Provision of technical services

Provision of technical services is an unqualified (free) trade (field No. 76) covering the maintenance of public spaces and roads, cleaning of boilers, supervision of lifting equipment, diving and assembly work or renovation of toner cartridges. It requires no professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.) and to notify the trade. The licence comes into existence on the very day of notification.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a) of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.).
A clean criminal record / integrity (Section 6(1)(b) and Section 6(2) of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.) - proven by an extract from the Criminal Records, which the office obtains itself.
Professional qualification is NOT documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act, where neither education nor practice is required.
The absence of obstacles to operating a trade under Section 8 (e.g. a previously imposed ban on activity, an as yet unfinished bankruptcy over the entrepreneur's assets).
Freedom from debt towards the tax office and the social security administration is not documented for a notifiable trade.
Optionally, a responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11 (compulsory only where the person doing business does not meet the conditions themselves, e.g. a foreign legal person). One person may act as responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

Examples of activities

Cleaning streets and maintaining public spaces (greenery, pavements, street furniture)
Maintenance and minor repairs of roads
Cleaning of boilers and pressure vessels
Supervision and lubrication of lifting equipment (cranes, lifts, excluding reserved inspections)
Diving work (e.g. cleaning tanks, inspecting underwater structures)
Operating work machines and mechanisms for third parties
Digging graves and related cemetery work
Renovation of toner cartridges and simple preparatory and assembly work

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Provision of technical services is field No. 76 within the single unqualified (free) trade (its official name under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act is "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act"). It serves as the legal framework for a broad group of technical, operational and maintenance works that do not fall under any specialised craft, regulated or licensed (concession) trade.

The substantive content of the field is defined by Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll., on the substantive content of individual trades. It involves the provision of technical services and other activities of a similar nature, typically in the area of maintenance, cleaning, operating machines and minor technical works carried out for other persons.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field No. 76, under Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll., includes in particular:

cleaning streets and maintaining public spaces, maintenance of roads,
production and distribution of thermal energy not subject to a licence under another regulation and not requiring a concession,
cleaning of boilers and pressure vessels, supervision and lubrication of lifting equipment,
diving work, work with work machines and mechanisms,
digging graves, simple preparatory and assembly work, renovation of toner cartridges,
activities connected with the management of a marketplace (with the exception of security).

The boundary with neighbouring trades is crucial here. Do not confuse this unqualified (free) trade with the licensed (concession) trade "Provision of technical services for the protection of property and persons" (field No. 169) - that one includes the installation and servicing of security and alarm systems, requires both a concession and professional qualification under Annex 3 to the Trade Licensing Act and is subject to administrative proceedings (the licence comes into existence only on the day the decision granting the concession becomes final). If an activity falls under reserved technical equipment (inspections of electrical, gas, pressure, lifting equipment under Act No. 250/2021 Coll.), it is a separate regulated trade, not this free field. Specialised crafts (e.g. locksmithing, installation of water supply and heating) likewise have their own craft trades.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, it is enough to meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a)),
a clean criminal record / integrity (Section 6(1)(b)) - assessed under Section 6(2); the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records itself.

Professional qualification is not documented - for unqualified (free) trades the law requires no education or practice. There must also be no obstacles to operating a trade under Section 8 (e.g. a ban on activity imposed by a court or an as yet unfinished bankruptcy over the entrepreneur's assets). Optionally, a responsible representative under Section 11 may be appointed; this is compulsory only in cases where the entrepreneur does not meet the conditions themselves (typically for some foreign persons). One person may act as responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) - a single form for the trade, the tax office and social and health insurance.
Submit the notification at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Provide proof of identity and pay the administrative fee.
For a notifiable trade, the trade licence comes into existence on the day of notification; the office makes the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days and issues the extract.

You will find the detailed procedure in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

Unified Registration Form (URF) - notification of the trade.
Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
Clean criminal record / integrity - the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records.
Proof of professional qualification - NOT needed (unqualified/free trade).
Administrative fee for the notification: CZK 1,000, for an electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz CZK 800.
Adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0).
Registration deadline: within 5 working days of the notification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need any education or apprenticeship certificate to provide technical services?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act, for which professional qualification is not documented. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 (legal capacity and a clean criminal record / integrity).

What is the difference between this field and "Provision of technical services for the protection of property and persons"?

Field No. 76 is an unqualified (free) trade (maintenance, cleaning, operating machines) - the licence comes into existence on the day of notification. "Provision of technical services for the protection of property and persons" (field No. 169) is, by contrast, a licensed (concession) trade focused on security and alarm systems; it requires both a concession and professional qualification under Annex 3, and the licence comes into existence only on the day the decision granting the concession becomes final.

Can I add more fields of the unqualified (free) trade to this trade?

Yes. The unqualified (free) trade has 80 fields and you can notify several at once for one administrative fee. A later addition of another field is free of charge.

How long until I can start doing business?

The licence comes into existence on the very day of notification. The office makes the entry in the Trade Register and issues the extract within 5 working days.

Do inspections of lifts or pressure vessels fall under this?

Inspections of reserved technical equipment themselves do not fall here - that is a regulated trade under Act No. 250/2021 Coll. Field No. 76 covers operational activities such as cleaning boilers and pressure vessels or supervising and lubricating lifting equipment, not the statutory inspections.