CHANGES IN SLOVAK CORPORATE LAW · EFFECTIVE FROM 17 AUGUST 2026

Slovakia’s new Commercial Register Act: setting up companies and making corporate changes will be more formal. What is the fastest alternative?

From 17 August 2026, the way companies are formed in Slovakia and changes are made in the Slovak Commercial Register changes fundamentally. In Slovakia, the era of the simple certified signature at the registry office for key acts is ending. What does this mean in practice for entrepreneurs and managing directors – and why is buying a ready-made company becoming an even more attractive option?

On 3 February 2026, the National Council of the Slovak Republic passed the new Act on the Commercial Register No. 29/2026 Coll., which replaces the previous Slovak legislation from 2003 and, at the same time, significantly amends the Slovak Commercial Code, the Act on Transformations of Commercial Companies and Cooperatives, the Act on Advocacy and other regulations. The Act becomes effective on 17 August 2026, and a new information system of the Slovak Commercial Register is launched together with it.

Its goal is to reduce transaction costs, increase transparency and reliability of data, and streamline registrations. Some of the changes will make life easier for entrepreneurs, but the most visible one makes the process at key acts more formal, more expensive and more time-consuming. Below is an overview of what you will really feel when doing business in Slovakia.

 

The end of the simple certified signature for key acts

The biggest practical impact is the tightening of the form of documents. For several acts where a certified signature was sufficient until now, a notarial deed or a document authorised by an attorney (Slovak advocate) will be required. This concerns in particular:

• all founding documents of commercial companies (memorandum of association, deed of foundation);
• the contract on the transfer of a business share (ownership interest);
• decisions on increasing and decreasing the registered capital, if the ratio of business shares changes;
• decisions on the removal and appointment of statutory representatives (managing directors) – for decisions on their remuneration, a certified signature still suffices;
• the decision to amend the memorandum of association, if a different ratio of votes of the members is set.

For companies with multiple members, the course of the general meeting for these decisions must be certified exclusively by a notarial deed – authorisation by an attorney is not sufficient here. An important exception applies to the single-member s.r.o. (Slovak limited liability company): if the company has a sole member, no general meeting is held and the sole member’s decision may be authorised by an attorney (a notarial deed is not mandatory).

 

Key takeaway

A “home-made” minutes document with signatures certified at the post office or registry office will no longer be enough for a transfer of a share or a change of managing director in Slovakia. Each such act will now require a notary or an attorney – meaning higher costs and more time.

 

The registration is done by the court or a notary – you have a choice

The Act expands the option to carry out registrations through a notary acting as registrar. Until now, a Slovak notary mainly handled first entries and changes in the s.r.o.; from now on, they will also be able to register first entries and changes of legal data for other company forms (such as a joint-stock company). An entrepreneur will thus be able to choose, for most entries, whether it is carried out by the registry court or a notary. Two limitations apply, however:

• a notary may not carry out an entry based on documents (e.g. a notarial deed) that they prepared themselves – the so-called “four eyes” principle is introduced;
• a notary will not be able to register transformations of companies (domestic or cross-border), proposals from applicants exempt from the court fee, or proposals filed through the single point of contact.

 

Other important changes in a nutshell

Abolition of the ban on “chaining” single-member s.r.o. companies

Section 105a of the Slovak Commercial Code is repealed. The restriction under which a single-member s.r.o. could not be the sole member of another company, and a natural person could be the sole member in at most three companies, falls away. Result: freer building of holding and multi-level structures and easier reorganisations within groups.

 

Legal binding force of online data

Data published on the portal of the Slovak Commercial Register will be legally binding and accessible to everyone without proving a legal interest. It will not have to be documented before public authorities or in commercial dealings – a managing director will therefore not have to submit a current extract for every act. All the more important, however, will be the accuracy and completeness of the registered data.

 

Reservation of a business name – EUR 50 for 60 days

A novelty is the option to reserve a business name even before the company comes into existence. The public register of reserved names will be maintained by the District Court Žilina; the reservation is valid for 60 days for a fee of EUR 50.

 

Higher fines for statutory representatives

The fine for statutory representatives (e.g. for failing to file a proposal for entry or to deposit documents into the collection of deeds) rises from EUR 3,310 to EUR 4,000, and it may be imposed repeatedly.

Stricter rules of representation and a register of authorisations

In registration proceedings, an applicant may be represented on the basis of a power of attorney only by an attorney, a notary, or an employee of the applicant (the option to file a proposal independently for the registered person remains). At the same time, a non-public Central Register of Authorisations is established, maintained by the Slovak Bar Association, into which the attorney deposits the authorised document on the day the authorisation is carried out.

 

Further changes

A transformation (merger, amalgamation, division) must not cause the over-indebtedness of the successor company, and the time limit for registering a cross-border transformation is shortened from 21 days to 5 working days.

 

What this means for you – and where the fastest path is

To sum it up in practical terms: from 17 August 2026, setting up a new s.r.o. in Slovakia will be more formal, more expensive and slower. The founding document will have to take the form of a notarial deed or an attorney’s authorisation, additional steps and formal requirements will be added, and failing to meet them will be grounds for returning the proposal. For an entrepreneur who wants to start doing business immediately and without waiting for the authorities, this means a longer road to a functioning company.

This is exactly where the advantage of a ready-made (pre-established) company becomes apparent. It is an already existing, duly registered and fully functional Slovak s.r.o. with an assigned company ID (IČO) and tax ID (DIČ), which has never carried out any activity and has no liabilities. Instead of forming a company from scratch, you simply take over a ready company and start doing business almost immediately.

 

Why a ready-made s.r.o. makes sense right now

Speed: you have the company available immediately, without waiting for registration and the launch of the new Slovak Commercial Register system. Predictability: the transfer takes place in a clearly defined process. And less administration on your side: we handle the formal requirements for you.

At SetupMART, we specialise in selling ready-made Slovak s.r.o. (and joint-stock) companies prepared for immediate takeover. We take care of the entire transfer, including documents in the correct form under the new legislation, so that you can focus on doing business – not on the authorities. If you are considering launching a new project or need another company for your structure, get in touch and we will advise you on the fastest solution.

 

This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For a specific procedure regarding the formation of a company or a change in the Slovak Commercial Register, we recommend consulting an attorney or a notary. The information is based on the wording of Act No. 29/2026 Coll. of the Slovak Republic, effective from 17 August 2026.