Manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard and goods from these materials

An unqualified (free) trade (activity no. 13 of Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act) covering the manufacture of pulp, paper, paperboard and products made from these materials. No professional qualification is required - it is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of Act No. 455/1991 Coll. The trade licence comes into existence on the day of notification.

Conditions for operating

Full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a) of Act No. 455/1991 Coll.) - for a minor this may be replaced by a court's approval of the legal representative's consent to engaging in business.
A clean criminal record (Section 6(1)(b)) - proven by an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the Trade Licensing Office obtains itself; foreign nationals prove it under Section 46.
Professional qualification is not documented - this is an unqualified (free) trade under Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act, for which, under Section 25(2), no education or experience is required.
For a legal entity (and for an entrepreneur who does not meet the general conditions personally), a responsible representative may, or rather must, be appointed under Section 11; one person may hold this office for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

Examples of activities

manufacture of pulp (fibre) and cellulose from wood and from recovered paper
manufacture of paper, cardboard and paperboard (including coating, impregnation and cellulose wadding)
manufacture of paper and cardboard packaging, boxes and carton goods
manufacture of hygienic paper products (tissues, napkins, toilet paper)
manufacture of office and stationery products from paper (envelopes, exercise books, notepads, index cards)
manufacture of wallpaper and decorative paper
manufacture of paper bags, sacks and spirally wound cores
processing of recovered paper as a raw material for further manufacture

What the trade is and what it is for

The trade "Manufacture of pulp, paper and paperboard and goods from these materials" is one of the fields of activity of the unqualified (free) trade (activity no. 13 under Annex 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., the Trade Licensing Act). It entitles you to manufacture pulp (cellulose), paper, paperboard and cardboard and to further process these materials into finished products.

An unqualified trade is a so-called notifiable trade for which the Act requires no professional qualification. It is enough that you meet the general conditions under Section 6 (full legal capacity and a clean criminal record). Under Section 10(1)(a) the trade licence comes into existence on the day of notification at the Trade Licensing Office, so you can start trading practically immediately.

A single notification is enough for the whole field 13 - you do not have to notify the manufacture of paper and the manufacture of packaging separately. On the contrary, within one notification and one administrative fee you may also notify further fields of the unqualified trade.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

According to the content description (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.), this field covers in particular:

manufacture of pulp (cellulose) and cellulose from wood or from recovered paper,
manufacture of paper, cardboard and paperboard (including coating, surfacing, impregnation and cellulose wadding),
manufacture of packaging - paper and cardboard boxes, carton goods, sacks and bags,
manufacture of hygienic products from paper (tissues, napkins, toilet paper),
manufacture of office and stationery products from paper (envelopes, exercise books, notepads, index cards),
manufacture of wallpaper, decorative paper and other goods from paper and paperboard (filter papers, paper and cardboard reels and the like).

The boundary with neighbouring trades. This field concerns paper itself and products made from it. By contrast:

Manufacture of games, toys and playing cards from paper and paperboard does not belong to field 13 - the content description expressly excludes it and it falls under field no. 42 "Manufacture of toys and games".
Printing on paper, publishing of printed matter, bookbinding and copying work fall under the separate field no. 14 "Publishing activities, polygraphic production, bookbinding and copying work".
Processing of wood as such (sawn timber, wooden products) belongs to field no. 12 "Processing of wood, manufacture of wooden, cork, wickerwork and straw products"; only the subsequent manufacture of pulp falls here.
Manufacture of school and office supplies belongs to field no. 41, which, however, expressly excludes "products made from paper" - stationery goods therefore remain in field 13.

If you also wished to sell the finished goods in your own shop or e-shop, this is covered by field no. 48 "Wholesale and retail" - it is advisable to notify it at the same time.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, you prove only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (Section 6(1)(a)) - for a minor this may be replaced by a court's approval of the legal representative's consent to engaging in business,
a 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; foreign nationals prove it under Section 46.

You do not document professional qualification or experience - for an unqualified trade, under Annex 4 (and Section 25(2)), no education or professional experience is required. This is the main difference compared with craft trades (qualification under Sections 21 and 22), regulated trades (under Annex 2) and licensed (concession) trades (a concession granted after administrative proceedings).

Responsible representative (Section 11). A legal entity always appoints a responsible representative. A natural person who meets the general conditions personally does not need one for an unqualified trade; they may, however, use one, for example when carrying out their function abroad. One person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Fill in the Unified Registration Form (JRF). With a single form you submit the trade notification (particulars under Section 45) and at the same time you may submit a registration for social insurance (CSSZ) and health insurance, as well as a registration with the tax office.
Choose the fields of the unqualified trade - state field no. 13, and any other fields you wish to carry out.
Submit the notification. You may do so in person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office (Central Registration Point), electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or via a Czech POINT branch.
Provide the documents and pay the fee (see below).
Wait for the entry. The office makes the entry in the Trade Register and issues an extract under Section 47 within 5 working days of delivery of the notification; the licence, however, comes into existence already on the day of notification. The office assigns the company ID number (ICO) automatically and free of charge.

A detailed universal procedure can be found in the guide How to start a trade.

Documents and fees

Completed JRF (trade notification).
Proof of identity (identity card or passport).
Extract from the Criminal Records Register - usually requested by the office itself; foreign nationals prove a clean criminal record under Section 46.
Proof of the legal grounds for using the premises of the registered office, where required (Section 46(1)(f)).
Administrative fee for notifying a trade upon entry into trade business: CZK 1,000 (one-off, even when notifying several fields or several trades at once). The rate is set by item 24 of the schedule of fees to Act No. 634/2004 Coll. and is the same for paper and electronic filings - the reduced electronic rate does not apply here. When filing via Czech POINT, CZK 50 is added for acceptance of the filing.
Further trade notification (if you already hold a trade licence): CZK 500.
Extension by a further field within an existing unqualified trade (the unqualified trade is a single one, so adding a field is not a new trade): CZK 0 (free).

Frequently asked questions

Do I need any education or experience to manufacture paper?

No. This is an unqualified 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).

When can I start trading?

For a notifiable trade, the trade licence comes into existence under Section 10(1)(a) on the day of notification. You will usually wait up to 5 working days for the extract from the register, but you can start trading immediately.

Can I notify the manufacture of packaging and the sale of goods at the same time?

Yes. Paper and paperboard packaging already falls within field 13. If you want to sell goods, add field no. 48 (wholesale and retail) - within one notification and one fee.

How much does it cost to add a further field later?

Extension by a further field within an existing unqualified trade is free (CZK 0). If you only later notified an entirely new trade (e.g. a craft or regulated trade), you would pay CZK 500 for the further notification.

Do I have to deal with hygiene or environmental regulations?

The trade licence is one thing; the actual operation of the manufacture may be subject to further regulations (hygiene, the environment, waste management, IPPC for large paper mills). Verify the specific obligations with the relevant authority according to the nature of the operation.