrative fee of CZK 1,000 on notification, or CZK 800 for electronic submission.

The central administrative authority for the area of trade licensing is the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Na Františku 32, 110 15 Prague 1; however, the notification itself is handled by any municipal Trade Licensing Office.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate specifically for musical instruments?

You do not have to. In addition to an apprenticeship certificate in the relevant field (Section 21), the qualification can also be documented as a substitute under Section 22 – for example by a related field with one year of practice, retraining with one year of practice, or six years of practice in the field without a certificate of education.

Can I only tune pianos without making them?

Yes, the tuning and adjustment of instruments is part of this craft trade. Even for tuning alone you must document a professional qualification under Section 21 or Section 22.

Can I also sell musical instruments?

The mere retail or wholesale sale of instruments falls under an unqualified (free) trade, not under this craft. To sell, you should therefore also notify the unqualified (free) trade "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3".

What if I do not meet the qualification?

You may notify the trade and do business if you appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 who meets the professional qualification on your behalf.

When can I start doing business?

The licence arises as early as the day of notification; you do not have to wait for the extract. The office will make the entry in the register within 5 working days.