Provision of services of a personal nature and for personal hygiene
Field of activity No. 78 under the Trade Licensing Act.
What you need: No professional qualification needed — general conditions and a notification suffice.
- Volná živnost
- Field No. 78
- See conditions below
- 8 activity examples
The unqualified (free) trade (field No. 78) for the provision of services of a personal nature and services for personal hygiene - for example operating salt caves, public baths, washrooms and laundries, escort services (hostesses, companions) or the activity of dating agencies. It requires no professional qualification; it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act.
It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6(1) of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.:
- full legal capacity (which may be replaced by the court's consent to the legal representative's approval for the independent operation of business activity),
- a clean criminal record / integrity within the meaning of Section 6(2) (proven by an extract from the Criminal Records, which the office obtains itself).
For a legal person and for an entrepreneur without residence in the Czech Republic, supplementary rules may apply (e.g. a responsible representative under Section 11).
No education or practice is required for this field.
Examples of activities
- operating a salt cave (relaxation procedures without the character of health care)
- operating public baths, washrooms, toilets and public laundries
- the activity of a dating or wedding agency
- the services of an astrologer, graphologist, fortune teller, numerologist or the drawing up of family trees
- operating cloakrooms and the work of shoe cleaners
- escort services - hostesses, companions and providing basic assistance to accompanied persons
- make-up for modelling, photography, film, television and theatre, wig-making
- minor services of a personal nature (other than social services under a special act)
What this trade is and what it is for
The trade "Provision of services of a personal nature and for personal hygiene" is field No. 78 of the unqualified (free) trade (object of business "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act", Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It serves entrepreneurs who provide services focused on personal well-being, care for appearance and clients' personal hygiene, without it being a regulated craft or a regulated or licensed (concession) activity.
As an unqualified (free) trade it requires no education or practice - under Section 25(1) an unqualified (free) trade is "a trade entitling the holder to carry out activities for whose operation this Act does not require proof of professional or other qualification". It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6, and the licence will come into existence under Section 10(1) on the very day of notification.
What falls under this trade (and what does not)
The substantive content of the field is defined by Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. Under it, field No. 78 typically includes:
- services of a personal nature, especially the activity of dating and wedding agencies, astrologers, graphologists, fortune tellers and numerologists, the drawing up of family trees, the operation of cloakrooms and the work of shoe cleaners,
- escort services (hostesses, companions and the like) and the provision of basic assistance to accompanied persons,
- services for personal hygiene and services related to care for people's appearance, especially operating salt caves, public baths, washrooms, toilets and public laundries,
- make-up for modelling, photography, film, television and theatre and wig-making (binding hair, wigs) - where it is not a cosmetic or hairdressing procedure.
The boundary with neighbouring trades must be watched. Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. expressly states for this field that its content does not include the provision of cosmetic services, manicure, pedicure, barbering and hairdressing, activities that breach the integrity of human skin, operating solariums, the provision of massage, recovery and reconditioning services, or operating swimming pools, saunas, fitness centres and other sports facilities and facilities serving recovery and reconditioning; nor does the content include guide activity. These procedures belong elsewhere:
| Activity | Where it belongs |
|---|---|
| Cutting, colouring and styling hair | Barbering, hairdressing - craft (Annex 1) |
| Cosmetic treatment of the skin, make-up as a cosmetic procedure | Cosmetic services - craft (Annex 1) |
| Manicure, pedicure, nail modelling | Pedicure, manicure - craft (Annex 1) |
| Classic, sports and recovery massages | Massage, reconditioning and recovery services - regulated (Annex 2) |
| Tattooing, piercing, permanent make-up | Activities that breach the integrity of human skin - regulated (Annex 2) |
| Operating a solarium | Operating solariums - regulated (Annex 2) |
| Operating saunas, steam baths, swimming pools and fitness centres | another field of the unqualified (free) trade (operation of physical education and sports facilities / facilities serving recovery and reconditioning), not field No. 78 |
You therefore cannot hide under "services of a personal nature" an activity that the law or the government regulation reserves to another field or a regulated trade. If you are unsure how to classify a particular service, check the substantive content (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.) directly with the Trade Licensing Office before you start invoicing.
Conditions for obtaining it under the law
Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, you do not document professional qualification. You must meet only the general conditions under Section 6(1):
- full legal capacity (for a minor it may be replaced by the court's consent to the legal representative's approval for independent business),
- a clean criminal record / integrity under Section 6(2) - proven by an extract from the Criminal Records, which the office obtains itself.
Responsible representative (Section 11): you may appoint one voluntarily. A legal person must appoint a responsible representative; however, for an unqualified (free) trade not even the responsible representative has to prove professional qualification, because the law does not require it. One person may perform the function of responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs (Section 11(5)).
How to notify or obtain the trade step by step
- Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) and choose the object of business "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act" with field No. 78.
- Submit the notification in person at any Trade Licensing Office (municipal Trade Licensing Office / Czech POINT), or electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal.
- Provide proof of identity and pay the administrative fee.
- The licence comes into existence on the day of notification; the office issues the extract from the Trade Register within 5 working days.
You will find the detailed procedure in the guide how to start a trade.
Documents and fees
- Proof of identity (identity card, for a foreigner a travel document).
- Consent to the location of the business premises/registered office, where needed.
- Clean criminal record / integrity - the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records.
- Administrative fee for the notification: CZK 1,000 (for an electronic submission CZK 800).
- Adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0) - you can also notify several fields at once for one fee.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a trade licence with qualification to operate a salt cave?
No. This is an unqualified (free) trade; qualification is not documented. You must, however, comply with the hygiene and operational regulations (operating rules, the requirements of the regional public health authority).
Can I operate a sauna, do massages or cut hair within this field?
No. Field No. 78 expressly does not include operating saunas, swimming pools or fitness centres; massages are a regulated trade and hairdressing is a craft trade. For a sauna or steam bath you need another field of the unqualified (free) trade; for massages and hairdressing a separate licence with professional qualification.
When can I start doing business?
The licence comes into existence on the day of notification. You can therefore do business immediately after submitting the notification; you do not have to wait for the extract.
How much does it cost to add this field when I already have the unqualified (free) trade?
Adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0). You just notify the addition of the field to the Trade Licensing Office.