Restoration of works of fine art

Regulated trade field No. 21 for the restoration of works of art that are not cultural monuments but are held in the collections of museums and galleries, or are objects of cultural value. It requires a documented professional qualification (education, and in some cases practice as well) and meeting the general conditions; the licence comes into existence on the date of notification.

Conditions for operating

General conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act: full legal capacity and a clean criminal record (neither medical fitness nor liability insurance is required). At the same time, none of the obstacles to operating the trade under Section 8 may apply (e.g. bankruptcy or a court-imposed ban on the activity).

You can evidence the professional qualification by one of the following options (Sections 6 to 8 and Section 24 of the Trade Licensing Act, Annex 2):
1) Higher education in a study programme and field of study focused on restoration or fine art.
2) Higher vocational education in a field of education focused on restoration or fine art.
3) Secondary education with a school-leaving examination (maturita) in the relevant restoration, fine art or arts-and-crafts field of education + 3 years of practice in restoration.
4) Secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate in the relevant arts-and-crafts or fine art field of education + 5 years of practice in restoration.
5) A retraining certificate or other proof of professional qualification for the relevant work activity + 6 years of practice in the field.

If you do not meet the conditions yourself, you can appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act who will document the professional qualification on your behalf. One person may be a responsible representative for no more than four business holders.

Examples of activities

Restoration of panel and hanging paintings from the collections of museums and galleries
Restoration of polychrome wooden sculptures and statues that are not cultural monuments
Restoration of works on paper (drawings, prints, watercolours) as objects of cultural value
Restoration of wall paintings and plaster layers outside the heritage care regime
Conservation and restoration treatments of arts-and-crafts objects from collection holdings
Restoration of stone or plaster sculptures and reliefs held in gallery collections
Survey of the condition of a work of art and the design of a restoration procedure
Stabilisation and treatment of damaged works of art regarded as objects of cultural value

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade "Restoration of works of fine art that are not cultural monuments or parts thereof, but are held in the collections of museums and galleries, or are objects of cultural value" is a regulated trade (field No. 21) under Annex 2 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.).

It entitles you to professionally restore, conserve and treat works of art that are not subject to the heritage care regime (they are neither cultural monuments nor parts thereof), yet have cultural value or form part of the collections of museums and galleries. The aim of the activity is to preserve the material substance and artistic value of the work for the future.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

This trade typically includes:

restoration of hanging and panel paintings, polychrome statues and sculptures,
restoration of works on paper, wall paintings and arts-and-crafts objects from collection holdings,
survey of the condition of a work, design and execution of a restoration intervention, conservation and stabilisation.

Where the boundaries lie:

The restoration of cultural monuments or parts thereof does not fall under this trade - that is governed by the separate Act on State Heritage Care and requires a permit from the Ministry of Culture. This trade concerns expressly works that are not cultural monuments.
Ordinary painting, decorating or joinery work without a restoration character belongs to other (usually craft) trades.
If the activity exceeds field No. 21, the relevant additional trade must also be notified.

Statutory conditions for obtaining the trade

As a regulated trade, it requires meeting two groups of conditions.

General conditions (Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act): full legal capacity and a clean criminal record. Neither medical fitness nor liability insurance is required for this trade. In addition, none of the obstacles to operating the trade (Section 8) may apply, such as ongoing bankruptcy or a court-imposed ban on the activity.

Professional qualification (Sections 6 to 8 and Section 24, Annex 2): for a regulated trade it is set separately and cannot be replaced by general practice alone, as is the case with a craft trade. You can evidence it by one of the following options:

#	Education	Practice
1	Higher education in a study programme focused on restoration or fine art	—
2	Higher vocational education in a field focused on restoration / fine art	—
3	Secondary education with a maturita in a restoration, fine art or arts-and-crafts field	3 years in restoration
4	Secondary education with an apprenticeship certificate in an arts-and-crafts / fine art field	5 years in restoration
5	A retraining certificate or other proof of professional qualification	6 years in the field

Responsible representative (Section 11): if you do not meet the conditions yourself (e.g. you are a legal person or do not have the appropriate education), you can appoint a responsible representative who will document the professional qualification on your behalf. One person may act as a responsible representative for no more than four business holders.

How to notify the trade step by step

Complete the Unified Registration Form (URF). It serves both to notify the trade and to notify other authorities.
Submit the notification. You can do so at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, online via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Submit the documents - see the overview below.
Pay the administrative fee.
Wait for the entry. If you meet the conditions, the Office will make an entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days of receiving the notification. The licence comes into existence on the date of notification.

You can find the detailed procedure in the guide /jak-zalozit-zivnost.

Documents and fees

Proof of professional qualification (diploma, school report, apprenticeship certificate or retraining certificate) according to the chosen option.
Proof of practice, if the given option requires it (3, 4 or 5).
The consent and documents of a responsible representative, if you appoint one.
Proof of a clean criminal record - the Office will usually obtain the extract from the Criminal Records register itself.
Administrative fee of CZK 1,000 when notifying at the Office, or CZK 800 for electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz.

Frequently asked questions

Can I also restore cultural monuments?

No. This trade concerns expressly works that are not cultural monuments. The restoration of cultural monuments is addressed by the Act on State Heritage Care and a permit from the Ministry of Culture.

Is practice alone enough, without education?

No. This is a regulated trade - practice alone is not sufficient. You must always document one of the education options or a retraining certificate, and for some of them practice as well.

What if I do not have the required education?

You can appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 who meets the professional qualification and documents it on your behalf.

When can I start doing business?

The licence comes into existence on the date of notification, if you meet the statutory conditions. The Office will make the entry in the register within 5 working days.

Do I need liability insurance?

The law does not require it for this trade. However, when working with someone else's works, it is advisable to consider it voluntarily.