In principle, yes. When selling to Slovak consumers, a Czech online shop is governed by Slovak law in consumer protection matters. Slovak law requires information and documents for consumers to be provided in Slovak. Another language the consumer understands, such as Czech, is permitted only with the consumer’s consent. Instructions for use and safety instructions must be in Slovak even if the customer agrees to Czech.
A Czech online shop shipping goods to Slovak customers often assumes that Czech is understood in Slovakia and that a Slovak version is unnecessary. That is not the case when selling to consumers. Slovak law requires information and documents for consumers to be provided in Slovak. Another language the consumer understands is permitted only with their consent. For instructions for use and safety instructions, even that consent is insufficient. The following rules concern sales to consumers, meaning people who are not purchasing for business purposes.
Slovak law also applies to Czech online shops
Act No. 22/2004 Z. z. on Electronic Commerce is based on the principle that an online shop from another Member State is governed by the law of the state in which it has its registered office. Consumer protection is, however, an express exception:
The following quotation is reproduced in its original language:
Poskytovateľ služieb, ktorý poskytuje služby informačnej spoločnosti podľa odseku 3, sa posudzuje podľa práva členského štátu, v ktorom má sídlo. Poskytovateľ služieb, ktorý poskytuje služby informačnej spoločnosti podľa odseku 3, sa vo veciach ochrany bezpečnosti štátu, verejného poriadku, verejného zdravia, životného prostredia a ochrany spotrebiteľa spravuje právnym poriadkom Slovenskej republiky.
In addition, Act No. 108/2024 Z. z. on Consumer Protection applies to sales where performance takes place in the Slovak Republic (Section 1(2)). If you deliver to Slovak customers, its language rules apply to you in the same way as to a Slovak online shop.
Terms and conditions and information before an order is placed
The basic rule is set out in the Consumer Protection Act:
The following quotation is reproduced in its original language:
Obchodník je povinný […] g) poskytnúť spotrebiteľovi všetky informácie a dokumenty v slovenskom jazyku alebo so súhlasom spotrebiteľa v inom jazyku, ktorý je pre spotrebiteľa zrozumiteľný […]
This covers terms and conditions, complaints procedures, information on withdrawal from the contract with a model withdrawal form, and the information the customer must receive before submitting an order, such as the main characteristics of the goods, the price, delivery costs and payment terms (Section 5(1)). From 27 September 2026, it also includes the harmonised notice on statutory liability for defects, as described in the question what online shops must change from 27 September 2026 (in Slovak). That amendment did not change the language rule itself.
Czech is therefore not prohibited, but it is insufficient without the customer’s consent. The law requires the consent of the individual consumer and a language that this particular consumer understands, so relying on consent is uncertain. The safer approach is to provide documents in Slovak and offer Czech alongside them, which the law expressly permits. For a breach, the Slovak Trade Inspection may impose a fine ranging from 200 euros to 2 % of turnover for the preceding accounting period, capped at 200 000 euros (Section 43(1), letter a)).
Instructions for use and safety instructions
The rule is stricter for instructions. Act No. 83/2025 Z. z. on General Product Safety requires traders to ensure that instructions for use and safety instructions, where provided for a product, are in Slovak (Section 2(4)). The Act permits consent to another language only between businesses in the supply chain (Section 2(5)), not in dealings with consumers.
For distance sales, the warnings and safety instructions required by Regulation (EU) 2023/988 on General Product Safety must also appear in Slovak directly in the product offer. If the sale is not directed at consumers in Slovakia, the language used by the online shop for the offer or order is sufficient (Section 2(6)). An online shop targeting Slovak customers cannot rely on this exception. Czech or multilingual instructions may be included alongside the Slovak instructions (Section 2(8)).
Act No. 270/1995 Z. z. on the State Language also requires the use of the state language in instructions, guarantee terms and other consumer information to the extent specified by special legislation (Section 8(1)). Czech has a special status under that Act only in official communications (Section 3(4)), not in information for customers.
Slovak online shops in Czechia
A similar rule applies when a Slovak online shop sells in Czechia. Under Section 11(1) of Act No. 634/1992 Sb. on Consumer Protection, the seller must provide written information in Czech on how to use and maintain the product, on second-hand goods, prices and complaints, and the other information listed in that provision. The provision contains no exception based on consumer consent. The Czech Civil Code (Act No. 89/2012 Sb.) also requires traders to make all communications to consumers in the language in which the contract is concluded (Section 1811(1)). The article complaints procedures for both Slovakia and Czechia discusses which country’s consumer law applies to a contract with a customer from the other country.
We prepare terms and conditions, complaints procedures and withdrawal information in versions tailored to both Slovak and Czech law through our online shop terms and conditions service. If you are entering the Slovak market and want to know what else needs to be adjusted, we will review your online shop in an initial audit as part of our legal services for online shops.
This answer provides general information on the law as at 3 October 2026. It does not constitute legal services or replace an assessment of an individual case. The details of your situation may differ. Book a consultation to discuss them.
