Živnosť in Slovakia: How to Register, What It Costs and Residence on Its Basis

A residence permit in Slovakia can be obtained on various grounds, including on the basis of running a business. In this article we go through the forms of business activity that exist in Slovakia, whether you can run a business while holding temporary protection status, what documents you need, where to register and how much it costs.

Work it out yourself: živnosť contributions calculator – free, using the 2026 rates. All calculators.

Can you run a business while holding temporary protection status

You cannot carry on business activity while holding only temporary protection status (odídenec). You first have to obtain the appropriate business licence, and then, on that basis, submit a set of documents for a residence permit (prechodný pobyt). Odídenec status remains in force until the residence permit is issued, and only then is it cancelled automatically.

The most common forms of business in Slovakia are sole trading on the basis of a trade licence (živnosť) and the limited liability company (s.r.o. – spoločnosť s ručením obmedzeným). Other grounds for legal stay are covered in the article Types of residence permit in Slovakia.

How to set up a živnosť in Slovakia

There are three kinds of živnosť in Slovakia, and the kind you choose determines the qualification requirements and the size of the fee.

The three kinds of živnosť

Free trade (voľná živnosť) – does not require proof of any particular education or qualification. This is the simplest option to start with.

Craft trade (remeselná) – requires vocational education or proven practical experience in the field. This covers, for example, a metalworker or a hairdresser. The full list is set out in the Trade Licensing Act (annex 1).

Regulated trade (viazaná) – the condition here is a professional qualification: for example working as a surveyor, manufacturing tobacco products, or running a travel agency. The list of such occupations is given in annex 2 to the same act.

What documents you need

To set up a živnosť you will need: proof of a registered business address (miesto podnikania), a criminal record certificate translated into Slovak and apostilled, and a completed form. The registered business address may be the same as your home address.

Where to apply and how much it costs

The application is submitted to the trade licensing office for the area of your registered business address (živnostenský úrad – okresný úrad, odbor živnostenského podnikania). You can find the right office in the list of Jednotné kontaktné miesta v SR on the website of the Slovak Ministry of the Interior.

An administrative fee is payable when you submit the documents: one for each free trade activity and a separate one for each craft or regulated activity. Fees are lower if you register online: free trades are registered at no charge, and a reduced fee is charged for craft and regulated trades. Check the current rates on the slovensko.sk portal before you apply.

The trade licence, with an assigned identification number (IČO), is usually issued no later than three working days from the day the documents were submitted.

The next step – applying for a residence permit

Once you have your business licence you can submit the documents for a residence permit. The following set is submitted to the foreign police:

  • a travel passport;
  • two colour photographs (3 × 3.5 cm);
  • the application form;
  • proof that the administrative fees have been paid;
  • a criminal record certificate translated into Slovak and apostilled;
  • a bank statement confirming that a personal account has been opened;
  • a bank statement confirming that a business account has been opened;
  • proof of the registered business address and of the actual address;
  • a business plan.

How much money you need to have in your accounts

The required amounts are tied to the subsistence minimum and are indexed regularly. For a sole trader this is roughly twelve times the subsistence minimum in the personal account and twenty times in the business account. As at the period from 1 July 2026 that comes to approximately 3,550 euros and 5,900 euros respectively.

Once the residence permit has been issued these funds can be withdrawn. Always check the exact amounts immediately before submitting your documents: the subsistence minimum is revised, and the requirements change with it.

Registered address and timescales

You must have the property owner’s written consent to use the address as your registered business address. If the registered business address differs from where you actually live, you will need the corresponding proof for each of them.

The approximate processing time for a residence permit application is around three months. Within 30 days of receiving the status you must arrange health insurance.

The limited liability company (s.r.o.)

This form is chosen mainly by small and medium-sized businesses. An s.r.o. can also be set up for non-commercial activity. The company itself is a legal entity, which is what distinguishes it from a živnosť: it is the company that is liable for obligations, not the entrepreneur personally.

To register an s.r.o. or a živnosť many people turn to lawyers and accountants – you can find them in our directory of Russian-speaking specialists in Slovakia.

Step 1. Name and field of activity

The company name should be easy to remember and must not coincide with the name of a firm that already exists – you can check your choice in the commercial register at orsr.sk. The field of activity is chosen in the same way as when registering a živnosť: you need to work out which category your business falls into (voľné, viazané or remeselné) and obtain a trade licence, paying the corresponding fee.

Step 2. Registered address and the people responsible

The firm must have an address entered in the commercial register: this can be a house, a flat or non-residential premises. Either you own it, or you need the owner’s consent with a certified signature – just as when registering a živnosť.

Next, a managing director (konateľ) is appointed, the partners and their shares in the company are established, and someone is made responsible for administering the partners’ contributions.

Step 3. Share capital

The minimum share capital for an s.r.o. is 5,000 euros. If there are several partners, each one’s contribution must be at least 750 euros.

Step 4. The set of documents

To register the firm you will need:

  • the founding deed or the partnership agreement (depending on the number of founders);
  • a statement from the person responsible for the share capital confirming that the funds are in place;
  • a specimen of the director’s officially certified signature;
  • a declaration by the director (if the firm is founded by a single person) that he or she is not the sole founder of more than two companies;
  • the consent of the responsible representative, if the object of the business is a regulated or craft activity;
  • the consent of the owner of the premises, with a certified signature;
  • a notarised declaration that you are a foreign national;
  • a power of attorney for the person carrying out the registration, if it is not the entrepreneur doing it in person.

Step 5. Registration in the commercial register

First the trade licence is issued at the trade licensing office, then the firm is entered in the commercial register through the government portal slovensko.sk – an electronic application is submitted with all the documents attached and the court fee is paid.

Registering a firm generally takes from 8 to 10 working days: 1 to 3 days to obtain the trade licence certificate and around 5-8 days for entry in the commercial register.

Account requirements for a residence permit via an s.r.o.

When applying for a residence permit on the basis of an s.r.o. the financial requirements are higher than for a živnosť: you have to show funds in both the personal and the company account. The amounts are likewise tied to the subsistence minimum and are revised, and for projects with an innovative element they may be reduced. Check the current figures with the foreign police or with a specialist lawyer before you apply.

What to bear in mind after registration

Once you start trading, obligations for contributions and taxes arise. There is a detailed breakdown of rates, reliefs and filing deadlines in the article Taxes in Slovakia. If you are also considering employment, it helps to understand the difference in the calculations: we wrote about this in the article Gross and net salary in Slovakia.

You can find official information on residence here: the MIC IOM guide to applying for residence and the official portal for citizens of Ukraine.

A sole trader pays health contributions themselves, so a breakdown of what health insurance you are entitled to and how much it costs will come in useful.

Sole traders with a turnover above the threshold also have VAT to deal with – work out the amount of tax.

Women working as sole traders should look separately at how pregnancy and childbirth in Slovakia work and how contributions and maternity payments are connected.

It is also worth getting to grips with how social contributions and pensions are calculated in Slovakia: sole traders have their own minimum payments and rules.

For those who have already settled into their own home or office, this breakdown will be useful: flat and house insurance in Slovakia – which risks the policy covers and what matters when you have a mortgage.

Travel abroad often on business? Find out how to choose travel insurance for trips from Slovakia – especially for business trips.

If instead of running a business you are considering employment, find out how the work permit system in Slovakia works for third-country nationals.

Frequently asked questions

Can you set up a živnosť while holding temporary protection status?

You cannot carry on business activity on the basis of temporary protection status alone. First you obtain the business licence, and then, on that basis, the residence permit.

Which to choose: a živnosť or an s.r.o.?

A živnosť is simpler and cheaper to set up, but the entrepreneur is liable for obligations with their personal assets. An s.r.o. requires share capital of at least 5,000 euros and a larger set of documents, but liability is limited to the company’s assets. The choice depends on the scale and the risks of your business.

How long does the process take?

A trade licence is usually issued within three working days, and registering an s.r.o. takes 8-10 working days. A residence permit application takes around three months to process.

Do you need to speak Slovak to start a business?

There is no formal language requirement, but documents are submitted in Slovak and dealings with the authorities are conducted in the state language. Many people turn to Russian-speaking lawyers and accountants for help.

Can you withdraw the money from the account once the residence permit is issued?

Yes, the funds in the accounts serve as proof of financial means at the time of application. Once the status has been granted you can use them, but bear in mind your business’s ongoing obligations.

Important. The information in this article has been gathered from public sources online and is up to date at the time of publication. Conditions and rules change. Before making any decisions, check the current information and consult an appropriate specialist.

If you have already settled on a company, a detailed breakdown of registration – share capital, fees, timescales, electronic filing and reporting – is in a separate article: how to set up a company (s.r.o.) in Slovakia.

A separate breakdown of company reporting – deadlines, what it consists of, the public register and what happens if you fail to file – is in the article company financial statements in Slovakia.