EU + CR vocational trades
Step 1 Make sure that the trade you want to start is a vocational trade
How do I find out if the trade I want to start belongs to the vocational trades?
The directory of all vocational trades is included in the Annex no. 1 of the Trade Licensing Act.
If you are not sure, what is the official name of the trade you want to start, we recommend reading the contents of trades. The contents of trades are described in the Government Decree no. 278/2008 Coll. of the Contents of Individual Trades. According to the description of trades you can easily identify the name of your trade.
Step 2 Obtain all required documents
What documents may I use to demonstrate my professional qualification?
You can demonstrate your professional qualification in several ways. Required documents differ according to the way you choose.
There are 3 elementary ways of demonstrating your professional qualification:
The first and easiest way is though automatic recognition. Other ways can be also used. But if you need to be recognized only for the purpose of starting business, the other ways might be too complicated.
1. Assessment of professional qualification though reference to documents mentioned in Section 7, paragraph 5 of Trade Licensing Act (automatic recognition)
If you are a national of a member state of the EU and you obtained your qualification in one of the member states of the EU, you may prove your professional competence to the trade licensing office directly by means of documents in accordance with Section 7, paragraph 5 of Trade Licensing Act.
The documents have to be translated into the Czech language, but you do not need to obtain a court translation. If the trade licence office expresses certain doubts about the authenticity of the translation, another version prepared by the court translator may be required.
The document may differ in accordance to the trade you want to perform and for which you need to prove your professional qualification.
a) in respect of the trades referred to in Part A, Annex No 1 of the Trade Licensing Act by means of the documents laid down in Section 7, paragraph 5, points(b), (c) or (e)
What documents do I need to submit?
- A certificate of having completed at least a 3 year professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in a member state of the EU + document proving at least 3 years of uninterrupted professional experience in an independent or managerial position,
- or a certificate of having completed at least a 2 year professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in a member state of EU + document proving at least 3 years of uninterrupted professional experience in an independent or managerial position,
- or a certificate of having completed at least a 3 year professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in a member state of the EU + document proving at least 5 years of uninterrupted professional experience in a managerial position out of which at least 3 years was in an expert position with responsibility for at least one department within the company.
b) in respect to the trades referred to in Part B, Annex No 1 of the Trade Licensing Act by means of the documents laid down in Section 7, paragraph 5, points(b), (c), (f) or (h)
- A certificate of having completed at least a 3 year professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in a member state of EU + document proving at least 3 years of uninterrupted professional experience in an independent or managerial position,
- or a certificate of having completed at least a 2 year professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in a member state of the EU + document proving at least 3 years of uninterrupted professional experience in an independent or managerial position,
- or a document proving at least 5 year of uninterrupted performance of the activity in an independent or managerial position while the performance of activity may not have ceased for more then 10 years before the notification of the trade or the submission of the permitted trade licence application
- or a certificate of having completed at least a 3 year professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in a member state of EU + document proving at least 5 years of uninterrupted professional experience as an employee.
c) in respect of the trades referred to in Part C, Annex No 1 of the Trade Licensing Act by means of the documents laid down in Section 7, paragraph 5, points (j), (k), (l) or (m)
What documents do I need to submit?
- A document proving at least 3 years of uninterrupted performance of the activity in an independent or managerial position while the performance of activity may not have ceased for more then 10 years before the notification of the trade or submission of the permitted trade licence application or a certificate of a completed professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in the member state of EU + document proving at least 2 years of uninterrupted professional experience in an independent or managerial position, Document proving at least 3 years of uninterrupted performance of the activity as an employee and 2 years of uninterrupted performance of the activity in an independent or managerial position while the period since the activity was last performed may not exceed 10 years. or a certificate of a completed professional qualification study program (a certificate of apprenticeship, certificate of secondary school education, diploma of completed higher or university education) issued or recognized in the country of origin + document proving at least 3 years of uninterrupted professional experience as an employee.
2. Assessment of professional qualification by reference to documents of professional qualification recognition
You can prove your professional qualification through reference to a document of professional qualification recognition issued by a recognition authority in the Czech Republic or other member state of EU.
If you choose this way of assessing your professional qualification, you do not submit the documents directly to the trade licence office but, before submission, you need to have it recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic or another recognition authority.
3. Assessment of professional qualification by reference to a recognized document of completed university education
If you choose this way of assessment of your professional qualification you do not submit the documents directly to the trade licence office but, before submission, you need to have it recognized by a competent recognition authority. You need to have the document translated into the Czech language.
Your professional qualification may be proved by reference to one of the following documents of completed professional education
You may submit:
- a certificate of apprenticeship in a relevant study program
- a certificate of secondary school education completed with the school-leaving examination, or a certificate of completed secondary school education with professional qualification courses in a relevant area.
- a document of completed higher (not university) professional education in a relevant area or a document of completed university education in an area of relevant study programs
- a document of completed university education in a relevant area
All documents of completed secondary, higher and university education have to be recognized by competent recognition authorities.
Your professional qualification may also be proved by a document of completed education and experience in a related area. The experience may be obtained in any member state of the EU.
You may submit:
- a document of completed secondary education in a related area + document of 1 year professional experience in this area
- a document of completed secondary education with school-leaving examination in a related area + document of 1 year professional experience in this area
- a document of completed higher (not university) education in a related area + document of 1 year professional experience in this area
- a document of completed university education in a relevant area
All documents of completed secondary, higher and university education have to be recognized by competent recognition authorities.
For the purpose of assessing your professional qualification through a reference to the document of completed education, you need to pay attention to the length of your study which should be the same as the length of study in the Czech Republic.
What should the document of professional experience look like?
The document of completed professional experience doesn't have a prescribed form. It must present clear evidence as to the length of your qualified performance and your professional position. This type of document is usually issued by your former employer. Not being an official document this, document does not have to be authenticated or notarized. A document of the professional experience needs to be translated into the Czech language. If the trade licence office expresses any doubts about the authenticity of the translation, it may demand the submission of an officially certified translation of the document into Czech by an interpreter registered in the register of experts and interpreters.
4. The document of 6 years professional experience in the area
The document of the professional experience needs to be translated into the Czech language. If the trade licence office expresses any doubts about the authenticity of the translation, it may demand the submission of an officially certified translation of the document into Czech by an interpreter registered in the register of experts and interpreters.
Less frequent and more complex ways of assessment of professional qualification:
5. The completion of a requalification course in the Czech Republic in the form of accredited training.
6. Submitting a document of having obtained all professional qualification as listed in the National Qualifications Framework
Step 3 Attach a certified copy of your documents to the trade licence application and submit
How do I obtain a certified copy?
You can make a copy of your document on any photocopying machine. Then you need to have it authorized by a notary who knows the language in which the diploma or certificate has been issued.
If you let the notary make the copy, you do not have to worry about his/her language competences.
A list of notaries can be found on the website of the Notarial Chamber of the Czech Republic. The authorization will be done by the notary while you wait. The notary authorization is a paid service. Each notary determines the price for the provided service. For the notary authorization, you do not need to be present (in person) nor do you need to prove your identity.