Services for agriculture, horticulture, fish farming, forestry and game management

An unqualified (free) trade (field No. 1) covering auxiliary and support work for agriculture, horticulture, fish farming, forestry and game management without one's own agricultural production. You only need to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act; no professional qualification is required.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity under Section 6(1) of the Trade Licensing Act (usually from the age of 18; a minor older than 16 may obtain the licence if the court has granted them legal capacity or has approved the legal representative's consent to do business).
Clean criminal record under Section 6(1) and (2) of the Trade Licensing Act (for Czech citizens the office obtains the criminal record extract itself).
Professional qualification is NOT required - this is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex No. 4 to the Trade Licensing Act); no apprenticeship certificate, diploma or work experience needs to be proven.
A responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11, but this is not a condition; for an unqualified trade it is not required.
Note: one's own primary agricultural production (both crop and livestock) is not a trade and is registered separately as an agricultural entrepreneur under Act No. 252/1997 Coll.

Examples of activities

mowing, mulching and harvesting of crops to order
ploughing, sowing and other field work using agricultural machinery for others
establishing and maintaining gardens, parks and green spaces
feeding fish, fish harvesting and operating ponds and holding tanks
auxiliary planting and felling work in the forest (planting, thinning, timber skidding)
services in game management - maintenance of hunting facilities, supplementary feeding of game
operation and hire of agricultural and forestry machinery with an operator
shearing sheep and hoof trimming of farm animals

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade “Provision of services for agriculture, horticulture, fish farming, forestry and game management” is field No. 1 of the single unqualified (free) trade (“Manufacturing, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act”, Section 25(2) of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It covers auxiliary, support and servicing work with which the entrepreneur serves farmers, gardeners, fish farmers, forest owners and hunters – without carrying out primary agricultural production themselves.

This is a broad category of “to order” work: from field and planting work, through operating machinery, to caring for greenery and water surfaces. It is typically used by a self-employed person who has the equipment or experience and offers it to other parties.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field No. 1 includes in particular:

agricultural services – mowing, mulching, ploughing, sowing, harvesting, spraying and fertilising carried out for someone else,
horticultural and landscaping work – establishing and maintaining gardens, parks, lawns and greenery, felling and pruning trees (to the extent agreed),
fish-farming services – feeding fish, operating holding tanks and ponds, assisting with fish harvesting, maintaining dykes and sluices,
auxiliary forestry work – planting, thinning, timber skidding and handling, clearing stands,
services in game management – maintaining hunting facilities, supplementary feeding of game, tending game plots,
operating and hiring out machinery with an operator and other auxiliary work (e.g. sheep shearing or hoof trimming of animals).

What does not belong here: One's own primary agricultural production (growing crops and keeping farm animals on one's own account) is not a trade – it is registered separately as an agricultural entrepreneur under Act No. 252/1997 Coll. The dividing line is therefore service versus one's own production. Also watch out for neighbouring fields of the unqualified trade: activity of a professional forest manager and the preparation of forest management plans and outlines (field No. 2), diagnostic, testing and advisory activity in plant protection and the treatment of plants with plant protection products or biocidal products (field No. 3), handling reproductive material of forest tree species (field No. 4) and animal breeding and training, with the exception of livestock production (field No. 5) all have their own fields. Some activities are moreover subject to special regulations (e.g. the application of plant protection products, forest management under the Forest Act, waste management).

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, you only prove the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity – usually from the age of 18; a minor older than 16 may do business if the court has granted them legal capacity, or if the court has approved the legal representative's consent to do business,
clean criminal record – for Czech citizens the office obtains the criminal record extract itself.

Professional qualification is not required. No apprenticeship certificate, diploma or work experience is proven for this field – this is the main difference compared with craft, regulated and licensed (concession) trades. You may (but need not) appoint a responsible representative under Section 11; for an unqualified trade this is not needed. One person may act as responsible representative for no more than four entrepreneurs (Section 11(5)).

The licence arises on the day of notification (Section 10(1) of the Trade Licensing Act), so you can start doing business before the extract physically reaches you.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Complete the Unified Registration Form (JRF). As the subject of business you choose the unqualified trade and within it field No. 1. In the same submission you can also tick further fields at no extra charge.
Submit the notification under Section 45. In person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the municipal office with extended powers), online via the rzp.gov.cz portal (using a data box or via the Citizen's Identity), or at a Czech POINT contact point.
Pay the fee. The first trade notification costs CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 for an electronic submission (a 20% discount). The fee is a single one regardless of the number of fields notified.
Wait for the entry. The Trade Licensing Office enters you in the register and issues an extract within 5 working days of receiving a flawless notification (Section 47).

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

Documents and fees

Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
A completed JRF with the unqualified trade and field No. 1 selected.
Proof of payment of the administrative fee.
Clean criminal record – for Czech citizens the office verifies this itself; foreigners submit a criminal record extract from their home country.
Fee: CZK 1,000 (CZK 800 electronically); adding a further field later is free of charge (CZK 0).
Deadline: entry within 5 working days; the licence arises on the day of notification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need agricultural education or experience for this trade?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade, so professional qualification is not proven. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 – full legal capacity and a clean criminal record.

Can I grow and sell crops or keep livestock myself under this trade?

Not within this trade. One's own primary agricultural production is not a trade and is registered separately as an agricultural entrepreneur under Act No. 252/1997 Coll. This field covers services for others, not your own production.

How much will I pay and how long does the notification take?

The first notification costs CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 electronically. Entry in the Trade Register takes place within 5 working days, but you can do business from the day of notification.

Can I add further fields at the same time?

Yes. In a single JRF you can notify several fields of the unqualified trade at once for a single fee, and adding a further field later is free.

Do I need any additional permit for some activities?

Sometimes yes. The trade alone is enough for auxiliary work, but for example the application of plant protection products, forest management or waste management are governed by special regulations. In a specific case, enquire at the Trade Licensing Office.