Manufacture of metal structures and metalwork products

Manufacture of metal structures and metalwork products is field No. 25 of the unqualified (free) trade. It does not require professional qualification - you only need to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act, and the licence arises on the day of notification.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a) of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.).
Clean criminal record (Section 6(1)(b) - assessed on the basis of an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the Trade Licensing Office obtains itself).
No professional or other qualification is REQUIRED - this is an unqualified (free) trade under Section 25(1) of the Trade Licensing Act.
The option (not the obligation) to appoint a responsible representative under Section 11, e.g. if the entrepreneur does not wish to operate the trade in person.
For a legal entity and for foreign persons, the conditions under Section 7(2) and (3) and Section 5 of the Trade Licensing Act apply in addition.

Examples of activities

Manufacture of metal structures for buildings, halls and bridge components
Manufacture of steel girders, truss structures and metal staircases
Production of metal windows, doors, gates, fences and railings
Manufacture of metal tanks, reservoirs and containers
Manufacture of fasteners - bolts, nuts, rivets and springs
Manufacture of wire goods, chains, spring and pressed parts
Assembly and completion of metal structures from finished parts
Manufacture of metal furniture, shelving and metal packaging

What the trade is and what it is for

The trade Manufacture of metal structures and metalwork products is field of activity No. 25 within the single unqualified (free) trade under Section 25 of Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on trade licensing (the Trade Licensing Act). It entitles you to manufacture, process and assemble metal structures and metalwork products - from processing steel profiles, sheets, tubes and wires to assembling finished parts.

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, the law does not require proof of professional or other qualification (Section 25(1)). It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6. This makes this field an accessible way to start a business in engineering and metalworking without having to provide an apprenticeship certificate or work experience.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field No. 25 covers in particular:

manufacture of metal structures for the construction industry (halls, girders, staircases, railings),
manufacture of metal windows, doors, gates, fences and grilles,
manufacture of tanks, reservoirs, containers and metal packaging,
manufacture of fasteners, wire goods, springs and pressed parts,
assembly and completion of metal structures from finished components.

What, by contrast, does not fall under field No. 25. The defined scope expressly does not include the assembly, repair and reconstruction of designated pressure equipment, boilers and pressure vessels, nor designated lifting equipment; nor does it include the making of tools and fixtures for engineering production.

Mind the boundaries with craft trades. If the activity goes beyond the mere manufacture and assembly of metal parts and requires expertise, it falls under a separate craft trade under Annex No. 1 to the Trade Licensing Act - for example Locksmithing, toolmaking, Machining, Blacksmithing, farriery or Foundry work, pattern making. Within the unqualified (free) trade, a separate field is also Artistic and craft processing of metals (field No. 26) and Surface treatment and welding of metals and other materials (field No. 27). The exact defined scopes of the fields are set out in Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.; in borderline cases we recommend verifying the classification with the Trade Licensing Office.

Statutory conditions for obtaining the licence

To obtain the licence you only need to meet the general conditions under Section 6(1) of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (which may be replaced by a court's consent),
a clean criminal record (assessed on the basis of an extract from the Criminal Records Register; the office obtains it itself).

Professional qualification is not required for this trade - Section 25(1) expressly stipulates that for the unqualified (free) trade neither professional nor other qualification is proved. You therefore do not need any education, apprenticeship certificate or experience in the field.

Under Section 11 you may (but need not) appoint a responsible representative - a natural person who is responsible for the proper operation of the trade. For the unqualified (free) trade this is a voluntary option, appreciated e.g. by legal entities or an entrepreneur who does not operate the trade in person. One person may act as a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs (Section 11(5)).

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (URF). With a single submission you simultaneously notify the trade, register for income tax, with the social security administration and with the health insurance company.
Submit the notification at any municipal (city) Trade Licensing Office, electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or through a Czech POINT contact point.
Prove your identity and pay the administrative fee. You do not need to prove a clean criminal record or qualification.
The licence arises on the day of notification (Section 10(1)(a)) if you meet the conditions. The Trade Licensing Office makes an entry in the Trade Register and issues an extract within 5 working days of the day the notification is delivered (Section 47(1)).

You may also notify several fields of the unqualified (free) trade at once for a single fee. You will find detailed guidance on the page /jak-zalozit-zivnost.

Documents and fees

Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
Completed URF - notification of the trade.
Proof of payment of the administrative fee.
Administrative fee: CZK 1,000 on entry into business, CZK 800 for electronic submission. A further notification of a trade (if you are already an entrepreneur registered in the Trade Register) costs CZK 500, or CZK 400 electronically.
Adding a further field within an existing unqualified (free) trade is free of charge (CZK 0) - it is a single trade with 80 fields.
The company ID number (IČO) is assigned by the office automatically and free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate or experience in metalworking?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade, for which under Section 25(1) professional qualification is not proved. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6.

When can I start doing business?

The trade licence arises on the day of notification (Section 10) if you meet the statutory conditions. You may do business even before the extract from the register physically reaches you.

How much will I pay if I also notify further fields of the unqualified (free) trade?

On entering business you pay only once - CZK 1,000 (CZK 800 electronically) - regardless of the number of fields notified. A later addition of a further field is free of charge.

Can I weld or carry out surface treatment of metals under this trade?

Welding and surface treatment of metals fall under a separate field No. 27 (Surface treatment and welding of metals and other materials). If you want to operate these activities, also notify this field - within the unqualified (free) trade it is free of charge. In case of doubt, verify the classification with the Trade Licensing Office.

Do I have to have a responsible representative?

No. For the unqualified (free) trade a responsible representative under Section 11 is a voluntary option, not an obligation.