Translation and interpreting activity
Field of activity No. 69 under the Trade Licensing Act.
What you need: No professional qualification needed — general conditions and a notification suffice.
- Volná živnost
- Field No. 69
- See conditions below
- 8 activity examples
Translation and interpreting activity is field no. 69 of the single unqualified (free) trade (Annex No. 4 to the Trade Licensing Act), which does not require documenting any professional qualification. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act and to notify the trade; the trade licence arises, under Section 10(1)(a), on the day of notification.
Clean criminal record / integrity (Section 6(1)(b) of the Trade Licensing Act; defined negatively in Section 6(2)) - for Czech citizens the office verifies it itself through an extract from the records of the Criminal Records Register, foreigners prove it under Section 6(3) and Section 46.
Professional qualification is NOT documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex No. 4 to the Trade Licensing Act; you do not have to prove any education, language examinations or practice (the special conditions under Section 7 do not apply).
Age of at least 18 (linked to full legal capacity; exceptionally one may do business earlier with the court's approval).
A responsible representative (Section 11) is, for this free trade, only voluntary - their appointment is not mandatory, because the trade does not require the special conditions under Section 7 (the obligation to appoint a responsible representative under Section 11(4) applies only to trades requiring special qualification). If you nevertheless appoint one, they must meet the general conditions under Section 6, and one person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs (Section 11(1)).
Note: This free trade does not entitle the holder to act as a sworn (court) interpreter or sworn translator - that is regulated separately by Act No. 354/2019 Coll. and is subject to appointment and entry in the list kept by the Ministry of Justice.
Examples of activities
- Written translation of texts from a foreign language into Czech and vice versa (contracts, manuals, websites, marketing materials)
- Interpreting of spoken communication - consecutive, simultaneous and liaison interpreting
- Localisation of software, applications and websites into foreign languages
- Language proofreading and editing of translated texts
- Interpreting at conferences, business meetings and trade fairs
- Translation of specialist and technical texts (legal, medical, technical documentation)
- Subtitling and translation of audio-visual materials
- Brokering and organising translation and interpreting services
What this trade is and what it is for
The trade Translation and interpreting activity is field no. 69 within the single free trade "Production, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act" (Section 25(2) of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.); the fields of the free trade are defined by Annex No. 4. It entitles you to do business in the area of transferring texts and spoken communication between languages - whether written translations, live interpreting, or the organisation of these services.
Because this is a free trade, you do not have to prove any education, language certificates or practice. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act and to notify the trade. The licence arises under Section 10(1)(a) on the day of notification, so you can start doing business almost immediately.
What falls under this trade (and what does not)
Field no. 69 covers in particular:
- written translation from a foreign language into Czech and the other way round,
- interpreting of spoken communication (consecutive, simultaneous, liaison),
- localisation of software, websites and applications,
- language proofreading and editing of translated texts,
- subtitling and translation of audio-visual content,
- brokering and organising translation and interpreting services.
What does not belong here: This free trade does not entitle the holder to act as a sworn (official) interpreter and translator. Sworn interpreting and translations with a certification clause (the "round stamp") are regulated separately by Act No. 354/2019 Coll., on sworn interpreters and sworn translators. You become a sworn interpreter only upon appointment and entry in the list kept by the Ministry of Justice, not by notifying a trade.
If, in addition to language services, you wished, for example, to teach languages in courses or to carry on another specific activity, check with the Trade Licensing Office whether it falls under another field of the free trade (which you can add free of charge).
Conditions for obtaining it under the law
As with any 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); usually reaching the age of 18, exceptionally one may do business earlier with the court's approval),
- clean criminal record / integrity (Section 6(1)(b); defined negatively in Section 6(2), and for Czech citizens the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself).
Professional qualification is not documented for a free trade. The special conditions under Section 7 do not apply here - you do not have to submit a diploma, a state language examination or proof of practice. This is the main difference compared with craft trades (Sections 21 and 22), regulated trades (Annex No. 2) and licensed (concession) trades (Annex No. 3).
Responsible representative (Section 11): For this free trade, appointing a responsible representative is voluntary. The obligation to appoint a responsible representative under Section 11(4) applies only to trades requiring special (professional) qualification under Section 7, which the free trade does not have - and that regardless of where the entrepreneur is resident or based. If you nevertheless appoint a responsible representative, they too must meet the general conditions under Section 6, and one person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs (Section 11(1)).
How to notify or obtain the trade step by step
- Complete the Unified Registration Form (URF). This is a single form (Section 45a) with which you simultaneously notify the trade and may register for income tax and for social security and health insurance.
- File the notification (Section 45). The options are:
- at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the Central Registration Point - CRP),
- electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal,
- at a Czech POINT branch.
- Prove your identity and state field of activity no. 69 (Translation and interpreting activity). For Czech citizens the office verifies the clean criminal record itself.
- Pay the administrative fee (see below).
- Wait for registration. The Trade Licensing Office enters the trade in the Trade Register within 5 working days of delivery of a flawless notification and issues an extract (Section 47(1)). The licence, however, arises on the very day of notification.
You can find the detailed procedure in our guide How to set up a trade.
Documents and fees
- Proof of identity (identity card, for foreigners a travel document).
- Completed URF stating field no. 69.
- Proof of payment of the administrative fee (Section 46).
- Administrative fee for the trade notification: CZK 1,000 (CZK 800 when filed electronically via rzp.gov.cz).
- Adding a further field of the free trade: CZK 0 (free of charge).
- You do not document professional qualification or language certificates.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a university degree or a language examination to be able to translate?
No. This is a free trade for which professional qualification is not proven. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act.
Can I do sworn certified translations with a stamp under this trade?
No. Sworn (official) translations and interpreting are regulated by Act No. 354/2019 Coll. and require appointment as a sworn interpreter or translator and entry in the list of the Ministry of Justice.
How quickly can I start doing business?
The trade licence arises under Section 10(1)(a) on the day of notification, so you can start straight away. Entry in the register and issuance of the extract take place within 5 working days.
How much will the notification cost me?
The administrative fee is CZK 1,000, and only CZK 800 when filed electronically via rzp.gov.cz. Any addition of a further field of the free trade is free of charge.
Can I add further activities to translation?
Yes. The free trade comprises 80 fields of activity and you can notify several of them at once for a single fee. A later addition of a further field of the free trade is free of charge.