Pipeline and overland transport

An unqualified (free) trade for pipeline transport (conveyance of substances and consignments by pipeline) and overland transport that is neither rail nor road motor transport (e.g. transport by non-motorised means, by draught animals, by porters or by ski lifts). Qualification is not documented; it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act.

Conditions for operating

An unqualified (free) trade - professional qualification is not required and is not documented.

It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.):
- full legal capacity (usually reaching the age of 18; exceptionally it may be granted earlier by a court),
- a clean criminal record (the Office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself for Czech citizens).

A legal person appoints a responsible representative only where required by law; for an unqualified trade the professional qualification of the responsible representative is not documented (Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act). One person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

Note: operating the transport activity itself may be subject to further special regulations that stand outside the regime of the Trade Licensing Act (e.g. the Railways Act No. 266/1994 Coll. for ski lifts as designated technical equipment, the Energy Act No. 458/2000 Coll., construction or operating permits).

Examples of activities

pipeline transport of oil and other products, or of other consignments (product pipelines)
transport of persons by carriage and other non-motorised means of transport
transport of freight by draught animals and other non-motorised means of transport
carriage of loads by porters, including the transport of furniture and home accessories during moving
delivery of consignments by messenger and other related activities
transport of persons by ski lifts
transport by non-standard means of transport

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Pipeline and overland transport (except rail and road motor transport) is field no. 51 of the single unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It covers two groups of transport activities: pipeline transport, i.e. the conveyance of oil, other products, or other consignments by pipeline, and overland transport that is neither rail nor road motor transport (in particular transport by non-motorised means, by draught animals, by porters or by ski lifts).

The purpose of the field is to enable business in those transport activities that the law has not entrusted to more strictly regulated regimes. The authorisation arises on the very day of notification and you do not have to document any professional qualification for it.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Under the content of the trade (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.), field no. 51 covers in particular:

pipeline transport of oil, other products, or other consignments (product pipelines, long-distance and local pipeline systems),
transport of persons by carriage and other non-motorised means of transport,
transport of freight by draught animals and other non-motorised means of transport,
carriage of loads by porters including the transport of furniture and home accessories during moving,
delivery of consignments by messenger and other related activities,
transport of persons by ski lifts,
transport by non-standard means of transport.

What does not belong here (boundaries with other trades and regulations):

Road motor transport (of freight or persons by cars, vans, buses) is a separate licensed (concession) trade under Act No. 111/1994 Coll. - field no. 51 expressly excludes it.
Rail (track) transport including tram, trolleybus and cable railways operated under the regime of the Railways Act (No. 266/1994 Coll.) falls outside the Trade Licensing Act and requires an official licence.
Distribution of gas and thermal energy (Energy Act No. 458/2000 Coll.), operation of postal and foreign postal services and repairs, revisions, inspections and tests of ski lifts are not part of the content of this field.

If you are unsure how to classify a particular activity, verify it in advance with the Trade Licensing Office.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, no professional qualification is required - you do not document education, an apprenticeship certificate or experience. The general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act are sufficient:

full legal capacity (usually the age of 18; a court may grant it earlier),
a clean criminal record - the Office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself for Czech citizens.

A responsible representative (Section 11) is not used to document qualification for an unqualified trade; a legal person appoints one only where the law requires it (one person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs). Bear in mind, however, that the operation itself of a transport facility may be subject to further special regulations - for example a ski lift is designated technical equipment under the Railways Act (No. 266/1994 Coll.) and requires a certificate of competence from the Railway Authority to operate; pipeline distribution systems may be subject to energy, construction or safety regulations. These requirements stand outside the trade licence.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) and, as the object of business, choose the unqualified trade with field no. 51 (feel free to add other fields at once).
Submit the notification at any Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT contact point.
Prove your identity and provide the required information; for Czech citizens the Office verifies the clean criminal record itself.
Pay the administrative fee for the notification of CZK 1,000 (with a discount, CZK 800 electronically). The fee is uniform regardless of the number of fields notified.
Wait for the registration - the Trade Licensing Office enters you in the Trade Register within 5 working days of receiving the notification.

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

Documents and fees

Identity document (identity card or travel passport).
Completed URF with field no. 51 selected.
Clean criminal record - for Czech citizens the Office arranges it; foreigners document it with an extract from the criminal records of their home state.
Administrative fee: notification CZK 1,000 / electronically CZK 800.
Extension by a further field of the unqualified trade later: CZK 0 (free of charge).

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to document education or experience for this field?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade for which professional qualification is not required. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 - legal capacity and a clean criminal record.

Can I run freight transport by lorry under this field?

No. Road motor transport is expressly excluded from field no. 51 and is a separate licensed (concession) trade under Act No. 111/1994 Coll. To transport goods by vehicles exceeding the parameters set by law you need a concession for road motor transport.

Can I operate a ski lift or a cable railway for persons under this trade?

The transport of persons by ski lifts belongs to field no. 51 - a ski lift is not a railway within the meaning of the Railways Act but designated technical equipment, so to operate it you additionally need a certificate of competence from the Railway Authority. By contrast, a passenger cable railway is a railway under the Railways Act (No. 266/1994 Coll.), requires an official licence and stands outside the Trade Licensing Act.

When does the authorisation arise and how long does the registration take?

The authorisation arises on the very day of notification. The Office enters you in the Trade Register within 5 working days of receiving the notification.

Can I add other fields of the unqualified trade to this field?

Yes. The unqualified trade is a single trade with 80 fields - you may notify several of them at once for a single fee and add a field free of charge at any time later.