Starting a business · Czechia
Registered branch in Czechia
A Slovak company with Czech customers, a warehouse or staff often does not need a Czech s. r. o. A registered branch may be enough: it remains part of your company but has its own Czech Commercial Register entry, address and manager. We prepare the resolution on the Slovak side and registration on the Czech side, from one firm without handing over the file.
- Lawyer registered with both ČAK and SAK
- Both Slovak and Czech sides of the matter
- Price agreed in advance
What we'll do for you
A registered branch is not a separate company, but a registered part of yours. The work therefore spans both sides of the border, and we handle both.
Select an item to see the details.
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Assessing the options
A branch remains part of the Slovak company, so its obligations expose all the company's assets. A Czech s. r. o. separates the risk but has its own capital, governing bodies and accounts. We compare the implications for your activity and recommend an option.
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Branch resolution
A registered branch does not arise automatically. A branch is a part of an enterprise with economic and functional independence that the entrepreneur has decided will be a branch (§ 503(1) of the Czech Civil Code). We prepare a statutory body's resolution that genuinely meets that condition and define what belongs to the branch.
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Registered branch manager
We select and register the manager and define what they should and should not handle alone. Details of a statutory body member or commercial proxy holder are also registered, so we review everyone who should have signing authority for the Czech operation.
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Slovak documents for the Czech register
We obtain the Slovak company's extract and incorporation documents, arrange translations and certifications and evidence its register and registration number. This is often the longest part, and we handle it all.
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Operating licences
We arrange trade or other licences required for the activity to be registered as the branch's business, highlighting regulated activities requiring a qualified representative.
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Registration and ongoing operation
We apply to the competent registry court and manage proceedings through registration. We then set out the disclosures required in Czech business dealings and remain available for changes and any later cessation of branch operations.
Deliverablea registered branch with a manager authorised to act for the company in Czechia and the necessary operating licences
How it works
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- Consultationday 0
Your Czech activities, the best option, the exact price and the document list.
- Slovak side
Branch establishment resolution, manager appointment, extracts, translations and certifications.
- Czech side
Operating licences and the Czech Commercial Register application.
- Registrationdepending on the register
We monitor proceedings through registration. Only then can the manager act for the company by statutory authority.
A registered branch is the Czech answer to maintaining a permanent presence in another country without forming a new company. Your company remains one entity; part of it gains a Czech location, its own Commercial Register entry and a manager authorised by law to act for it in Czechia.
The work spans both sides of the border. On the Slovak side, the branch establishment resolution is prepared and company documents gathered; on the Czech side, licences are obtained and registration proceedings handled. Firms covering only one side hand the file over, and that handover is where deadlines slip. As lawyers registered with both Bar Associations, we handle both sides ourselves.
No-obligation enquiry
Ready to start?
Send us an enquiry. We reply within 24 hours with a price confirmation and next steps. The first 30-minute consultation is free and commits you to nothing.
- 1Send your enquiry via this form
- 2Within 24 h you get a price confirmation and plan
- 3We start work only after your approval
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What clients ask
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What exactly is a registered branch?
It is a branch entered in the Commercial Register. Czech law links the concepts precisely: a branch is an economically and functionally independent part of an enterprise designated as a branch by the entrepreneur, and 'if a branch is entered in the Commercial Register, it is a registered branch' (unofficial translation; § 503 of the Czech Civil Code). It is therefore not a separate legal entity and has no capital of its own: it is your company with a Czech address and registration.
From when may the branch manager sign for the company?
From the date on which they are entered in the Commercial Register as branch manager. They then acquire statutory authority to represent the entrepreneur in all matters relating to the branch (§ 503(2) of the Czech Civil Code). Before registration, they need a power of attorney to sign, which we prepare so operations need not wait for the court.
Do we need to register a branch in Czechia at all?
That is the first question we discuss, and the answer depends on what you actually do there. A one-off delivery from Bratislava to Brno and a permanent warehouse with three employees are different situations, one of which requires registration. We assess your activity and openly tell you if registration is unnecessary, even though it would mean work for us.
How do Czech rules differ from a Slovak organisational unit?
In terminology and the effects of registration. In Slovakia, a foreign company's right to do business arises only when its organisational unit is entered in the Commercial Register, so it cannot invoice before registration. Czech law links registration primarily to the branch manager's statutory representation authority. The registered details also differ. We therefore treat each branch as a separate page and matter; see the Slovak organisational unit service.
What information about us will the Czech register publish?
For a company based in another EU Member State, the register records the branch designation, location and identification number, activities, the Slovak company's register and registration number, company name and legal form, details of the statutory body member or commercial proxy holder and branch manager, including the manager's residential address. Company dissolution, liquidation or insolvency and eventual cessation of branch operations in Czechia are also recorded (§ 50 of Act No. 304/2013 Sb.).
Do we need a Czech address?
Yes. The branch must have a Czech location entered in the register, supported by a legal right to use the premises. If you do not yet have your own premises, we discuss options including an address provided by a third party, and the implications for delivery of Czech official correspondence.
Will the branch file a Czech tax return?
Expect Czech tax and accounting implications and discuss them with your accountant or tax adviser. Mandatory Czech registration typically arises, while permanent establishment status is assessed separately. We flag this and structure the legal aspects so they do not complicate tax matters, but we do not provide tax advice.
Can a registered branch later become a Czech s. r. o.?
Yes, and this is a common growth path. A Czech company is formed, the business including agreements and employees is transferred to it, and the branch is removed from the register. We manage this as one project, including employee transfer and switching operations on one day so customers do not notice.
How much does establishment cost?
The price depends on the activities, number of licences and how many Slovak documents need obtaining and translating. We confirm it in advance and honour what we agree. Prices are final; the firm is not VAT-registered.
Legal Q&A
Common questions on this topic
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Must a memorandum of association now take the form of a notarial deed, or is lawyer authorisation sufficient?
A lawyer is sufficient. Since 17 August 2026, incorporation documents must take the form of a notarial deed recording a legal act or a document authorised by a lawyer; both forms are legally equivalent. The lawyer drafts the agreement, verifies the founders' identities, authorises it and deposits it in the central authorisation register. A notary who drafted the document may not register the same matter themselves. An exception applies to an s. r. o. formed under the simplified procedure using the state electronic form.
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We are contributing real estate to an s. r. o. When does the company become its owner?
Only when ownership is registered in the land register, rather than when the company comes into existence. Rights to other contributions in kind pass to the company on incorporation, but the Commercial Code makes an exception for real estate. The document required for the land register is the contributor's written declaration with a certified signature, rather than an agreement. Until registration is approved, the company does not own the property, and the member risks having to pay the contribution's value in cash.
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Can a business name be reserved before a company is formed?
Yes. Since 17 August 2026, a business name can be reserved in the register of reserved business names maintained by the Žilina District Court. Applications are submitted electronically through a dedicated portal, with a court fee of EUR 50. The reservation lasts until the name is entered in the Commercial Register, up to a maximum of 60 days after delivery of the confirmation. It only protects against an identical registered name; it does not resolve conflicts with trade marks or other business names.
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