Construction and manufacture of vessels

Construction and manufacture of vessels is an unqualified (free) trade (field no. 33) covering the construction, manufacture, repair and rebuilding of ships, boats, yachts, floating machines and other vessels. It does not require professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.).

Examples of activities

• Construction and manufacture of wooden and laminate boats and dinghies
• Manufacture of motor boats and yachts
• Construction of sailing boats and kayaks
• Manufacture of inflatable and folding vessels
• Repairs, renovations and rebuilds of ships and boats
• Manufacture of hulls, superstructures and ship fittings
• Construction of pontoons, floating jetties and floating houses (houseboats)
• Manufacture of pedal boats and small recreational vessels

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Construction and manufacture of vessels is field of activity no. 33 within the single unqualified (free) trade "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act". It entitles you to manufacture, construct, repair and rebuild vessels of all kinds on a business basis - from small boats and kayaks through motor boats and sailing boats to yachts and floating equipment.

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll.), you do not have to prove any education, apprenticeship certificate or practical experience to the Office. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 and simply notify the field. For a notifiable trade, the trade licence arises under Section 10(1)(a) already on the day of notification, so you can start doing business almost immediately.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The substantive content of field no. 33 is defined by Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. (on the substantive content of individual trades). It includes in particular:

• construction and manufacture of ships, small vessels, yachts, sailing boats, kayaks and canoes,
• manufacture of inflatable, folding and recreational vessels and pedal boats,
• manufacture of hulls, superstructures and ship fittings,
• construction of floating machines and floating equipment - for example pontoons, floating landing stages, floating garages, jetties and houseboats,
• repairs, renovations and structural rebuilds of vessels.

What expressly does not belong to field no. 33: under Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll., the content of this activity does not include the manufacture of amphibious vehicles, the manufacture of engines (power units) for vessels, or the manufacture of navigation instruments. These activities fall under other fields.

The boundary with neighbouring trades: the manufacture of motor and trailer vehicles and bodywork falls under field no. 32, the manufacture of aircraft and aviation equipment under field no. 34, and the manufacture of railway vehicles under field no. 35. A boat engine itself (a vessel's power unit) belongs to the manufacture of machinery and equipment (field no. 31), not to field no. 33. Also note that this trade concerns the manufacture and construction of a vessel - its operation, registration and verification of technical eligibility are governed by the Act on inland navigation and fall under the navigation authorities, not under the Trade Licensing Act.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

To notify this unqualified (free) trade you must meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

• full legal capacity - Section 6(1)(a) (as a rule reaching the age of 18),
• a clean criminal record - Section 6(1)(b); a person is not considered to have a clean criminal record if they have been finally convicted of a criminal offence committed intentionally, where that offence was committed in connection with business or with the field of business to which the notification relates. The Trade Licensing Office obtains the criminal record extract itself.

Professional qualification is not required. For an unqualified (free) trade the special conditions for operating a trade under Section 7 do not apply - so you do not have to submit any documents on education or practical experience.

Responsible representative (Section 11): you may, but need not, appoint a responsible representative - for example if you do business through a legal entity. For an unqualified (free) trade, this representative too proves only the general conditions under Section 6. One person may act as responsible representative for at most 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

1. Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF). With a single form you simultaneously notify the trade, register for income tax with the tax office and report the start of activity to the social security administration and the health insurance company.
2. Submit the notification under Section 45. You can do so at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or through the Czech POINT public administration contact point.
3. Provide the required details - an identity document and, where applicable, proof of the legal grounds for using the registered office. The Office verifies the clean criminal record itself.
4. Pay the administrative fee - CZK 1,000 when submitting at the Office, or CZK 800 for an electronic submission (notification of a trade when entering trade business).
5. Wait for registration. The Office enters you in the Trade Register and issues an extract within 5 working days of the day the notification is delivered. The licence, however, arises already on the day of notification.

You will find a detailed guide at How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

• Identity document (identity card or passport).
• Proof of use of the registered office, if the office is not at your permanent residence address.
• Criminal record extract - the Office obtains this itself.
• Administrative fee: CZK 1,000 in person / CZK 800 electronically.
• Adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade later: CZK 0 (free of charge).
• Registration deadline: within 5 working days.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate or practical experience in boatbuilding?

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 notify several fields of the unqualified (free) trade at once?

Yes. There is only one unqualified (free) trade with 80 fields of activity. You can notify several of them at once and you will pay only one administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (CZK 800 electronically).

Does this trade also entitle me to operate the manufactured vessel on the water?

No. The trade relates to the manufacture, construction and repair of vessels. The operation, registration and verification of a vessel's technical eligibility are governed by the Act on inland navigation and fall under the navigation authorities.

Can I also manufacture boat engines under this field?

Not under field no. 33. Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. expressly excludes from this field the manufacture of engines for vessels (which belongs to the manufacture of machinery and equipment, field no. 31), as well as the manufacture of amphibious vehicles and navigation instruments.

When can I start manufacturing?

The trade licence arises on the day of notification (provided the conditions are met), so you can start doing business immediately - even before the extract from the Trade Register physically reaches you.

How much does it cost to add this field to an existing unqualified (free) trade?

If you already operate the unqualified (free) trade, adding another field of activity is free of charge (CZK 0).

Sources

• Act No. 455/1991 Coll., the Trade Licensing Act
• Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll., on the substantive content of individual trades
• Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT)