Intermediation of trade and services

Intermediation of trade and services is an unqualified (free) trade (field No. 47) that allows you to broker, for a fee, the purchase and sale of movable goods as well as a wide variety of services. It requires no professional qualification; meeting the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act is sufficient.

Conditions for operating

This is an unqualified (free) trade (Annex No. 4 to the Trade Licensing Act), so NO professional qualification is to be proven - no education or practice.

It is sufficient to meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:
- full legal capacity (in the case of a minor it may be replaced by a court's approval of the legal representative's consent to the operation of the trade under Section 6(2) of the Trade Licensing Act),
- a clean criminal record (proven by an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the office obtains itself).

In addition, none of the obstacles to operating a trade under Section 8 of the Trade Licensing Act may exist (e.g. a court-imposed prohibition of activity).

For a legal person and for an entrepreneur who does not meet the conditions themselves, a responsible representative may be appointed under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act; one person may be a responsible representative for no more than 4 entrepreneurs. However, no qualification is required of the responsible representative either - meeting the general conditions of Section 6 is sufficient.

The trade licence comes into being under Section 10(1)(a) of the Trade Licensing Act as early as the day of notification; there is no need to wait for a decision of the office or for the issue of an extract.

Examples of activities

Intermediation of the purchase and sale of movable goods on the account of, or on behalf of, another
Commercial representation and search for business partners and suppliers
Intermediation of loans (for business purposes) and building savings
Intermediation of craft work (plumbers, locksmiths, electricians, etc.)
Intermediation of services in transport (transport dispatching)
Intermediation of study stays abroad, language courses and au-pair placements
Activity of agencies representing artists in obtaining roles in films, theatres and at concerts
Search for publishers or producers of books, plays and works of art

What this trade is and what it is for

The trade Intermediation of trade and services is field No. 47 within the single unqualified (free) trade (Annex No. 4 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll., the Trade Licensing Act). It entitles you to carry out intermediary (brokerage) activity, that is, to connect demand and supply for a fee - to bring together sellers and buyers, service providers and their customers, on the account of another or on their behalf.

This trade is suitable for commercial agents, brokers (outside regulated areas), intermediaries of loans and building savings, transport dispatching, artistic agencies and for anyone who brokers contacts and deals between third parties. It is one of the most frequently notified activities, because it covers a wide range of business without the need to prove qualification.

What falls under this trade (and what does not)

Under Government Regulation No. 278/2008 Coll. (content of field No. 47) the field includes in particular:

intermediation of the purchase and sale of movable goods, including, where applicable, carrying out commercial transactions on the account of another or on behalf of another,
intermediation of services in transport (transport dispatching), in the area of craft work (rapid services of locksmiths, plumbers, etc.), intermediation of building savings, loans (for example for business purposes), study stays abroad (language courses, au-pair) and other services,
the activity of agents and agencies representing other persons for the purpose of obtaining participation in feature films, theatre performances, concerts and other artistic and entertainment performances, and the search for publishers or producers of books, plays and works of art.

What, on the contrary, does not belong here (it falls under other, often regulated, trades or special laws):

intermediation of the purchase and sale of real estate (real estate intermediation under Act No. 39/2020 Coll.),
intermediary activity in insurance and in the area of receiving and transmitting instructions concerning investment instruments (regulated by the Czech National Bank),
intermediation of consumer credit (Act No. 257/2016 Coll.),
employment intermediation (requires a permit from the Labour Office under Act No. 435/2004 Coll.),
intermediation of the sale of package tours and other tourism services,
intermediation of the carriage of cargo - freight forwarding (a separate field of the unqualified trade),
the purchase and sale of cultural monuments and objects of cultural value, the activity of mediators and arbitrators of collective disputes and the exercise of collective management of copyright and related rights.

Conditions for obtaining it under the law

Because this is an unqualified (free) trade, you do not prove professional qualification - no education or practice is needed. It is enough to meet only the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act:

full legal capacity (in the case of a minor it may be replaced by a court's approval of the legal representative's consent under Section 6(2)),
a clean criminal record - proven by an extract from the Criminal Records Register, which the office obtains itself.

At the same time, none of the obstacles to operating a trade under Section 8 may be present (e.g. a court-imposed prohibition of activity or the still-continuing effects of bankruptcy).

If you do not meet the conditions in person or the trade is operated by a legal person, you may appoint a responsible representative under Section 11 of the Trade Licensing Act. However, no qualification is required of them either - they need only meet the general conditions of Section 6. At the same time, one person may act as 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) under Section 45a of the Trade Licensing Act - with a single submission you handle the trade as well as registration for tax, with the social security administration and your health insurance company.
Submit the trade notification (Section 45) at any municipal Trade Licensing Office, online via the rzp.gov.cz portal, or at a Czech POINT branch.
Prove your identity; the office will verify your clean criminal record itself.
Pay the administrative fee of CZK 1,000 (for electronic submission only CZK 800, i.e. 20 % less - item 24 of the schedule of fees of Act No. 634/2004 Coll.).
Under Section 47, the office will make the entry in the Trade Register within 5 working days and issue an extract.

The trade licence comes into being as early as the day of notification (Section 10(1)(a)), so you can start doing business immediately. A detailed procedure can be found in the guide /jak-zalozit-zivnost.

Documents and fees

Identity document (identity card / passport).
Completed JRF stating field No. 47 (you may also notify several fields of the unqualified trade at once for a single fee).
Administrative fee: CZK 1,000 on notification; CZK 800 electronically.
Extension by a further field of the unqualified trade later: free of charge (CZK 0) - it is a notification of a change to an unqualified trade already held.
Deadline: entry within 5 working days of notification.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need any education or practice for the intermediation of trade and services?

No. This is an unqualified (free) trade for which qualification is not proven. It is enough to meet the general conditions under Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act (full legal capacity and a clean criminal record).

Can I broker the sale of real estate or insurance under this trade?

No. Real estate intermediation, insurance, investment instruments, consumer credit and employment intermediation are expressly excluded from this field and are subject to special regulation. For these activities you need a separate licence.

Can I notify several fields of the unqualified trade at once?

Yes. The unqualified trade is a single one (Production, trade and services not listed in Annexes 1 to 3 of the Act) and comprises dozens of fields of activity. When notifying you can select any number of fields for a single administrative fee and extend them later free of charge.

When can I start doing business?

Immediately. The licence comes into being on the day of notification (Section 10(1)(a) of the Trade Licensing Act); there is no need to wait for the issue of an extract or for a decision of the office.