Designing of land consolidation schemes

Designing of land consolidation schemes is field no. 61 of the unqualified (free) trade; to notify it, the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act (No. 455/1991 Coll.) suffice and professional qualification is not evidenced. The actual professional preparation and signing of a land consolidation proposal, however, may be carried out only by a natural person holding an official authorisation (a certificate of professional qualification) under Section 18 of Act No. 139/2002 Coll., granted by the State Land Office after passing the professional qualification examination.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (as a rule from the age of 18) - a general condition under Section 6(1) of the Trade Licensing Act.
A clean criminal record under Section 6(1)(b) and (2) of the Trade Licensing Act (for Czech citizens the Trade Licensing Office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself).
Professional qualification (education or experience) is NOT evidenced for notifying the trade - this is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act); for an unqualified trade professional qualification is not required (Section 25(2) of the Trade Licensing Act).
Note: for the actual professional preparation and signing of a land consolidation proposal, an official authorisation is required under Section 18 of Act No. 139/2002 Coll. (an authorisation as to professional qualification for designing land consolidation schemes), which the State Land Office grants by a final decision after passing the professional qualification examination - this condition, however, does not relate to the arising of the trade licence. The issue of the official authorisation is not subject to an administrative fee.

Examples of activities

preparation of proposals for simple land consolidation schemes
preparation of proposals for comprehensive land consolidation schemes
drafting a plan of common facilities (paths, anti-erosion and water-management measures)
digital processing of maps and supporting materials for land consolidation schemes
geodetic and map supporting materials for land consolidation schemes
advice to landowners in the land consolidation process
setting out the new arrangement of land in the field
cooperation with land offices in implementing the schemes

What the trade is and what it is for

The trade Designing of land consolidation schemes is field no. 61 within the unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act, Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It comprises the professional preparation and drafting of land consolidation proposals - that is, projects that newly arrange the ownership of land in a given cadastral area, consolidate fragmented parcels, make them accessible, and address common facilities (field paths, anti-erosion, water-management and ecological elements).

Land consolidation schemes serve to enable rational farming of the land, to protect the landscape against erosion and flooding, and to settle ownership relations. The designer proposes these schemes on commission from land offices and municipalities.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field no. 61 includes in particular:

the preparation of proposals for simple and comprehensive land consolidation schemes,
the drafting of a plan of common facilities (paths, anti-erosion and water-management measures),
the preparation of maps, digital data and geodetic supporting materials for the schemes,
the setting out of the new arrangement of land and advice to landowners.

The boundary against neighbouring trades: designing land consolidation schemes is a separate field; do not merge it with field no. 62 (Preparation and drafting of technical proposals, graphic and drawing work) or with the regulated trade "Design activity in construction", which concerns building documentation and requires authorisation from the Czech Chamber of Chartered Engineers (CKAIT)/Czech Chamber of Architects (CKA). Surveying activities themselves with verification of the results, in turn, fall under a different regime (Act No. 200/1994 Coll., on surveying).

Conditions for obtaining the trade under the law

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

full legal capacity (as a rule from the age of 18),
a clean criminal record (for Czech citizens the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself).

Professional qualification is not evidenced for the arising of the trade - for an unqualified trade, professional qualification is not required under Section 25(2) of the Trade Licensing Act, so you submit no diploma or proof of experience. If you do not personally meet the general conditions, or you wish to do business through employees, you may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act (one person may perform this function for at most 4 entrepreneurs).

Important notice: the trade licence allows you to notify the field, but the actual professional preparation and signing of a land consolidation proposal may be carried out only by a natural person holding an official authorisation (an authorisation as to professional qualification for designing land consolidation schemes) under Section 18 of Act No. 139/2002 Coll., on land consolidation and land offices. This authorisation is granted by the State Land Office by a final decision after passing the professional qualification examination, the authorisation being granted as of the day the examination is successfully passed; its issue is not subject to an administrative fee. The Act also provides in Section 9 that the professional preparation of a land consolidation proposal may be carried out only by persons so qualified. This is therefore a sectoral condition for performing the activity, not a condition for the arising of the trade.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) and select the unqualified trade with field no. 61.
Submit the notification in person at any Trade Licensing Office, at a Czech POINT contact point, or electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal.
Prove your identity and pay the administrative fee.
Wait for the entry in the Trade Register - the office makes it and issues the extract within 5 working days of the day of delivery of the notification (Section 47 in conjunction with Section 10(1) of the Trade Licensing Act).

For a notifiable trade the trade licence arises already on the day of notification (Section 10(1) of the Trade Licensing Act). You will find a detailed procedure in the guide How to set up a trade.

Documents and fees

Identity document (identity card / passport).
Consent of the responsible representative, if you appoint one (Section 11).
Administrative fee for notification: CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 for electronic submission.
Extension by a further field of the unqualified trade: CZK 0 (free of charge).
Proof of payment of rent / ownership of the registered office, if requested by the office.

Frequently asked questions

Must I have a university degree to notify this trade?

No. To notify the unqualified (free) trade, neither education nor experience is evidenced - the general conditions under Section 6 suffice. For the actual professional preparation of a land consolidation proposal, however, an official authorisation under Section 18 of Act No. 139/2002 Coll. is required.

May I start designing land consolidation schemes straight after notification?

You may notify the trade and do business in the field, but the professional preparation and signing of a land consolidation proposal may, under Section 18 of Act No. 139/2002 Coll., be carried out only by a person holding an official authorisation from the State Land Office. Without it you may provide only supporting work.

How much does notification cost and how long does the entry take?

The fee is CZK 1,000 (CZK 800 electronically) and the entry in the Trade Register is made within 5 working days of delivery of the notification.

May I add other fields of the unqualified trade?

Yes, all 80 fields of the unqualified trade may be notified at once within a single notification and for a single administrative fee. There is no surcharge for the number of fields, and a later extension by a further field is free of charge (CZK 0).