How long does it take to open new or buy a ready-made company in the Czech Republic?

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Both the establishment of a new firm in the Czech Republic and the purchase of a ready-made company are relatively swift processes. A new company is formally registered within one day. The transfer of an existing company takes approximately 3-7 business days.

It is now possible to establish a new company in the Czech Republic in just one day with a single notary appointment. The notary can register the firm directly into the Czech register of legal entities (Trade Register), making it visible as a legal entity the very next day. This efficiency is possible because notaries have direct access to input new companies into the register.

When acquiring an existing, ready-made firm, the documents for changing the owners and directors must be submitted to the appropriate Trade Court. The court will then review the documents and issue a decision on the change of owners and directors. Based on our experience, the transfer process for a Czech legal entity usually takes 3-5 working days, though it can sometimes take a bit longer. To ensure a fast acquisition, it is vital that all documents submitted to the Trade Court are properly drafted and meet all legal requirements. Otherwise, the court may issue requests for additional documentation, causing significant delays.

Let us clarify: the one-day timeframe applies to the formal act of registration with the notary or the transfer of the legal entity. In our experience, this is preceded by extensive preparatory work to compile all necessary documentation for the registration or purchase. Based on our practice, it is this preparation and the shipping of documents that has the greatest influence on the overall timeline. That said, with a proper approach, it is entirely feasible to organize the procedure in the Czech Republic in an efficient and timely manner.