Manufacture and processing of glass

Manufacture and processing of glass is an unqualified (free) trade (field No. 20) under Annex No. 4 to the Trade Licensing Act. It requires no professional education or experience; it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 and notify the trade.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a)) - for a minor it may be replaced by the court's approval of the legal representative's consent to do business.
Clean criminal record (integrity) (Section 6(1)(b)) - proven by an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the Trade Licensing Office usually obtains itself.
No professional qualification is documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex No. 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll. (the special conditions under Section 7 do not apply).
For a legal person and for an entrepreneur who does not meet the general conditions himself, a responsible representative may be appointed (Section 11).
There must be no obstacle to operating a trade under Section 8.

Examples of activities

Melting and manufacture of molten glass from glassmaking raw materials
Manufacture of utility, technical and packaging glass
Manual and machine shaping and blowing of glass
Manufacture of glass products (vases, glasses, bowls)
Manufacture and processing of flat (sheet) glass
Manufacture of glass fibres and insulation materials from glass
Painting and applying enamel to utility glass
Manufacture of glass semi-finished products and beads for costume jewellery

What the trade is and what it is for

The trade Manufacture and processing of glass is one of the 80 fields of activity of the unqualified (free) trade and, in their list (Annex No. 4 to the Trade Licensing Act), it is listed under sequence number 20. It entitles you to produce molten glass from mineral raw materials, to melt and shape glass and to further process it into finished products and semi-finished products.

This trade covers both industrial and machine glass production and manual glassmaking and artistic processing. You may manufacture utility, technical, packaging and flat glass, glass fibres or glass semi-finished products and further surface-treat and decorate these products. It therefore serves entrepreneurs from small handmade workshops to larger-scale glass manufacturers.

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, you do not have to prove any education or experience in the field. This makes it an accessible way to do business in glass manufacture on the basis of a simple notification.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

According to its content (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.), field No. 20 covers in particular:

melting of glass and manufacture of molten glass from glassmaking raw materials (batch and cullet),
manual and machine shaping, blowing and pressing of glass,
manufacture of utility, technical, packaging and flat (sheet) glass, including toughened, laminated and insulating glass and mirrors,
manufacture of glass fibres and insulation materials from glass (glass wool, yarn),
manufacture of glass semi-finished products and beads for costume jewellery,
painting of utility glass, colouring of surfaces and applying high enamel including firing in firing kilns,
laser processing of glass.

What, on the other hand, does not fall here. The boundary with neighbouring trades is important for glass:

Cutting, etching and engraving of glass is expressly excluded from the content of field No. 20. It is a separate craft trade "Cutting and etching of glass" (Annex No. 1). It requires professional qualification under Sections 21 and 22 (an apprenticeship certificate or school-leaving exam in the field, a related field with experience, requalification, or 6 years of experience) and cannot be carried out solely on the basis of unqualified (free) trade No. 20.
Glazing of windows, cutting glass to size and framing falls under another field of the unqualified (free) trade - "Glazier's work, framing and mounting" (field No. 46).
The sale of glass goods without own manufacture is a commercial activity - field "Wholesale and retail" (field No. 47).

Watch out for overlap with decorating: you can manage painting and enamelling of glass within field No. 20, but as soon as the decoration includes cutting of patterns, engraving or etching, you need the craft trade "Cutting and etching of glass".

If you want to carry out several of these activities, notify the relevant fields at the same time. Several fields of the unqualified (free) trade are notified for one administrative fee.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

To notify this trade it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a)) - for a minor it may be replaced by the court's approval of the legal representative's consent to do business,
clean criminal record (Section 6(1)(b)) - under Section 6(2), a person is not considered to have a clean record if they have been finally convicted of an intentional criminal offence committed in connection with the business or with the subject of business to which the notification relates.

Professional qualification is not documented for this trade. It is an unqualified (free) trade for which the law requires no education or experience (the special conditions under Section 7 do not apply). This is the main difference compared with craft, regulated and licensed (concession) trades.

Furthermore, there must be no obstacle to operating a trade under Section 8 (for example, ongoing or unfinished bankruptcy or a ban on activity imposed by a court or administrative authority).

Responsible representative (Section 11). A legal person appoints a responsible representative whenever it is needed. A natural person needs one only if they themselves do not meet the general conditions - so for an unqualified (free) trade one is usually not necessary. The responsible representative must meet the conditions under Section 6 and one person may perform this function for no more than four entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF) for a natural or legal person. As the subject of business you state "Production, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Trade Licensing Act" and select field No. 20 Manufacture and processing of glass.
Submit the notification under Section 45 at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Prove your identity and pay the administrative fee. The office verifies the clean criminal record itself from the Criminal Records Register.
The licence comes into existence on the day of notification. The office makes the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days and issues you an extract.

Through the URF you can at the same time register for income tax, with the social security administration and with a health insurance company. You can find the detailed procedure in the guide how to start a trade.

Documents and fees

Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
Completed URF with the selected field No. 20.
Clean criminal record - the Criminal Records Register is usually obtained by the office; foreigners document an extract from their country of origin (or from the member state of their last residence).
Administrative fee for the notification: CZK 1,000, or CZK 800 for electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz.
Extending to include another field of the unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0).
Registration period: within 5 working days of the notification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate or experience to manufacture glass?

No. Manufacture and processing of glass is an unqualified (free) trade for which professional qualification is not documented. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 (legal capacity and a clean criminal record).

Can I cut and etch glass under this trade?

No. Cutting, etching and engraving of glass is excluded from the content of field No. 20 and forms a separate craft trade "Cutting and etching of glass". For this activity you must notify a craft trade and document the professional qualification under Sections 21 and 22.

How much will I pay if I add further fields to the manufacture of glass?

When notifying you pay one fee of CZK 1,000 (electronically CZK 800) regardless of the number of fields. Subsequently extending the trade to include another field of the unqualified (free) trade is free of charge.

How soon can I start doing business?

A licence for an unqualified (free) trade comes into existence already on the day of notification, so you can do business immediately. The office makes the entry in the Trade Register and issues the extract within 5 working days.

Do I have to have business premises or meet hygiene regulations?

The Trade Licensing Act does not require a qualification for field No. 20, but the operation of glass production is subject to general regulations (building, fire, hygiene and waste-handling regulations). Verify the specific obligations with the Trade Licensing Office and the relevant authorities.