Buying a ready-made company is the solution for anyone who wants to start doing business immediately and avoid spending weeks incorporating a company or waiting for VAT registration. Buying a ready-made s.r.o. in Slovakia lets you act on behalf of the company practically as soon as the transfer documents are signed — and if the company is already a VAT payer, you can invoice with VAT without delay. This article explains, step by step, how the whole process works in the Slovak Republic, what you can customise, what to watch out for when choosing a provider, and — importantly for foreign clients — what conditions apply if the company director is to be an EU or a non-EU national.
What a ready-made s.r.o. is?
A ready-made s.r.o. is a Slovak limited liability company (spoločnosť s ručením obmedzeným) with a duly assigned company ID number (IČO), tax ID (DIČ), and a fully paid-up share capital of EUR 5,000. It was incorporated solely for the purpose of being sold on — it has never carried out any business activity, so it has no history, no liabilities, and no receivables. It is therefore legally, economically, and accounting-clean, and ready for immediate transfer to a new owner.
A portion of the companies on offer are also already registered as VAT payers (often monthly VAT payers). This is the key added value: the VAT registration that would otherwise take weeks via your own application — and is not a matter of legal entitlement — is already completed.
How buying a ready-made s.r.o. in Slovakia works, step by step?
The process today is largely automated and can be handled remotely:
- Reserve the company online. You select a specific company from the current offer and fill in a simple reservation form. The provider then contacts you, usually within a few hours, and gives you an initial consultation.
- Set the company parameters. Through an online form you enter the details of the future shareholders and directors and specify the requested changes — company name, registered office, and business activities.
- Preparation and signing of the transfer documentation. The transfer documents are generated and sent to you by e-mail for approval. You then arrange a signing appointment. Signing the documents is the only part of the process that must be done in person.
- Payment and handover of accounting. You pay the price by bank transfer or deposit. Immediately after the payment is processed, you receive the complete accounting and corporate documents.
- Registration of changes in the Commercial Register. The provider arranges the entry of all changes — new company name, expanded business activities, new shareholders and directors.
- Doing business right after signing. You can act on behalf of the company as its director (konateľ) as soon as the transfer documentation is signed — you do not have to wait for the Commercial Register entry to be completed.
- Support even after the purchase. A reputable provider will notify the relevant tax office of the changes, hand over the DIČ and VAT (IČ DPH) cards, demonstrate the directors’ clean criminal record to the Trade Licensing Office, and help set up electronic communication with the authorities.
What you can change about the company
A ready-made company is not a fixed “box” — during the transfer you tailor it to your business. You typically change the company name, the registered office, the scope of business activities, and the shareholders and directors. With a reputable provider, these changes are part of the price, not an extra charge.
EU vs. non-EU directors: conditions and required documents
This is the point that matters most for foreign clients, because Slovak law treats the director (konateľ) differently depending on the nationality of the person who is to hold that role. The distinction does not concern the shareholder — a foreigner can be a shareholder without restriction — but specifically the statutory body, the director.
EU, EEA and OECD nationals
A director of a Slovak s.r.o. can be a national of an EU member state, an EEA state, or an OECD country (or a person who already holds residence in Slovakia). For these nationals there is no requirement to obtain Slovak residence in order to become a director. In practice, the documents you will need are:
- a valid passport or national ID of the future director and shareholder(s);
- proof of a clean criminal record (typically an extract no older than three months, where required, officially translated into Slovak unless it is, for example, a Czech document);
- the proposed company name and a brief description of the intended business activity.
If the shareholder is to be a foreign legal entity (a holding company), you will additionally need an apostilled extract from the relevant commercial register, officially translated into Slovak.
Non-EU nationals (third-country nationals)
For nationals of countries outside the EU / EEA / OECD, stricter rules apply: such a person cannot become the director of a Slovak s.r.o. until they have been granted residence in Slovakia. Until residence is granted, the third-country national can participate in the company only as a shareholder, not as a director. When changes are registered, the court verifies whether a non-EU director holds a residence permit.
The practical sequence is therefore usually as follows: the foreigner first acts as the shareholder, and only after acquiring the company applies for temporary residence for the purpose of business under Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on the Residence of Foreigners. The purpose of residence is evidenced by an extract from the Commercial Register and a resolution of the general meeting stating that, upon obtaining residence, the foreigner will become the director. Once residence is granted, the person can be registered as director.
What a non-EU national should also be prepared for:
- Temporary residence for the purpose of business is granted for a maximum of three years, and processing the application typically takes around 90 days.
- The applicant must prove financial security for the business activity — for a company director this is set at one hundred times the subsistence minimum, documented from a business bank account.
- The application is generally submitted in person at a Slovak embassy abroad (accredited for the applicant’s country) or, where applicable, at the foreign police department, and includes a personal interview.
Because these conditions can change and are assessed individually, a non-EU client should always verify the current requirements with the foreign police or an immigration specialist before planning the timeline.
Slovak shelf companies with VAT registration.
What to watch out for when choosing a provider
Buying a company is a matter of trust — you are taking over a legal entity together with its past. It is therefore worth choosing a provider based on: a tax advisor’s guarantee of the company’s debt-free and accounting-clean status; transparent, final pricing with no hidden fees, where all standard client-requested changes are included; a genuinely clean company history (incorporated solely for sale); solid experience and references; and a team of lawyers and tax advisors rather than mere intermediaries.
Buying a company with VAT vs. without VAT — which to choose
In short: a company without VAT is more affordable (in the order of hundreds of euros) and suits someone who wants an s.r.o. immediately but does not yet need to be a VAT payer. A company with VAT registration is more expensive (in the order of low thousands of euros), but its value lies in already holding a VAT number — saving you weeks of waiting and avoiding the risk that the tax office refuses registration or imposes a security deposit.
Conclusion
Buying a ready-made s.r.o. is a fast, automated, and safe way to start doing business in the Slovak Republic without lengthy incorporation. You choose a company, set its parameters, sign the transfer documents — and can act on its behalf almost immediately. If you choose a company that is already a VAT payer, you also gain the ability to invoice with VAT without waiting for the authorities. Foreign clients should simply keep in mind the director rules: EU/EEA/OECD nationals can become a director directly, while non-EU nationals first act as a shareholder and become a director after obtaining Slovak residence.
You can view the current offer of ready-made companies with VAT registration and get non-binding advice on which one fits your situation and your residency status. Our goal is not to sell you a company at any cost, but to help you choose the solution that genuinely saves you time and hassle.
This article is for informational purposes and does not replace individual tax, legal, or immigration advice. Always verify specific deadlines, conditions, and document requirements against the current legislation (in particular Act No. 222/2004 Coll. on VAT and Act No. 404/2011 Coll. on the Residence of Foreigners) or with a qualified advisor.
Mgr. Dominik Ondrišeje
Dominik is co-founder of the SetupMART project. Dominik is responsible for corporate services and implementation of modern technologies in our services at SetupMART. Dominik is dedicated to the sale of ready-made companies since 2011. Dominik studied law at the Pan-European School of Law.