1. A foreigner goes to the tradesman's department (živnostenské oddelenie) at the district office (živnostenský úrad) where he or she wants to register, and files a request for a živnostenský list. The applicant must be over 18, have a valid passport and a clean criminal record in both his or her native country and Slovakia.
2. The local živnostenský úrad issues a document confirming receipt of the request, which then has to be taken to the district department of the border and aliens police where the foreigner files a request for a long-term permit to run a business in Slovakia.
3. To get the permit from the police, an applicant must have:
*a clean criminal record in both his or her native country and Slovakia,
*a notarised copy of a rental contract on the house/apartment he or she is living in,
*a certificate issued by a local Slovak hospital proving that the applicant has no contagious diseases,
*a copy of a bank account statement as proof that the foreigner has money available to support him or herself, equalling a minimum subsistence level in Slovakia for three months, currently 13,200 Slovak crowns,
*a copy of the request for the živnostenský list filed at the živnostenské oddelenie of the district office.
The police will issue a long-term permit for running a business within 60 days.
4. Once given the permit, the applicant must return to the živnostenský úrad within three months and supply the police permit. The živnostenský úrad should then issue the licence within 15 days, after which the applicant can begin carrying out business.
NOTE: The above step only applies when applying for a free licence (voľná živnosť) - allowing you to practice any trade where specific training or qualification is not required by law, such as a wholesaler. Additional documents of qualification are required for practicing a specific trade in Slovakia, such as a remeselná (craftsman's) živnosť, viazaná (certificated profession) živnosť and koncesiovaná (trading or charter) živnosť. If applying for these licences, a foreigner has to be taken through additional procedures.
In this process the applicant must submit additional documents, including a university or school diploma, and has to have proven experience in the area of business he or she wants to practice.
The period of experience required differs by field of practice. For example, a teacher who wants to have a živnosť for teaching languages in Slovakia has to have a university diploma in the relevant language, and at least 10 years of teaching the language.
Following the collation of all these documents, they must be checked and translated into Slovak at the Ministry of Education. Following this check the documents are returned to the živnostenský úrad, which then issues the licence.
TOTAL TIME FROM START (initial application) TO FINISH (receiving licence): between 80 days (free licence) and 150 days (specific licence).
