Please note: this article is not accounting or legal advice. Always check the details with an accountant and with the relevant authorities, as rules and fees can change.
Who this is for: psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors and coaches in the Czech Republic who are starting their own practice for the first time and want to know exactly what needs doing. It isn’t meant for doctors, or for therapists who only work as employees of an organisation. Working in Slovakia instead? Read our guide to getting a trade licence in Slovakia.
You’ve finished your training, you have your first clients, and now you’re finding out that a private practice also needs a business licence. If being self-employed in the Czech Republic is new to you, getting a trade licence (živnost) can look like a wall of unfamiliar terms. In reality it’s a handful of clear steps, and you can do most of them online in an afternoon.
The short answer: you register a trade with any trade licensing office (živnostenský úřad), in person or online. The fee is CZK 1,000 on paper and CZK 800 online, and the office has 5 days to process it. Before that, though, you need to check which kind of trade your field requires – for psychotherapy, it depends on your qualifications.
When do you need a trade licence?
You need one if you want to provide services regularly, independently and for payment, in your own name and on your own responsibility. For a therapist, that usually means a private practice with regular clients. If you only work as an employee of an organisation, you don’t need one.
Which kind of trade should you register?
The quick rule: if you offer clients psychotherapy or psychological counselling, register a regulated trade (vázaná živnost). If you offer counselling, coaching or supportive conversations without psychotherapy, an unregulated trade (volná živnost) is enough. Czech law splits trades into crafts, regulated trades and unregulated trades. For a regulated trade you have to prove your professional qualifications to the office; for an unregulated one you don’t.
You offer psychotherapy: a regulated trade
Since 1 July 2026, counselling psychotherapy has been a regulated trade, according to the Czech Association for Psychotherapy. An overview of the changes explains that counselling psychotherapy now falls under the regulated trade “Psychological counselling and diagnostics” (Psychologické poradenství a diagnostika). You’ll need to show the office a master’s degree, a completed psychotherapy training and a period of professional practice. Training takes years, so this is a step to plan well ahead. If you were already practising before July 2026, read the transitional provisions in Act No. 360/2025 Coll. before you apply.
You offer counselling or coaching: an unregulated trade
Counsellors and coaches without psychotherapy training can usually manage with an unregulated trade. The field most people register is Advisory and consultancy services, expert studies and opinions (Poradenská a konzultační činnost, zpracování odborných studií a posudků). According to Businessinfo, it covers among other things advice in the social sciences, social conduct, personal development and physical fitness. Lifestyle coaching isn’t listed under that name, so check with the office before you register which field fits your service.
Watch out: psychological counselling is explicitly excluded from this trade, so it can’t stand in for a psychology practice. Art therapy, according to Businessinfo, remains an unregulated trade and the regulated trade doesn’t apply to it.
How to choose, and what to put on your invoices
Before you register, write down the services you offer clients and will invoice for, and match each one to the trade that covers it. It pays to keep the name of the service on your contracts and invoices in line with what you’ve registered. Most people starting out need just one trade, based on their main service. You can add more at any time, for CZK 500 each on paper or CZK 400 online.
You’ll also come across counsellors and therapists who work under an unregulated trade and describe their services as counselling or consultations. This article doesn’t judge or recommend that – it only describes what the law says and what the offices will tell you. The rules changed in July 2026, so if you’re not sure whether your service falls under a regulated or an unregulated trade, ask the trade licensing office directly before you apply. One phone call can save you from having to correct your registration.
Getting a trade licence in the Czech Republic, step by step
- Check what you’re entitled to do. Find out which trade your field requires, and get your proof of qualifications ready.
- Fill in the Single Registration Form. It’s available online at rzp.cz and registers your trade while also notifying the other authorities.
- Submit your registration. At any trade licensing office in the Czech Republic, through Czech POINT, via your data box, or online with verified identity.
- Pay the administrative fee. CZK 1,000 on paper, CZK 800 online, and CZK 500 or CZK 400 respectively for each additional trade.
- Wait for it to be processed. The office has 5 days.
What to sort out once your trade licence is in place
- Health insurance: tell your health insurer you’ve started self-employment within 8 days. What counts is when you actually start working for income (first jobs, invoices, contracts), not the date you got the licence.
- Social security: the process depends on whether self-employment is your main or secondary activity. Check it on the Czech Social Security Administration website or with your accountant.
- Tax and contributions: consider the flat-rate tax (paušální daň). In 2026, from July, the first band is CZK 9,162 a month (previously CZK 9,984), the second CZK 16,745 and the third CZK 27,139. If clients will pay you in person, also check what EET 2.0 for therapists means for you.
- Bank account: a separate account for your practice makes it easier to keep track of client payments.
How Lumi helps you run your practice
Once your licence is in place, the second part begins: actually running the practice. Lumi is a practice management tool for therapists that brings your calendar, clients, online booking and payments together in one place. The basic setup takes about 10 minutes, you can import clients in bulk, and it’s free for up to 10 sessions a month. Every subscription starts with a free 14-day trial. You can find out more on the Lumi website, where you can also sign up for free.
Summary
You get a trade licence in the Czech Republic by registering with any trade licensing office, in person or online. The fee is CZK 1,000 on paper or CZK 800 online, and the office has 5 days to process it. Check in advance which trade your field needs, because counselling psychotherapy has been a regulated trade since 1 July 2026. Tell your health insurer within 8 days of starting work, and consider the flat-rate tax and a separate bank account for your practice.
If you’d like your calendar, clients, bookings and payments in one place, you can try Lumi free for 14 days.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a trade licence cost in the Czech Republic?
You receive proof of your licence once the registration is processed, which takes the office up to 5 days. The administrative fee is CZK 1,000 on paper and CZK 800 online.
How long does it take?
The office has 5 days to process your registration.
Can I register a trade online?
Yes, through rzp.cz or the Citizen Portal. You’ll need to verify your identity.
How much does an additional trade cost?
Each additional trade costs CZK 500 on paper and CZK 400 online.
When do I have to tell my health insurer I’ve started?
Within 8 days. What counts is when you actually start working for income, not the date you received the licence.
Who can’t use the flat-rate tax?
VAT payers can’t use it, and it has an income limit of CZK 2 million a year.
Do I have to register for VAT?
You become a VAT payer once your turnover exceeds CZK 2,000,000 in a calendar year. If that applies to you, it also affects whether you can use the flat-rate tax.
