Applying for a concession

A trade and the conditions for acquiring and carrying on a trade

Within the meaning of Section 2 of the Trade Licensing Act, a trade is a systematic activity carried out independently under the conditions laid down in the Trade Licensing Act, under a person’s own name and liability, with a view to making a profit. In cases defined by the Trade Licensing Act, a state authorisation to carry on a trade (hereinafter a “concession”) is required. An entrepreneur (or a responsible representative) must meet the general (Section 6 of the Trade Licensing Act) and special conditions for carrying on the trade, i.e. professional competence (Section 7 of the Trade Licensing Act), the entrepreneur (or their responsible representative) must not be subject to any impediments to carrying on the trade (Section 8 of the Trade Licensing Act), and other conditions specified in the Trade Licensing Act must be met.

Where this ensues from the Trade Licensing Act or a special legal regulation, the trade licensing office will specify or, if relevant, change the conditions for carrying on the trade.

Permitted trades are listed in Annex 3 to the Trade Licensing Act – the current version of the annexes to the Trade Licensing Act is available here.