Manufacture and metallurgical processing of iron, precious and non-ferrous metals and their alloys

An unqualified (free) trade (field No. 24 of the single unqualified trade) covering the metallurgical manufacture and processing of iron, steel, precious metals and non-ferrous metals and their alloys. It requires no professional qualification - meeting the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act No. 455/1991 Coll. is sufficient, and the trade licence comes into existence already on the day of notification (Section 10(1)).

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (for a minor it may be replaced by the court's approval of the legal representative's consent to the independent operation of business activity).
Clean criminal record (integrity) within the meaning of Section 6(2) of the Trade Licensing Act (proven by an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the Trade Licensing Office obtains itself under Section 46(1)).
Professional qualification is NOT documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act; no education or experience is needed.
There is no obstacle to operating a trade under Section 8 (the duration of the obstacle has not elapsed, there is no final ban on activity, a previously cancelled licence, etc.).
Optionally, a responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11 (one person may perform this function for no more than 4 entrepreneurs); for an unqualified (free) trade, however, one is not mandatory - a legal person does not have to appoint one if the managing director meets the general conditions.

Examples of activities

Manufacture of pig iron, steel and cast iron (converters, electric and open-hearth furnaces)
Manufacture of hot- and cold-rolled steel products - sheets, foils, strips, bars, profiles, sheet piles, rails
Manufacture of cast iron and steel tubes, pipes and fittings; cold drawing of steel wire
Manufacture of ferro-alloys, iron powder and granulated iron, material for railway superstructure
Manufacture and refining of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) and alloys for jewellery and dental purposes
Plating of base metals with silver or gold; determining the fineness of alloys
Manufacture of aluminium, aluminium alloys and semi-finished products from aluminium and aluminium oxide
Manufacture of lead, zinc, tin, copper, nickel and chromium from ores and from electrolytically refined waste and scrap

What the trade is and what it is for

The trade Manufacture and metallurgical processing of iron, precious and non-ferrous metals and their alloys is field No. 24 of the single unqualified (free) trade. It entitles you to the metallurgical manufacture and processing of metals - from the smelting of pig iron and steel, through rolling, drawing and the manufacture of pipes, to the manufacture and refining of precious metals and the processing of non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, tin or nickel.

This is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). This means that to operate it you do not need to prove a professional qualification - no specific education or experience. Meeting the general conditions under Section 6 of the Act is sufficient. Moreover, the trade licence comes into existence already on the day of notification to the Trade Licensing Office (Section 10(1)).

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The content of the field is laid down by Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. (Annex 4). It covers in particular:

manufacture of pig iron, steel and cast iron, high-carbon ferromanganese and blast-furnace spiegeleisen,
manufacture of hot- and cold-rolled steel products (wide and narrow strips, plates, sheets, foils, wire, bars, profiles, sheet piles, rails and other products for the railway),
manufacture of cast iron and steel tubes, pipes, fittings and pipe couplings; cold drawing of steel wire; manufacture of bars and profiles by forging,
other metallurgical processing of material, in particular the manufacture of ferro-alloys, iron powder and granulated iron, material for railway superstructure and metal sands for sandblasting,
manufacture and refining of precious metals (gold, silver, platinum), products and semi-finished products from them, including alloys for technical, jewellery and dental purposes, plating of base metals and determining the fineness of alloys,
manufacture of aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, tin, chromium, manganese, nickel and other non-ferrous metals from ores and from electrolytically refined waste and scrap, their alloys, metallurgical products and semi-finished products; manufacture of nickel matte.

The boundary with neighbouring fields: the manufacture of metal structures, tanks, tools and metal goods falls under field No. 25 (Manufacture of metal structures and metalworking products). Artistic craft, predominantly handmade processing of metals (metal casting, metal beating, chasing, gilding) belongs to field No. 26 (Artistic craft processing of metals). Heat treatment of metals (hardening, annealing), surface treatments and welding are covered by field No. 27 (Surface treatments and welding of metals and other materials). If you want to carry out these activities too, you simply notify the relevant further fields of the unqualified (free) trade as well.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (for a minor it may be replaced by the court's approval),
clean criminal record under Section 6(2) - assessed from an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the office obtains itself (Section 46(1)).

Professional qualification is not documented for this trade. Annex 4 to the Act does not require any education or experience for an unqualified (free) trade - this is the main difference compared with craft trades (Sections 21 and 22), regulated trades (professional qualification under Annex 2) or licensed (concession) trades (a concession granted in administrative proceedings).

Furthermore, there must be no obstacle to operating a trade under Section 8 (e.g. a final ban on activity or a previously cancelled licence).

A natural person may, but does not have to, appoint a responsible representative under Section 11; one person may perform this function for no more than 4 entrepreneurs. A legal person does not have to appoint one for an unqualified (free) trade if the managing director meets the general conditions.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) for the trade notification (Sections 45 and 45a lay down the requirements of the notification).
Submit it at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the central registration point), online via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Submit the documents under Section 46 - identity, and possibly a document for the business premises and the owner's consent. The office verifies the clean criminal record itself.
Pay the administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (for electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz only CZK 800).
The office makes the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days under Section 47 and the licence is valid already from the day of notification.

You can find the detailed procedure in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

Completed URF (trade notification).
Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
Possibly a document for the business premises and the consent of the owner of the property.
Administrative fee: CZK 1,000 (electronically CZK 800).
Notifying another field of the unqualified (free) trade later is free of charge (CZK 0).
You do not document the professional qualification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate or experience in metallurgy?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade for which professional qualification is not proven. The general conditions under Section 6 - full legal capacity and a clean criminal record - are sufficient.

Can I also notify further fields of the unqualified (free) trade alongside it?

Yes. There is a single unqualified (free) trade with 80 fields of activity. You can notify several fields at once for one administrative fee and later extend the licence to include another field free of charge.

When can I start doing business?

The licence comes into existence already on the day of notification (Section 10(1)). You do not have to wait for the extract from the Trade Register to be issued; the office makes it within 5 working days.

Does the manufacture of metal products or welding fall under this field?

No. The manufacture of structures and metal goods falls under field No. 25 and surface treatments or welding under field No. 27. You notify these activities as separate fields of the unqualified (free) trade.