živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) or s.r.o. — where to start a business in Slovakia

živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) is the cheapest entry into business and the cheapest exit from it. Registration of a free živnosť electronically costs 0 €, the osvedčenie (certificate of the right to do business) is issued within three days, and the živnostenský úrad (trade licensing office) notifies the tax office and insurance companies itself. s.r.o. (limited liability company) requires 5,000 € of registered capital, a 220 € court fee, and accounting from 1,200 € per year. Cheap start and profitable form are different things: if you already know that your income will be around 12,000 € or exceed 36,500 €, count on s.r.o. immediately according to the table below.

The picture is different when searching. Intermediaries at the top of the query “open živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment)” ask from 50 to 1,700 € for a procedure where the state charges nothing. The money goes for electronic signature, document translation, legal address, and selection of activity codes. Some of this you really need, most — no. Our Business section is collected exactly so that you can go through this path yourself.

Who among Ukrainians can open a business in Slovakia?

Both odídenci (refugees) and holders of residence permits. There is no separate “business permit” in Slovakia: legal residence status and adulthood are enough. The živnostenský úrad (trade licensing office) checks documents, not the applicant’s origin.

Odídenci (refugees) were not allowed this from the very beginning. The right to do business was granted to all holders of dočasné útočisko (temporary protection) on July 15, 2024 — by an amendment to the foreigners’ residence law, zákon č. 404/2011 Z. z. Texts that say “it was always like this” simply were not updated.

The odídenci (refugees) package looks like this: foreign passport, status confirmation, certificate of no criminal record, consent of the property owner to use the address as miesto podnikania (place of business), and choice of medical insurance. The last two points most often break the first submission — they are rarely warned about in advance.

živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) itself does not give a residence permit. Prechodný pobyt na účel podnikania (temporary residence for business purposes) from July 1, 2025, is submitted only through embassies abroad, and the number of applications is limited by a quota set by the government annually: for 2025 it was 700 applications for all representations combined. Those planning this path will find an analysis in our živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) guide.

One question is answered more confidently than the law — medical insurance of odídenci (refugees) with živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment). The basic temporary protection status is indeed outside public insurance: § 9h of the Health Insurance Act (zákon č. 580/2004 Z. z.) gives the right to pay benefits in the legal scope to those who are not verejne zdravotne poistený (publicly health insured), and odídenci (refugees) are named first in the list. The same law in § 3 ods. 3 písm. b) introduces into public insurance a person without permanent residence if they became an OSVČ (self-employed person in Czechia) and have a residence permit, and § 9h ods. 7 separately describes the situation when public insurance arises for such a person. Whether temporary protection covers the “residence permit” requirement, the law does not clarify — this is where insurance companies differ. Therefore, insurance is chosen already in the živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) application, and a written response from it is taken before submission, not after.

How does živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) differ from s.r.o.?

Almost everything comes down to three things: money at the start, liability limit, and maintenance cost.

živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) is you personally. Entrepreneur and fyzická osoba (natural person — an individual, including a sole trader) are the same here, so you are responsible for business debts with all your property. Accounting is simple; you may not hire an accountant at all.

s.r.o. (limited liability company) is a separate právnická osoba (legal entity — a company). Risk is limited to the contribution, partners can be taken in shares, the company can be sold entirely. You pay for this with a fixed annual expense: double-entry bookkeeping is mandatory, and the 2026 market asks for 1,200–2,800 € per year even for the smallest company.

Registration of živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) through jednotné kontaktné miesto (single contact point)

A more detailed step-by-step instruction for opening živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) — with forms, fees for each type of activity, and nuances for odídenci (refugees) — is available separately. Below is a five-step route.

Step 1. Choose types of activity. There are three types. Voľná živnosť (free živnosť) does not require proving qualification — it includes most services: cleaning, IT consulting, trade mediation, and even bookkeeping. Remeselná (craft) requires a certificate of professional education or confirmed experience: hairdresser, cook, electrician, car mechanic. Viazaná (tied) requires a separate permit or certificate — like massage services, where an accredited course is required to accept the application.

Step 2. Collect documents. Passport, confirmation of residence status, certificate of no criminal record, written consent of the property owner for the address, and for craft and tied types — qualification document.

Step 3. Submit an application through the single contact point. Jednotné kontaktné miesto (single contact point) operates at the živnostenský úrad (trade licensing office) departments of district offices. You can submit in person or electronically via slovensko.sk; for the second option, you need an ID card with a chip and an activated electronic signature.

Step 4. Pay the fee. Free živnosť electronically — 0 €, on paper — 7 €. Craft and tied cost 11 € electronically and 22 € on paper each.

Step 5. Collect osvedčenie and IČO. The certificate is issued by the office within three days. The identification number IČO is assigned immediately.

Then do nothing. The živnostenský úrad (trade licensing office) notifies the tax office, which will assign you a DIČ, as well as the medical insurance and Sociálna poisťovňa (social insurance institution). You do not need to register separately with the tax office or submit an application to insurance. This is the most common unnecessary running around for beginners.

The same 1,700 € from issuance is the price of someone else’s time: selection of activity codes, translation of the certificate of no criminal record, electronic signature, and legal address if the apartment owner does not give consent. The services are real. Buying them as a package for one and a half thousand when you need one of four makes no sense.

How much does registration of s.r.o. cost and how long does it take?

The court fee is 220 €, the notary charges separately, and the whole process takes two to three weeks.

The registered capital of s.r.o. is 5,000 €. The minimum contribution of one participant is 750 €. It is better to immediately discard the illusion that “capital can be not contributed”: before submitting the application, you must actually deposit 30% of cash contributions, and a sole founder — all 100%.

The court fee for the first zápis (entry) in the Obchodný register (commercial register) is 220 € according to the court fee schedule. There is also a detail rarely retold: when the entry is made by a notary as a registrar, the court fee is not charged at all — you pay only their fee. The register makes the entry within two working days, and preparation of documents, notarization of signatures, and capital contribution stretch the process to two to three weeks.

From August 17, 2026, the founding document of any company must be a notarial deed or a contract authorized by a lawyer. This is required by the new commercial register law, No. 29/2026 Z. z., which rewrote § 57 of the Commercial Code. Until August 16, 2026, inclusive, officially notarized signatures of founders were enough. One way without a notary remains even after this date — simplified founding under § 110a of the Commercial Code: instead of your own contract text, you fill out an electronic form. The price of simplicity is eight conditions that must coincide simultaneously; the main ones: up to five partners, no supervisory board, only cash contributions, the managing partner is the director himself, “s.r.o.” in the name and exclusively free živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment), a maximum of 15 positions from appendix No. 4a. How much the notary will charge for the deed for the usual way cannot be said in advance — ask the tariff in a specific office.

The step-by-step procedure with register forms and a full analysis of § 110a conditions is in our article on founding s.r.o..

How much tax and contributions does a živnostník (sole trader) pay in 2026?

Tax — 15% of the base. Contributions — from 0 to 425.03 € per month, and the category is determined by last year’s income.

The 15% rate applies while taxable income does not exceed 100,000 € per year. If exceeded, the right to it disappears completely, and the entire base goes to the progressive scale: 19% up to 43,983.32 €, then 25%, 30%, and 35%. The benefit is lost for the entire base, including the first hundred thousand.

The main saving tool is paušálne výdavky (lump-sum expenses). You write off 60% of income without any receipt, the ceiling is 20,000 € per year, and paid contributions are added above it. The non-taxable part of the base in 2026 is 5,966.73 €.

Contributions are more complicated than most sites write. From July 1, 2026, instead of two categories, there are three.

The average amount — 131.34 € per month — Sociálna poisťovňa (social insurance institution) calls mikroodvod (micro contribution); it was introduced from July 1, 2026. The medical contribution of 121.92 € per month is calculated separately: 16% of the minimum base of 762 €.

The transition between the second and third rows of the table is a jump without any smoothing. No market calculator shows it. The difference between the micro contribution and the full minimum is 171.77 € per month, i.e., 2,061 € per year. Earned 9,145 € instead of 9,144 € — and you pay two thousand more. For one euro.

The first year is easier. A new živnostník (sole trader) starts paying social contributions only from the seventh month after starting activity. Medical contributions — from the first day, no holidays for them.

Keep another threshold in mind in advance: 50,000 € turnover per calendar year. If crossed — from January 1 of the next year you become a VAT payer; crossed 62,500 € — you become a payer the same day, without delay. How much is left to the threshold will show the VAT calculator.

Put your own numbers into the živnostník calculator: it calculates with the same constants as the table above.

When is it time to switch from živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) to s.r.o.?

There is no single breaking point — there are several. živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) loses both at high income and at low.

We calculated three scenarios with the same math that stands behind our calculators. Assumptions are the same for both forms: real expenses — 40% of income, s.r.o. accounting — 1,200 € per year, profit is withdrawn as dividends, second year of operation.

Both tables describe the second year of activity and beyond, when the contribution category is determined by last year’s income. At the start, the amount is smaller: no social contributions for the first six months, they start only from the seventh month.

The picture is not as it is retold. At an income of 12,000 €, živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) loses because minimum contributions of 425.03 € per month must be paid from any profit: for the year it is 5,100 € — more than two-thirds of everything left after expenses. At 30,000 €, the difference of 246 € is a draw within the margin of error. And approximately from 36,500 € s.r.o. really pulls ahead: fixed company expenses are diluted, and živnosť contributions grow with the base.

There is an honest warning for this table. s.r.o. wins partly because the konateľ (manager) without salary does not pay social contributions at all, and therefore does not accumulate pension record and has no right to sick leave and maternity benefits. živnostník (sole trader) buys these contributions exactly. The right to nemocenské (sick pay) and materské (maternity pay) arises after 270 days of insurance in the last two years, and months with zero contribution do not count towards this record.

Add two more lines to s.r.o. expenses that živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) does not have. Transakčná daň (transaction tax) from 2026 is paid by právnická osoby (legal entities — companies) — 0.4% of debit transfers, maximum 40 € per operation; živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) is fully exempt. And minimum tax from 340 to 11,520 € per year depending on turnover, which the company pays even at a loss, although the first year of existence is exempt.

The full curve instead of three points is shown in the comparison of živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) and s.r.o. — there the breaking points are calculated for your own expenses.

When is živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) not suitable for you?

Three situations where “I’ll just open a živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment)” turns into a problem.

You have one client, and they also dictate the schedule. This is the classic švarcsystém (fake živnosť instead of employment). The labor inspection qualifies this as illegal employment, and from January 1, 2026, the fine increased to 4,000–200,000 €, and for two or more people simultaneously — at least 8,000 €. Until the end of 2025, the lower limit was 2,000 €. Formally, the client pays. In practice, you lose the contract and remain with contributions.

You risk everything you have. živnostník (sole trader) is responsible for business debts with personal property without limits. One unsuccessful contract, one client claim — and the seizure will go to your apartment, not to “company assets.” Where the risk is real — construction, transportation, working with other people’s money — s.r.o. justifies its 5,000 €.

Your home address will become public. The živnostenský register (trade register) on zrsr.sk is open: anyone searches by surname and name and sees the miesto podnikania (place of business) address. The commercial register orsr.sk works the same for companies: it shows the name, managers, registered capital, year of foundation. Both registers are free and do not require user registration. Our company verification service does the same by one IČO number and adds VAT payer status.

There is one more limit. živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) is not sold and not divided into shares. If you want to take a partner or sell the business — you will have to create an s.r.o. from scratch. Ready-made “turnkey” companies only postpone this problem: a foreign company comes with a foreign history.

What to do in the first months after registration?

Contributions — by the 8th day of the next month, both social and medical. If the 8th falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the nearest working day.

Declaration for 2026 — by March 31, 2027. A three-month extension is given by simple notification, and it must be submitted by the same date — March 31. The rest of the year’s deadlines are collected in the entrepreneur calendar.

A bank account for živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) from January 1, 2026, is again voluntary. It is still reasonable to open a separate one: during the annual recalculation it will be much easier to show where the business money is and where personal money is.

If there is no income yet, živnosť (sole-trader licence — self-employment) can be suspended. Prerušenie (suspension) is arranged without minimum or maximum term, the fee is 4 € on paper and 2 € electronically. Social insurance stops during this time, medical does not: it must be covered every day.

If you lean towards s.r.o., check the calendar. The last day of the old rules is August 16, 2026: until this date inclusive, the founding document was accepted with notarized signatures, and the collected package made sense to submit exactly then. From August 17, budget for a notary or lawyer — only one bypass remains, the simplified form § 110a.