Optician services

Optician services is a regulated trade (Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act) covering the manufacture, adjustment and sale of spectacles, spectacle lenses and other optical aids. To carry it on you must document professional qualification under Section 24 of the Trade Licensing Act and meet the general conditions under Section 6. The trade licence arises as early as the day of notification (Section 10(1)(a) of Act No 455/1991 Coll.).

Examples of activities

• manufacture of spectacles to measure according to a prescription
• sale of prescription and sunglasses
• adjustment and repair of spectacle frames
• grinding and glazing of spectacle lenses
• dispensing and fitting of contact lenses
• measurement of visual acuity and centring of spectacles
• sale of optical aids and accessories
• advice on the choice of spectacle correction

What this trade is and what it is for

Optician services is a regulated trade listed in Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No 455/1991 Coll.). It entitles you to manufacture, adjust, repair and sell spectacles, spectacle lenses and other optical aids for the correction and protection of sight. In practice it covers the operation of an optician's (a shop and workshop) where, according to a prescription from a physician or on the basis of your own measurement, you make spectacles for the customer precisely to measure.

Because it is an activity that affects health, the state regulates it more strictly than an unqualified (free) trade. You must document specific professional qualification laid down directly in Annex 2. Unlike craft trades, this cannot be replaced by mere general practice - the law precisely specifies which education, certificate or qualification it recognises.

What this trade covers (and what it does not)

Optician services include in particular:

• manufacture of spectacles to measure and their adjustment (centring, fitting, frame repairs),
• grinding, glazing and mounting of spectacle lenses into frames,
• sale of prescription and sunglasses and optical aids,
• dispensing and fitting of contact lenses,
• measurement of visual acuity and advice on the choice of correction within the scope corresponding to the qualification.

The boundary with neighbouring activities. Optician services are not medical care. The diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases (examination and prescription of correction by a physician, surgery, treatment) is performed by an eye doctor - an ophthalmologist - as part of the provision of health services, not under a trade licence. Likewise, the practice of the healthcare profession of optometrist as such is regulated by healthcare legislation (Act No 96/2004 Coll.); the optician services trade deals with the business (in particular manufacturing and commercial) side of optics. The mere retail sale of finished sunglasses without dioptres falls under an unqualified (free) trade.

Conditions for obtaining the trade under the law

You must meet two levels of conditions.

1) General conditions (Section 6 of Act No 455/1991 Coll.):

• full legal capacity (it can be replaced by the court's approval for a minor over 16 years of age),
• a clean criminal record - the office will verify it itself from the records of the criminal records register.

At the same time, no obstacle to carrying on a trade under Section 8 may exist (in particular a prohibition of activity in the field imposed by a court, or the legally prescribed consequences of insolvency).

2) Professional qualification (a special condition under Section 7, in more detail Section 24 and Annex 2). It is sufficient to meet one of the following options:

1. qualification to practise the healthcare profession of optometrist (under Act No 96/2004 Coll.);
2. higher vocational education in the field of qualified optician or qualified optical technician;
3. secondary education with a school-leaving (maturita) examination in the field of optician or optical technician;
4. a certificate of retraining or another document on professional qualification issued by an accredited institution + 4 years of practice in the field.

Practice is therefore required only for the fourth (retraining) option; for education-based options 1-3 you do not document additional practice. A qualification obtained in another EU state can be recognised by the procedure under Directive 2005/36/EC and the Act on the recognition of professional qualification.

Responsible representative (Section 11). If you do not meet the professional qualification personally (typically a trader without optical education), you may appoint a responsible representative who meets it and is liable for the proper operation of the trade. One person may hold the position of responsible representative for no more than four entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Optician services is a notifiable trade, so the licence arises as early as the day of notification (Section 10(1)(a) of the Trade Licensing Act) - you do not wait for a decision as with a concession.

1. Complete the Unified Registration Form (JRF) for a natural person - with it you also handle the Trade Licensing Office, the social security administration and the health insurer at once.
2. Submit it at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, online via the rzp.gov.cz portal (with a Citizen Identity), via a data box, or at a Czech POINT contact point.
3. Submit proof of professional qualification under one of the options above and pay the administrative fee.
4. The office will enter you in the Trade Register and issue an extract within 5 working days of a flawless notification.

The general procedure is described in detail in the guide Jak zalozit zivnost.

Documents and fees

• A completed JRF (natural person).
• Proof of identity (identity card).
• Proof of professional qualification - a diploma, school-leaving certificate, certificate of retraining, or proof of practice for option 4.
• If the registered office is to be elsewhere than the place of residence, proof of the legal grounds for using the premises.
• When appointing a responsible representative, their documents proving qualification and a declaration.
• Administrative fee: CZK 1,000 for the first notification, CZK 800 for electronic submission.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate for optician services as with a craft?

No. This is a regulated trade, for which a specific qualification from Annex 2 is documented - optometrist, qualified or secondary-school optician/technician, or a retraining course with 4 years of practice. A general apprenticeship certificate is not enough and, unlike with a craft, it cannot be replaced by general practice.

Can I run an optician's without optical education?

Yes, but only through a responsible representative (Section 11) who meets the professional qualification. You then bear responsibility for the business side and the responsible representative for the professional management. One person may act as responsible representative for no more than four entrepreneurs.

May I measure and prescribe spectacles in the optician's?

Within the scope of your qualification you may carry out measurements and dispense correction aids. However, the diagnosis and treatment of the eyes and a medical prescription are performed by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) under the regime of health services, not under a trade licence.

When can I start doing business after notification?

The licence arises on the day of notification (Section 10(1)(a) of the Trade Licensing Act). The office will issue the extract from the register within 5 working days, but you may do business before it physically reaches you.

Who decides on this trade?

The responsible authority is the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Na Frantisku 32, 110 15 Prague 1). The notification itself is handled by the locally competent municipal Trade Licensing Office.

Sources

• MEYS - database of regulated activities, optician services (id 126)
• Act No 455/1991 Coll., on trade-based business
• Ministry of Industry and Trade