Manufacture of chemical substances and chemical mixtures or articles and cosmetic products
Field of activity No. 17 under the Trade Licensing Act.
What you need: No professional qualification needed — general conditions and a notification suffice.
- Volná živnost
- Field No. 17
- See conditions below
- 8 activity examples
An unqualified (free) trade (field no. 17) for the manufacture of chemical substances, chemical mixtures, articles and cosmetic products. It requires no professional qualification - the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act are enough and the licence comes into existence already on the day of notification (Section 10(1) of the Act).
A clean criminal record under Section 6(1)(b) - for Czech citizens the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself.
Professional qualification is NOT documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex 4 to the Act), no apprenticeship certificate, diploma or experience is required.
The licence comes into existence on the day of notification (Section 10(1) of the Act); the office makes the entry in the Trade Register and issues the extract within 5 working days.
Mind the boundary: the manufacture of dangerous chemical substances and mixtures and the sale of highly toxic and toxic substances is a separate regulated trade (Annex 2 to the Act) with a requirement of professional education and experience under Section 24 of the Act.
Examples of activities
- manufacture of cosmetic products (creams, shampoos, perfumes)
- manufacture of cleaning and washing agents
- manufacture of paints, varnishes and coating materials
- manufacture of adhesives and sealants
- manufacture of candles, fragrant essences and aromas
- manufacture of soaps and detergents
- mixing and packaging of chemical mixtures (which are not dangerous)
- manufacture of articles from chemical materials
What the trade is and what it is for
The trade "Manufacture of chemical substances and chemical mixtures or articles and cosmetic products" is field no. 17 of the unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll. (the Trade Licensing Act). From the point of view of the law this is not a separate trade but one of the 80 fields of activity of the single unqualified trade with the official name "Manufacture, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 to the Trade Licensing Act". It entitles you to manufacture, mix, package and place on the market chemical products for ordinary consumer and industrial use - from cosmetics through cleaning agents to paints and adhesives.
Because this is an unqualified trade, you prove no professional qualification. This makes the field an accessible gateway for manufacturers of cosmetics, drugstore goods and small-scale chemical production. Note, however: the trade licence does not replace obligations under other regulations (in particular the European REACH Regulation, Regulation No. 1223/2009 on cosmetic products and Chemical Act No. 350/2011 Coll.).
What falls under this trade (and what does not)
Field no. 17 covers in particular:
- manufacture of cosmetic products - creams, shampoos, soaps, perfumes, decorative cosmetics,
- manufacture of cleaning, washing and detergent agents, detergents and drugstore goods,
- manufacture of paints, varnishes, coating materials, adhesives, sealants,
- manufacture of candles, fragrant essences, aromas and similar articles,
- mixing, diluting and packaging of chemical mixtures that are not classified as dangerous.
Where this trade ends and another begins:
- The manufacture of dangerous chemical substances and mixtures and the sale of highly toxic and toxic substances is a separate regulated trade - its full name is "Manufacture of dangerous chemical substances and dangerous chemical mixtures and sale of chemical substances and chemical mixtures classified as highly toxic and toxic" (Annex 2 to the Act). There professional qualification is proven: the law requires education in the relevant (especially chemical or other technical or natural-science) field and corresponding experience. If you were to manufacture substances classified as dangerous, the unqualified trade is not enough.
- Wholesale and retail of finished chemicals or cosmetics falls under field no. 48 of the unqualified trade - if you only sell the goods but do not manufacture them.
- Manufacture of medicinal products and medical devices is subject to special regulation outside this trade.
The boundary is assessed by the office according to the content description of the fields (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.). If in doubt whether your product is a "dangerous" substance, contact the Trade Licensing Office before commencing manufacture.
Conditions for obtaining it under the law
As with every unqualified trade, it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:
- full legal capacity (usually from the age of 18; exceptionally from 16 with the court's consent),
- a clean criminal record - for Czech citizens the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself.
Professional qualification is not documented. The Trade Licensing Office requires no apprenticeship certificate, university diploma or years of experience. This is the main difference compared with the regulated trade for the manufacture of dangerous chemical substances.
If you cannot meet a particular condition personally (for example as a foreign person), you may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 - they must meet the general conditions on your behalf. One person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs. For an unqualified trade, however, this is usually not necessary.
How to notify or obtain the trade step by step
- Fill in the Unified Registration Form (JRF). As the subject of business state the unqualified trade and choose field no. 17 (or add other fields straight away - there is no surcharge for the number of fields).
- Submit the notification under Section 45 of the Trade Licensing Act. There are three options: in person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (the office of a municipality with extended powers), electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal (by data box or via Citizen Identity), or at a Czech POINT contact point.
- Pay the administrative fee - CZK 1,000 for the first notification, CZK 800 with the electronic discount.
- Wait for the entry. The office enters you in the Trade Register and issues the extract within 5 working days. The licence, however, comes into existence under Section 10(1) of the Trade Licensing Act already on the day of notification, so you can trade before the extract physically arrives.
A detailed universal procedure can be found in the guide How to start a trade.
Documents and fees
- Documents: completed JRF, proof of identity; foreign nationals prove a clean criminal record and, where applicable, the right of residence.
- Fee for notification: CZK 1,000 (CZK 800 electronically).
- Extension by a further field of the unqualified trade later: free (CZK 0).
- Time limit: entry within 5 working days of a flawless notification; the licence comes into existence on the day of notification.
- Professional qualification: not documented.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a chemical education to manufacture cosmetics?
No. For this unqualified trade professional qualification is not proven - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6. You must, however, meet the requirements of the Regulation on cosmetic products (e.g. a safety assessment and notification of the product to the CPNP portal).
When do I already need a regulated trade instead of this one?
As soon as you manufacture substances or mixtures classified as dangerous, or sell highly toxic and toxic substances. This is a separate regulated trade (Annex 2 to the Act) with a requirement of chemical (or other technical or natural-science) education and experience.
Do I have to notify field no. 17 separately?
No. There is only one unqualified trade - you choose field no. 17 within its notification and you may add other fields for one fee.
Is the trade licence enough to place the product on the market?
Not on its own. In addition to the trade you must comply with the regulations on chemical substances (REACH, the Chemical Act) and, for cosmetics, Regulation No. 1223/2009. These obligations are dealt with by authorities other than the Trade Licensing Office.