How to suspend your trade license online? Quickly and easily with an electronic signature

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Can you suspend your trade license?

The legal framework for establishing, suspending, and terminating trade activities is regulated by Act No. 455/1991 Coll. on Trade Licensing (hereinafter “the Trade Licensing Act”).

Section §1 defines a trade as follows:

• continuous activity carried out independently,
• in one’s own name,
• on one’s own responsibility,
• for the purpose of generating profit,
• for the purpose of achieving a measurable positive social impact,
• under the conditions laid down in the Trade Licensing Act.

Any natural or legal person who meets the conditions set by the Trade Licensing Act may operate a trade.

Every sole trader may freely decide at any time to suspend the operation of their trade. In practice, such a decision may be based on work-related, family, economic or other reasons — sometimes even objective obstacles set by applicable laws.

Note:

An example of such an objective obstacle is when a sole trader becomes a civil servant under Act No. 55/2017 Coll. on Civil Service. This act stipulates that a civil servant cannot simultaneously operate a trade. Therefore, the trader must, within 30 days from the start of the civil service relationship, prove in writing that their trade has been terminated or suspended.

Notice of suspension of trade license operations

Suspension of a trade is carried out by notifying the locally competent District (Trade Licensing) Office acting as a Single Contact Point about the suspension of trade operations.

The suspension takes effect the day after the notice is delivered to the District (Trade Licensing) Office, unless a later date is specified in the notice — in that case, the suspension takes effect on the specified date.

You can suspend a trade in the following ways:

• in person at the competent District Office or Single Contact Point, where you manually complete the prescribed form,

• by postal service, where you must also complete the official notice form and send it by mail,

• electronically, which is the fastest and most convenient option. Electronic submission is done via the central government portal (slovensko.sk).

In the form, you are required to specify the period for which you wish to suspend your trade. You must also indicate whether the suspension applies to all your trade licenses or only some of them. In practice, you may suspend just one trade and continue operating the others.

Note:

As of 2025, the Trade Licensing Act no longer limits how long you can suspend your trade. The duration is entirely up to you.

Regardless of the submission method, the form must ultimately be signed. With a qualified electronic signature, you can sign it and submit it electronically at the same time.

Suspending a trade license online with a qualified electronic signature

Everything you need for electronic signing is available on the NFQES digital platform. With an NFQES electronic signature, you can sign anytime, anywhere, and from any device.

Remote signing allows you to sign documents at the qualified level, even in bulk — a feature many sole traders appreciate while running their business.

Read some interesting statistics on how electronic signatures can simplify your business.

When suspending your trade online, you will sign the required form and application with a qualified electronic signature. This fully replaces a handwritten signature and provides the same highest level of security and legal validity.

With NFQES, you can purchase all electronic certificate levels according to eIDAS, and you can use them with or without a physical signature card. You can easily sign any document from your mobile device.

Learn more about obtaining a qualified electronic signature.

Suspending a trade license online – Step-by-step process

Below is a summary of the electronic service “Notice of Suspension of Trade Operations,” available via the electronic services of the Central Government Portal (www.slovensko.sk).

Activity name: Notice of suspension (interruption) of trade operations

Documents you will receive from the District (Trade Licensing) Office after successful suspension:

• Confirmation of suspension of trade operations (if you applied for suspension),

• Confirmation of change of suspension period (if you applied for extension or shortening).

Applicant: The applicant is the entrepreneur — the sole trader who wants to suspend their trade or change the length of an already suspended trade.

Documents required by the District Office: No attachments are required.

Administrative fee: For electronic submission: €2 (in other cases: €4).

Competent authority: The locally competent District (Trade Licensing) Office acting as a Single Contact Point according to the permanent residence of the natural person or the registered seat of the legal entity where the trade was notified.

Processing time: The office processes the suspension immediately upon delivery to the electronic mailbox of the District Office. On weekends or public holidays, the processing period begins on the next working day.

Note: The suspension takes effect the day after the notice is delivered to the District Office, unless a later date is specified.

Qualified electronic signature required: Yes — the form can only be signed with a qualified electronic signature.

Delivery method: Delivery is electronic, to the applicant’s electronic mailbox.

Procedure for submitting an online suspension or change of suspension duration:

1. As the applicant, you submit a properly completed electronic application signed with your qualified electronic signature through the Central Government Portal (“ÚPVS”).

2. The system then prompts you to pay the administrative fee through the ÚPVS payment portal or your internet banking. It also sends you payment instructions to your electronic mailbox.

3. Your submission is delivered to the electronic mailbox of the District (Trade Licensing) Office acting as a Single Contact Point. ÚPVS verifies your qualified electronic signature.

4. You will then receive a confirmation from ÚPVS that your submission has been delivered to the office.

Note:
If any corrections or additional information are required, the office will send you a request to your electronic mailbox. The deadline for correcting deficiencies is 15 days from the delivery of the request, according to the Administrative Procedure Act.

If the submission is complete and correct, the office will issue:
“Confirmation of suspension of trade operations” or
“Confirmation of change of suspension duration”.

Note:
If the entrepreneur’s entire scope of trade authorization is suspended, the office will immediately notify the Tax Office, the relevant health insurance company, and the Social Insurance Agency. For legal entities, notification to the Tax Office must be requested separately.