The new Commercial Register Act from 17 August 2026: what is changing regarding the incorporation and changes to a company
From 17 August 2026, the rules of the Commercial Register will change significantly. The new Act No. 29/2026 Coll. introduces legally binding online data, new rules for founding documents, a broader role for notaries, limited representation, and interconnection of registers. For entrepreneurs, this means less paperwork in some steps, but at the same time a greater emphasis on the correct form of documents and a professionally prepared process.
The new Commercial Register is being discussed almost everywhere in 2026 wherever company formation, transfer of a business share or changes to data in a limited liability company are addressed. And this time it is not just a cosmetic adjustment of forms. From 17 August 2026, the new Act No. 29/2026 Coll. on the Commercial Register will be fully implemented, replacing the existing legislation and changing the way various corporate actions are prepared, authorised and registered.
In everyday language, this change is often referred to as the “amendment to the Commercial Register”. Formally, however, it is a new Act on the Commercial Register, which also amends other related regulations.
What matters most is that the reform has two sides. On the one hand, it brings greater digitalisation, legal binding force of online data and interconnection of registers. On the other hand, for several important documents it increases the requirements for their form and restricts who may represent an entrepreneur in registration proceedings.
Why is August 17, 2026 so important?
It is from this date that key practical changes will take effect, which entrepreneurs will feel both when establishing new companies and when making selected changes in existing businesses.
Due to the deployment of the new solution, the Ministry of Justice has also announced planned downtime of the electronic services of the Commercial Register from 15 August 2026 at 8:00 a.m. until 17 August 2026 at 8:00 a.m. The very scope of the technical deployment shows that this is not a routine minor update.
If a company is being established or a change is being prepared precisely around mid-August, it is crucial to work with the rules valid for the specific day of filing and with the correct version of the electronic forms.
1. Online data in the Commercial Register will be legally binding
One of the most practical changes sounds simple: data that is published online in the Commercial Register is to have legal effect.
The aim is to move closer to the “once only” principle. If data is properly entered and publicly available in the register, an entrepreneur should not have to prove it repeatedly to public authorities or business partners just because the other party demands another piece of paper.
In practice, this may mean fewer extracts, fewer duplicate documents, and greater importance being placed on ensuring that the data in the register is correct and up to date.
At the same time, this increases the weight of the entry itself. An error in the register is no longer just an inconvenience in a database. If other entities actually rely on the online data, its accuracy becomes even more important.
2. Registration proposals are moving even further into electronic mode
The new regulation is based on an electronic form for registration proceedings. The registration application is submitted electronically and must be authorized by the applicant or an authorized representative.
For entrepreneurs, this is another step away from paper-based administration towards a digital process. However, it does not mean that everything will automatically become easier. While the electronic form will eliminate part of the paperwork, it will also make it even more important to have properly prepared documents, attachments, authorizations, and approvals.
For a simple procedure, digitalization can save time. For a more complex change, an error in the document or incorrect representation may mean that the entire process comes to a halt.
3. Notaries are given a broader role in registrations
The new Act maintains a dual system: registration can be carried out either by the registry court or by a notary acting as registrar.
An important innovation is that the option of registration through a notary is being extended to other legal forms of business companies, not only to limited liability companies.
In several situations, the entrepreneur can therefore choose whether to proceed via the registry court or via a notary. At the same time, the Act preserves the free choice of notary.
However, there is an important limitation: registration cannot be carried out by the same notary who prepared the registration documents, for example the articles of association in the form of a notarial deed. If one notary prepares the document, registration must be carried out by another registrar, or a different statutory procedure must be used.
It is therefore important for the client not to perceive the process as a single visit without any further steps. In some cases, it will be necessary to properly coordinate several persons and subsequent acts.
4. The founding documents must have a qualified form
This is one of the most debated changes of 2026.
For the founding documents of business companies, it is no longer sufficient to treat the document merely as a standard deed with a certified signature. The new regime requires that the founding document be drawn up:
- in the form of a notarial deed, or
- as a document authorized by an attorney.
This applies, for example, to a shareholders’ agreement or a deed of foundation.
The qualified form is not limited only to the incorporation of a company itself. The new rules also affect other significant corporate acts, such as certain transfers of business shares, changes to registered capital, changes of legal form, or other documents for which the law requires a higher degree of legal certainty.
The practical consequence is clear: for some acts that in the past could be prepared relatively easily, it will be necessary, from August 2026, to count on the involvement of a notary or an attorney.
5. What does this mean for the price of establishing or changing a company?
The new act is presented as a tool for reducing administrative burden. However, this does not mean that every specific action will automatically be cheaper.
If a notarial deed or authorization by an attorney is mandatory for a document, an additional professional service is created. Therefore, total costs for some incorporations and corporate changes may increase, even if the court fee for a particular registration act remains unchanged according to the applicable rate.
It will therefore be even more important for the client to compare the total price of the process, not just a single item in the price list.
When placing an order, check:
- what is included in the preparation of documents,
- who authorizes the document,
- who files the application,
- who carries out the registration,
- whether third-party fees are included in the price,
- whether the price also includes subsequent corrections or additions.
The cheapest offer at first glance may not be the cheapest result.
6. The rules of representation are changing
The new Act also tightens the rules on who may represent an entrepreneur in registration proceedings on the basis of a power of attorney.
Representation is linked in particular to:
- a lawyer,
- a notary,
- or a natural person who is an employee of the applicant.
The registered person or the applicant may also submit the application without representation, provided that the conditions are met and the application can be properly authorised.
The aim of this restriction is to reduce the scope for various unprofessional or illicit intermediary practices. For the entrepreneur, this means that when choosing a corporate service provider, it is worthwhile to know exactly who is carrying out the regulated legal part and on the basis of what authorisation.
The entire process can be coordinated, but wherever the law requires a lawyer, notary or other authorised professional, that part must be carried out by the respective authorised person.
7. A Central Register of Authorizations is being created
The new regulation also includes a non-public Central Register of Authorisations, which is to be maintained by the Slovak Bar Association.
For documents authorised by an attorney, it will be possible to record the authorisation electronically, thereby increasing verifiability and legal certainty.
From the client’s perspective, the idea behind this system is particularly important: an authorised document should be easier to verify and the scope for forgery or disputes over whether the document was in fact created in the declared form should be reduced.
In the case of transfers of business shares and other more sensitive corporate actions, this represents a significant step towards more reliable documentation.
8. It will be possible to reserve a business name
For founders of a new company, an interesting innovation is the option to reserve a business name even before the company is established.
According to the expert interpretation of the new law, the reservation is to be recorded in a public register of reserved business names. The reservation should be time-limited so that names cannot be blocked indefinitely.
This is a very practical change for branding.
When investing in:
- a logo,
- a domain,
- a website,
- packaging,
- promotional materials,
- sales presentations,
it is unpleasant to find out right before registration that the company name can no longer be used. Name reservation can help separate brand building from the actual moment of registration.
It still applies that the business name must meet legal requirements. Reservation is not a substitute for name checks, trademarks, or broader brand due diligence.
9. For selected free trades, the start is to be simplified
A very practical innovation concerns the relationship between the Commercial Register and the trade licence.
For certain free trades, it should be possible to register a business company in the Commercial Register without first having to obtain a separate trade licence.
The goal is clear: fewer duplicate steps and a faster company formation process.
However, this does not mean that from 17 August 2026 every company can carry out any activity without authorisation. The regime applies only to selected activities, and for craft, regulated or otherwise restricted business activities, special conditions remain in place.
It is therefore important for the founder to correctly determine which category the planned activity falls into.
10. The Commercial Register is becoming more interconnected with other registers
One of the goals of the reform is to ensure that the state does not ask for the same data repeatedly.
The Commercial Register is therefore being more closely interconnected with reference and other public registers. For certain changes of data, the update should be transferred automatically, without the entrepreneur having to submit a separate application just because the information has already been changed in another official register.
The ministry gives as an example a change of residential address or surname.
If the interconnection works reliably, it may save entrepreneurs a large amount of minor administrative tasks in the future.
11. The existing ban on so‑called chaining of single-member companies is ending
The new Act abolishes the existing restriction that complicated ownership chains in single-member limited liability companies.
In practice, these were rules that limited how many single-member companies a natural person could own and under what circumstances a single-member company could own another single-member company.
The main reason for abolishing this restriction is that, in practice, it was often circumvented and did not deliver the expected effect.
For business groups, holding structures and owners of multiple projects, this means greater flexibility. Of course, the ownership structure must still comply with tax, accounting, AML and other regulations.
12. Existing companies do not have to automatically redo old entries
Good news for existing companies: according to the Ministry of Justice, the new law does not require companies to massively change or supplement their existing entries just because a new regime is coming into force.
This means that if there is an S. R. O. and nothing is being changed, there is no need to rewrite the articles of association on the morning of 17 August just to make them match the new form.
However, the new rules will become important at the moment a new act is carried out that is already subject to the qualified form or the new registration procedure.
For an existing company, the best approach to the reform is therefore a practical one:
- do not panic about old entries,
- prepare new changes according to the rules in force at the time of filing,
- for any significant change, verify the required form of the document in advance.
13. What the new regime means when buying a ready-made company
The reform of the Commercial Register does not concern only people who are setting up a company from scratch. It is also significant for the transfer of a ready-made S. R. O..
When purchasing a shelf company, the following often change:
- shareholder,
- executive director,
- registered seat,
- business name,
- business activities,
- and possibly other corporate details.
Not all changes are subject to the same legal regime. For some actions, a simpler procedure will be sufficient, while others will require a qualified form of document or professional authorization.
Therefore, after 17 August 2026, the value of a service increases if it does not only sell a “company from a list”, but can also correctly break down the entire transfer into individual legal and registration steps.
For a ready-made company, it will no longer be enough to look only at whether the company is available. It will also be important to know what changes are intended after the purchase and what form these changes will require.
14. What the new regime means when establishing a new limited liability company (s. r. o.)
If a limited liability company (s. r. o.) is established after 17 August 2026, the founding document must be created in the legally required qualified form.
Before the actual incorporation, it is therefore sensible to be clear on the following points:
- business name,
- registered office,
- shareholders and their shares,
- executive director and manner of acting on behalf of the company,
- business activities,
- need for VAT registration,
- future changes that can already be anticipated today.
The more decisions are settled before preparing the documents, the lower the risk of having to pay for another change shortly after incorporation.
In 2026, it is therefore worth stopping to perceive company formation as the purchase of a single form. It is the setting up of the legal and administrative framework of the business.
15. What to check before ordering the service after August 17
When ordering the formation of an s. r. o., the transfer of a ready-made company, or a change in an existing company, it is important to ask the provider specific questions.
It is important to know:
- who will prepare the documents,
- whether a lawyer or notary is required,
- who will authorize the document,
- who will file the application with the Commercial Register,
- whether an additional notary will be needed as registrar,
- which fees are included in the price,
- what happens if the register requests additional information,
- how long the process should take for the specific type of action.
A professional service should not provide only a single price. It should explain the procedure, responsibilities, and sequence of steps.
16. The reform of the Commercial Register does not end on 17 August
The effective date is the beginning, not the end, of the entire change.
The most important thing will be to monitor how the new system works in real practice:
- how quickly registrars process filings,
- how the interconnection of registers works,
- how practice regarding qualified documents stabilizes,
- what technical problems appear after deployment,
- how authorities interpret borderline situations.
That is why it makes sense to update this article continuously during the second half of 2026. In the case of a legislative change, the date of the last update is just as important to the reader as the date of first publication.
What to take away from this?
The new Commercial Register effective from 17 August 2026 brings more digitalisation and potentially less repeated proving of data. At the same time, however, it increases the requirements for the form of certain documents and for who may act on behalf of the entrepreneur in registration proceedings.
For a starting entrepreneur this means: prepare the company properly before the first filing.
For an existing company: old entries do not have to be automatically redone, but every new significant change should be handled according to the new rules.
For a buyer of a ready-made company: focus not only on the company itself, but also on the entire package of changes that will need to be registered after the transfer.
Conclusion
The reform of the Commercial Register is one of the biggest business legislation topics of 2026. Not because it changes the very concept of a limited liability company, but because it changes the infrastructure through which a company is created and transformed.
If the new system is to work well, the result should be less duplicate administration, more reliable data and a more modern register. At the same time, however, the importance of high-quality document preparation and proper coordination of the entire process increases for the entrepreneur.
It is possible to combine company formation, a ready-made company, registered office, registration changes and related services into a single process. Wherever the new law requires a notary, attorney or another authorised person, the relevant expert is involved and their role is clearly separated from the overall coordination.
Questions and Answers | FAQ
1. Kedy začínajú platiť hlavné zmeny nového obchodného registra?
Kľúčové praktické zmeny nového zákona č. 29/2026 Z. z. sa uplatňujú od 17. augusta 2026.
2. Musí existujúca s. r. o. po 17. auguste meniť starú spoločenskú zmluvu?
Nie automaticky. Existujúce zápisy zostávajú v platnosti. Nové pravidlá však treba rešpektovať pri nových úkonoch a zmenách, na ktoré sa už nový režim vzťahuje.
3. Stačí pri založení s.r.o. obyčajne overený podpis?
Pri zakladateľských dokumentoch obchodných spoločností nový režim vyžaduje kvalifikovanú formu – notársku zápisnicu alebo dokument autorizovaný advokátom.
4. Môže jeden notár pripraviť dokumenty aj vykonať registráciu?
Ak notár pripravil zápisové podklady, nemôže na ich základe vykonať registráciu ako registrátor. Proces preto treba podľa konkrétneho prípadu správne rozdeliť.
5. Kto môže zastupovať firmu pri registrácii?
Zastúpenie na základe plnomocenstva je po novom obmedzené najmä na advokáta, notára alebo zamestnanca navrhovateľa. Samotný navrhovateľ môže konať aj bez zastúpenia, ak splní podmienky podania.
6. Budú údaje v online obchodnom registri právne záväzné?
Áno. Jedným z hlavných cieľov reformy je, aby zverejnené údaje nebolo potrebné opakovane dokazovať iným orgánom alebo obchodným partnerom.
7. Dá sa po novom rezervovať obchodné meno?
Áno, nový režim zavádza možnosť rezervácie obchodného mena pred vznikom spoločnosti. Pred budovaním značky sa však oplatí skontrolovať aj zameniteľnosť názvu a prípadné ochranné známky.
8. Čo sa mení pri ready-made firme?
Samotná ready-made firma zostáva možnosťou, ale pri prevode a následných zmenách treba posúdiť, ktoré dokumenty a úkony už podliehajú novým pravidlám.
9. Zjednoduší sa založenie firmy pri voľných živnostiach?
Pri určitých voľných živnostiach nový režim umožňuje registráciu spoločnosti bez predchádzajúceho samostatného získania živnostenského oprávnenia. Nevzťahuje sa to automaticky na všetky činnosti.
10. Viete celý proces koordinovať?
Áno. My pre Teba vieme pripraviť praktický harmonogram a koordinovať firemné služby. Regulované právne a notárske úkony vykonáva príslušný oprávnený odborník.
11. Čo sa stane po odoslaní nezáväznej objednávky?
Po odoslaní nezáväznej objednávky Ti na e-mail zašleme všetky potrebné informácie s inštrukciami. Podľa povahy Tvojej požiadavky Ti môžeme aj zavolať a všetko si spolu prejsť telefonicky. Po tom, ako budeme mať od Teba všetko potrebné, pripravíme všetky dokumenty, ktoré Ti zašleme na e-mail aj s inštrukciami.
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The information published on this website or provided via e-mail and telephone does not constitute legal or tax advice. This website does not provide legal advice or legal services and therefore cannot be regarded as such. All information published on this website is drawn from publicly available information or sources, does not provide legal advice, does not constitute legal analysis or a legal opinion of the contributor, and is of a general nature only. Such services and information do not constitute the provision of legal services under special regulations (for example, under Act No. 586/2003 Coll. on Advocacy as amended) nor tax advisory services (for example, under Act No. 78/1992 Coll. on Tax Advisors and the Slovak Chamber of Tax Advisors).
The preparation of all documents in the form of a notarial deed or a document authorized by an attorney is ensured in accordance with Act No. 29/2026 Coll. on the Commercial Register. Representation before the Commercial Register is provided by a cooperating notary or an attorney registered with the Slovak Bar Association.