Wood processing and manufacture of wooden, cork, wicker and straw products

The unqualified (free) trade (field no. 12) covers wood processing and the manufacture of items from wood, cork, wicker and straw, other than joinery, furniture making and the manufacture of wooden toys. It requires no professional qualification - the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act suffice.

Conditions for operating

This is an unqualified (free) trade - professional qualification (neither education nor experience) is NOT documented.
It is enough to meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:
- full legal capacity (usually reaching the age of 18; missing legal capacity may be replaced by a court's consent to the legal representative's approval of a minor under Section 6(1)),
- a clean criminal record (for Czech citizens, the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself).
The licence arises already on the day of notification (provided the conditions are met); there is no need to wait for the extract to be issued.
You do not need to appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 here, because no expertise is proven; you would use one voluntarily, e.g. if you want to do business but the operation will actually be run by someone else.

Examples of activities

sawmilling and cutting of timber
manufacture of wooden packaging - pallets, crates and boxes
basketry and weaving of wicker baskets
manufacture of straw plaiting and wicker products and accessories
drying, impregnation and chemical protection of wood
manufacture of veneers and plywood products
processing of cork and manufacture of cork products and stoppers
manufacture of wood chips and wooden briquettes
artistic-craft processing of wood - figurines, ornaments and small gift items
manufacture of wooden kitchen products and tool handles

What the trade is and what it is for

The trade "Wood processing, manufacture of wooden, cork, wicker and straw products" is field no. 12 within the single free trade whose full name reads "Manufacturing, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 to the Trade Licensing Act" (Annex 4 to the Trade Licensing Act, Act No. 455/1991 Coll.). It entitles you to process wood as a raw material and to make from it - and further from cork, wicker and straw - a wide variety of products.

This field covers a broad range of activities: from sawmilling (cutting roundwood into timber), through drying and impregnation of wood, the manufacture of wooden packaging, veneers and small items, to traditional crafts such as basketry or the plaiting of straw and wicker products. What they have in common is that they involve manufacture and processing, not the structural installation of wooden constructions.

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, entry into business is simple - you do not need an apprenticeship certificate or experience in the field.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Field no. 12 typically covers:

sawmilling, cutting, planing and drying of timber, manufacture of wooden railway sleepers,
drying, impregnation and chemical protection of wood with preservatives,
manufacture of veneers, plywood and agglomerated wooden products, wood chips, wood wool and wooden briquettes,
manufacture of wooden packaging - pallets, crates, boxes and load supports - and cooperage products (barrels, vats, tubular cooperage),
manufacture of wheelwright products, wooden bobbins and small wooden items (tool handles, shoemakers' lasts, wooden kitchen products, spindles),
artistic-craft processing of wood - figurines, ornaments and small gift items,
basketry and the manufacture of wicker goods (baskets, wattle, fences, furniture accessories),
manufacture of straw plaiting and products from it (mats, ornaments, sheathing),
processing of natural cork and the manufacture of cork products from agglomerated cork.

Beware of the boundary with other trades. The most important difference is from the craft trade Joinery, floor-laying (Annex 1). The bespoke manufacture of furniture, the fitting of floors, windows, doors and frames, staircases and built-in wardrobes is the joinery craft, where professional qualification is documented under Sections 21 and 22. Likewise, Carpentry (roof trusses, wooden building structures) is a separate craft trade. If you want to do these activities, field no. 12 is not enough for you - you must either document expertise or appoint a responsible representative.

Some wooden products, moreover, fall under other fields of the same free trade, so they require no expertise, but you must notify the correct field:

the manufacture of wooden toys falls under field no. 38 "Manufacture, repair and maintenance of sports equipment, games, toys and prams" (it is expressly excluded from field no. 12, as is the manufacture of wooden costume jewellery),
the manufacture of charcoal falls under field no. 16 "Manufacture of coke, crude tar and other solid fuels", not under wood processing.

The boundary is assessed according to the content of the fields (Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll.). If you are unsure whether your particular production falls under the free field no. 12, another free field, or already under joinery or carpentry, verify it with the Trade Licensing Office in advance - carrying on a craft on only a free licence is unauthorised business.

Statutory conditions for obtaining it

As with any free trade, it is enough here to meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity - usually reaching the age of 18; missing legal capacity may be replaced by a court's consent to the legal representative's approval of a minor (Section 6(1) of the Trade Licensing Act),
a clean criminal record - a person finally convicted of an intentional criminal offence committed in connection with business is not regarded as having a clean record (Section 6(2)). For Czech citizens, the office obtains the extract from the Criminal Records Register itself.

Professional qualification is NOT documented. A free trade requires no special conditions under Section 7 - no one asks for an apprenticeship certificate, a diploma or experience.

A responsible representative (Section 11) is not mandatory here, because no expertise is proven. You may appoint one voluntarily - for instance if you will own the trade but the operation will actually be run by another person. One person may act as responsible representative for at most 4 entrepreneurs.

How to notify or obtain the trade step by step

Complete the Unified Registration Form (URF). As the line of business you choose the free trade and select field no. 12 (you may add other fields at once - there is no surcharge for their number).
Submit it. In person at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, at a Czech POINT contact point, or electronically via the rzp.gov.cz portal. There is no restriction on local jurisdiction.
Prove your identity and pay the fee. On first entry into business CZK 1,000, for an electronic submission at a discount CZK 800.
Wait for the entry. The Trade Licensing Office makes the entry in the register and issues the extract within 5 working days of delivery of the notification (Section 47). The licence, however, arises already on the day of notification.

Thanks to the URF, a single submission also registers you for income tax, with the Czech Social Security Administration (social insurance) and with a health insurance company. A detailed procedure can be found in the guide How to set up a trade.

Documents and fees

Identity document (identity card or passport).
Completed URF with the selected field no. 12.
A clean criminal record - for Czech citizens the office verifies it itself; foreigners document it under Section 46.
No documents on education or experience - they are not required.
Fee for notification: CZK 1,000 (electronically CZK 800).
Extension by a further field of the free trade later: CZK 0 (free of charge).
Entry deadline: within 5 working days.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an apprenticeship certificate for wood processing?

No. This is a free trade and expertise is not documented. The general conditions under Section 6 - legal capacity and a clean criminal record - suffice. You need an apprenticeship certificate only for joinery and carpentry, which are separate craft trades.

Can I manufacture bespoke furniture or wooden toys under field no. 12?

Bespoke furniture, no - the manufacture of furniture, windows, doors, staircases or the laying of floors falls under the craft trade Joinery, floor-laying (Annex 1). Nor does the manufacture of wooden toys belong here - that falls under another free field (no. 38). Field no. 12 covers wood processing and the manufacture of items such as packaging, veneers, small wooden products or wicker and straw goods. It is better to verify the boundary with the office.

How much does notifying this trade cost?

On first entry into business CZK 1,000, for an electronic submission CZK 800. If you already hold the free trade and are merely adding field no. 12, it is free of charge (CZK 0).

Does sawmilling and cutting of timber fall here?

Yes. Sawmilling, cutting roundwood into timber, planing and drying of wood fall directly under field no. 12 and you do not have to document any expertise for them.

How soon can I start doing business?

The licence arises already on the day of notification (provided the conditions are met). The office issues the extract from the Trade Register within 5 working days.

Sources

Act No. 455/1991 Coll., on trade licensing (the Trade Licensing Act): https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/1991-455
Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll., on the content of individual trades: https://www.zakonyprolidi.cz/cs/2008-278
Ministry of Industry and Trade: https://www.mpo.gov.cz