Public Administration / Trade Licensing / Služby

Recognition of professional qualification

An authorized person may demonstrate the fulfilment of professional competence requirements for selected regulated trades alternatively - alternative professional competence shall mean the professional competence requirements laid down by Trade Licensing Act in Part 5 B of Trade Licensing Act.

Alternative provision of evidence of professional qualification and its recognition refers to the selected crafts listed in the Annex 1 to Trade Licensing Act that are also included on one of three lists I to III. In reality it means that alternative evidence of meeting and recognizing the professional competence requirements cannot be applied to all activities referred to in Annexes to the Trade Licensing Act but it applies only to those (crafts and regulated) trades that are also included on one of the lists I, II, II (the lists of trades for which different alternative professional competence requirements are established and also a different way of its recognition in compliance with the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 2005/36/EC of 7 September 2005 on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications as amended by the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council 2013/55/EU of 20 November 2013).

A person authorized to prove the professional competence to pursue a certain craft is a natural person who is the 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 legal entity 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 is a natural person - a member state national or a legal entity established under the member state law having their registered office, central administration or principal place of business in the territory of member state.
Alternative evidence and recognition of professional competence for pursuing a certain selected trade refers also to the Slovak persons (natural persons and legal entities), natural persons having the status of Slovak Republic citizen and legal entities established in Slovakia.

The criterion for providing a proof of professional qualifications is solely the nationality. Alternative evidence of professional competence and recognition of evidence of professional competence of natural persons for certain regulated trades is not governed by the criterion of residence of persons interested in conducting the business in the territory of Slovakia but by the criterion of nationality. The citizens of EU/EEA and Swiss Confederation may provide an alternative proof of professional competence if their residence is in the territory of any other (non-member) state. However the above does not apply to the citizens who are not EU/EEA member states nationals and of Swiss Confederation nationals even though they are residents of one of these countries.

Alternative provision of evidence of professional qualifications for certain crafts is a decision on the recognition of professional qualifications.

Trade License Department of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic is competent to act in the matter of recognizing professional experience in compliance with Section 66 (e) of Trade Licensing Act.

Application for recognition of professional qualification (in SK only)

Application for recognition of professional experience can be sent also through an online Public Administration Portal General Agenda (www.slovensko.sk). You can find the procedure for sending an electronic application here.

Recognition of professional qualifications:

A person from the Community meeting professional competence requirements for trade included on the lists I to III 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 requirements of special Slovak regulations.

procedure for recognizing professional experience commences on the date of delivery of application for recognition of professional qualification to pursue a trade referred to in Annex 1 and included on the Lists I to III of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic,
by submitting an application an obligation to pay fees arises. An administrative fee of EUR 140 for issue of a decision on recognition of professional experience under Act No. 145/1995 Coll. on Administrative Fees as amended, Administrative fee tariffs, item 148 (k) shall be paid,

A proof of applicant's citizenship and decision on recognition of evidence of educational qualifications or copies of certificates of professional competence enabling to practice the profession concerned 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 official translation into the official language.

Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall acknowledge an acceptance of application within one month from its receipt informing an applicant of all missing documents in the receipt,

Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic shall submit an application containing other document than the proof of education to the Slovak Trading Chamber to express its opinion and it shall express its opinion within one month from the receipt of application.

Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic:

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

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

Legal remedies
You can challenge the decision on recognition of professional qualification within 15 days from the receipt of the decision with the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic through the Trade License Department of the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic, Drieňová 22, 826 86 Bratislava 29. You can file an appeal against administrative procedure under the conditions set out by Administrative Procedure cod (third part of Act No. 162/2015 Coll.)

Trades included in one of the lists I to III:

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Recognition of professional qualification

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