Manufacture of railway vehicles

An unqualified (free) trade (field no. 35) covering the manufacture of railway traction and hauled vehicles for railway, tram, trolleybus and cable lines, the manufacture of rolling stock and the manufacture of specialised parts for railway and tram vehicles. It does not require professional qualification - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6.

Conditions for operating

General conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:
full legal capacity (or the court's approval of the legal representative's consent for a minor)
a clean criminal record within the meaning of Section 6(2) (proven by an extract from the Criminal Records register, which the Office obtains itself)
professional qualification is NOT required for an unqualified (free) trade
the trade licence arises on the day of notification (or on the day stated in the notification)
optionally, a responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11, but this is not mandatory

Examples of activities

manufacture of electric and diesel railway locomotives
manufacture of motor and electric units and traction vehicles
manufacture of passenger, goods and tanker railway wagons and carriages
manufacture of trams and tram cars
manufacture of trolleybuses and vehicles for trolleybus lines
manufacture of vehicles and cabins for cable lines
manufacture of specialised railway vehicle parts (bogies, axles, wheels, brakes, couplers, buffers)
completion and assembly of rail vehicles from parts and components

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Manufacture of railway traction vehicles and railway vehicles for tram, trolleybus and cable lines and rolling stock is field no. 35 within the single unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act (Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It entitles you to manufacture rail and railway vehicles for various kinds of lines - from railway locomotives through passenger and goods wagons to trams, trolleybuses and cable-line vehicles - and also to manufacture specialised parts of these vehicles.

The term "rolling stock" covers rail vehicles without their own propulsion and their technical equipment operated on railways and similar lines. This trade is suited to engineering firms, manufacturers of rail technology and smaller specialised operations that complete vehicles from supplied parts or manufacture components of railway vehicles.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

The trade typically includes:

manufacture of railway traction vehicles (electric and diesel locomotives, motor and electric units);
manufacture of passenger, goods, tanker and special railway wagons;
manufacture of trams and vehicles for tram lines;
manufacture of trolleybuses and trolleybus-line vehicles;
manufacture of cabins and vehicles for cable lines;
manufacture of specialised parts of railway and tram vehicles - in particular bogies, axles and wheels, brakes and brake components, couplers and coupling elements, and buffers;
completion and assembly of rail vehicles from parts and components.

What does not belong here (the boundary with neighbouring fields):

Repairs and maintenance of railway vehicles are assessed according to their specific content and may fall under another field of the unqualified (free) trade, or under a different trade; the manufacture of railway vehicle parts itself, however, belongs to this field no. 35 (see above).
Road vehicle repairs belong to the craft trade "Road vehicle repairs" (Annex 1 to the Trade Licensing Act).
Operating rail transport and operating a railway line is not a trade under the Trade Licensing Act - it is governed by Act No. 266/1994 Coll., on railways, and requires separate authorisations (licences, official permits) from the Railway Authority.

The substantive content of the fields of the unqualified (free) trade is defined by Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll., on the substantive content of individual trades. If you are unsure how to classify a particular activity, we recommend asking the Trade Licensing Office.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

This is an unqualified (free) trade, so to notify it you do not have to prove any professional qualification - you provide no education or practical experience. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (for a minor it can be replaced by the court's approval of the legal representative's consent to doing business);
a clean criminal record within the meaning of Section 6(2) - assessed according to an extract from the Criminal Records register, which the Office obtains itself.

The trade licence arises already on the day of notification, not only upon registration in the register.

Responsible representative (Section 11): for an unqualified (free) trade a responsible representative is not mandatory. You may appoint one voluntarily (for example where a foreign person or a legal entity without a suitable person in its body wishes to do business). The responsible representative must meet the general conditions under Section 6 and one person may perform this function for at most four entrepreneurs.

Note that the manufacture itself is a trade, but the subsequent putting of railway vehicles into operation is subject to approval and technical rules under the Act on railways and the rules of the Railway Authority. That is no longer a matter for the trade licence.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF). It serves to notify the trade and at the same time allows registration for income tax, for social security and for health insurance.
Select field no. 35 "Manufacture of railway traction vehicles and railway vehicles...". Within a single notification you can also choose other fields of the unqualified (free) trade at once for one fee.
Submit the notification at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (a central registration point), electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or through Czech POINT.
Pay the administrative fee. For the first notification of a trade CZK 1,000 (or CZK 800 for an electronic submission via rzp.gov.cz). Adding another field within an existing unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0).
Wait for registration. The Office enters you in the Trade Register within 5 working days of notification. The licence, however, arises already on the day of notification.

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

Documents and fees

Identity document (identity card or passport).
Completed URF stating field no. 35.
Proof of payment of the administrative fee.
Proof of the legal grounds for using the registered office, if it is not your permanent residence address.
Fee: CZK 1,000 (CZK 800 electronically); adding another field of the unqualified (free) trade CZK 0.
Registration deadline: within 5 working days of notification.
You do not provide a criminal record extract - the Office obtains it itself.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need education or practical experience to manufacture railway vehicles?

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 obtain other fields with a single notification?

Yes. The unqualified (free) trade is a single trade, has 82 fields and you can notify several fields at once for one administrative fee. Adding another field later is free of charge.

Can I also manufacture railway vehicle parts under this field?

Yes. Field no. 35 includes not only the manufacture of whole vehicles but also the manufacture of specialised parts of railway and tram vehicles (in particular bogies, axles, wheels, brakes, couplers and buffers).

Can I also operate a railway line or rail transport with this licence?

No. The operation of a railway line and of rail transport is governed by Act No. 266/1994 Coll., on railways, and requires separate permits from the Railway Authority. The trade licence covers only the manufacture of vehicles and their parts.

When can I start doing business?

The trade licence arises on the day of notification. You can therefore start immediately and do not have to wait for registration in the register (which takes place within 5 working days).

Do I have to have a responsible representative?

For an unqualified (free) trade it is not mandatory. You may appoint one voluntarily under Section 11, but they must meet the general conditions under Section 6.