Crafts

A craft is such trade where in order to pursue a trade in addition to the general conditions the requirement for professional competence acquired by apprenticeship training shall be met. Crafts are trades listed in Annex 1 to Act No. 455/1991 Coll. on Trade Licensing (Trade Licensing Act) as amended (hereinafter referred to as "Trade Licensing Act").

The professional competence to pursue a craft is proven by providing an Apprenticeship leave certificate or by other evidence of proper completion of apprenticeship course or relevant field of study.

These documents may be replaced only under the conditions set out in Section 22 of Trade licensing Act:

1. by Apprenticeship leave certificate or other evidence of proper completion of the similar field of study followed by at least one year professional experience in the respective field or two year professional experience in the similar field or
2. by a secondary school leaving certificate awarded upon the completion of specialized secondary school or vocational secondary school or grammar school with vocational training subjects or upon the completion of post-secondary education of the same field of study and evidence of at least one year professional experience in the relevant field or two year professional experience in the similar field or 
3. evidence of completion of at least secondary education with exception of instances referred to in (a) and (b) and certificate of attained educational qualifications for a trade concerned in an accredited educational establishment and evidence of at least two year professional experience in the relevant field or three year professional experience in the similar field or 
4. by a Diploma in the relevant field of study followed by at least one year professional experience in the relevant field or two year professional experience in the similar field or
5. by a certificate of partial qualifications or a certificate of complete qualifications in accordance with the special regulation or
6. by evidence of at least ten year professional experience provided that no more than 3 years have elapsed from the termination of employment.

The professional experience in the relevant field or similar field shall mean an actual practice of activity concerned complying with Trade Licensing Act and special regulations.

The provisions of Trade Licensing Act apply to a person from the Community that vary with regard to the provisions on professional competence. A person from the Community is every natural person who is EU member state national or state which is the party to the Agreement on EEA national and Swiss Confederation national (hereinafter referred to as the "member state') and every natural person established under the member state law having their registered office, central administration or principal place of business within the territory of such countries.

A person from the Community may prove the professional competence for crafts listed in Annex 1 also by providing a decision on the recognition of professional experience or a decision on the recognition of professional qualification. The professional competence can be proved by providing a decision on the recognition of professional experience only for trades included on Lists I through to III of Annex 1.

The proceedings for the recognition of professional experience commence on the date of delivery of an application for the recognition of professional experience to purse a trade to the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic An application submitted by a person from the Community shall be supported by a proof of applicant's nationality and a certificate of nature and duration of activity issued by the competent authority of member state authority and unless provided otherwise by Trade Licensing Act also by evidence of educational qualifications.  Documents shall be submitted along with their official translation into the official language. The Slovak citizen shall submit together with an application for the recognition of professional experience evidence of actual and statutory practice of professional activity concerned. The Slovak citizen shall not submit neither a proof of citizenship nor a certificate of nature and duration of activity. Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall acknowledge the receipt of application within one month from its receipt and inform an applicant of eventual missing documents and invite him/her to supply them within the deadline specified in the receipt. If the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic finds from the documents submitted that all conditions have been met, it shall decide on the recognition of professional experience, otherwise it shall refuse an application. Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall decide on an application within four month from the receipt of a complete application.

  Alternative recognition of professional competence (according to the list I)
  Alternative recognition of professional competence (according to the list III)

A person from the Community not meeting professional competence requirements essential to pursue a trade in other member state where such requirements do not correspond to the requirements provided for by Trade Licensing Act or other Slovak Republic provisions may ask the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic to compare their knowledge and skills supported by diplomas, certificates or other evidence of competence issued in other member state with the requirements of special Slovak regulations. The proceedings for the recognition of professional qualifications commence on the date of delivery of application for the recognition of professional qualifications to purse a trade to the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic. A proof of applicant's citizenship and a decision on the recognition of evidence of educational qualifications or the copies of certificates of professional competence enabling to practice the relevant profession shall be attached to an application and also evidence of applicant's professional experience if provided for by this act. Documents shall be submitted along with their translation into the official language. Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall acknowledge an acceptance of application within thirty days from its receipt informing an applicant of eventual missing documents in the receipt, Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall submit an application containing other document then evidence of educational qualifications to the Slovak Trading Chamber.
Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall:

1. decide on the recognition of professional qualifications for pursuing a trade,
2. suspend the proceeding until the proof of completion of adaptation period is submitted, 
3. refuse an application.

Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall decide on an application within 30 days from its receipt.

The special provisions applying to the persons from the Community do not apply to the third countries migrants. If a third country migrant wishes to pursue a trade in Slovakia, it is decisive whether he/she has a permanent residence in Slovakia. If yes, then he/she is considered as the Slovak natural person. If not, then he/she is considered as a foreign person. If migrants do not have a residence in any EU member state or OECD member state, they cannot pursue a trade in Slovakia unless they are registered in the Commercial Register.

Act No. 422/2015 Coll. on Recognition of Evidence of Educational Qualifications and Professional Qualifications and on Amendments and Supplements to Certain Acts governs recognition of evidence of educational qualifications.
District (Trade Licensing) Offices shall individually and without any guarantee assess whether the requirement of professional experience has been met.