{"id":256416,"date":"2026-09-18T14:25:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T12:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/highgate.sk\/the-new-commercial-register-starting-august-17-2026-7-changes-that-affect-every-business\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T14:27:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T12:27:42","slug":"the-new-commercial-register-starting-august-17-2026-7-changes-that-affect-every-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/highgate.sk\/en\/the-new-commercial-register-starting-august-17-2026-7-changes-that-affect-every-business\/","title":{"rendered":"The New Commercial Register Starting August 17, 2026: 7 Changes That Affect Every Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As of August 17, 2026, a new Commercial Register Act (Act No. 29\/2026 Z. z.) is in effect in Slovakia. This is not a minor amendment, but a regulation that has replaced the previous legislation from 2003 and has also affected the Commercial Code, the Act on the Legal Profession, the Act on Court Fees, and the rules governing corporate transformations. For an ordinary company, this means one thing in practice: the format of documents that you have previously signed with a notarized signature or sent electronically is often no longer sufficient. The process for transferring a business share has changed, as has the process for amending the articles of association, and the rules regarding who can represent you in registration proceedings have also changed. The good news to start with is that existing companies do not have any new one-time obligation or deadline by which they would have to submit anything.<\/strong> Entries made before August 17, 2026, remain valid. The new rules will take effect only with the first corporate change you make. That is precisely why they most often come into play at an inopportune moment\u2014such as during a transaction or a change in management that must be completed by a specific date. <\/p>\n\n

<\/a>1. The new law replaced the 2003 regulation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Act No. 530\/2003 Coll. on the Commercial Register <\/a> It was in effect until August 16, 2026. As of the following day, it was fully replaced by Act No. 29\/2026 Coll., which introduces a different philosophy of registration: the registry is no longer intended to be merely a passive list of data, but a reliable source of information. Related to this is a principle that will be most evident in practice when communicating with government agencies. Registered data no longer needs to be separately verified before public authorities, and the registry is linked to the state\u2019s reference registries. A change in the managing director\u2019s address can thus be reflected automatically, without the need for a separate application. Furthermore, the \u201ccollection of deeds\u201d has been renamed the \u201ccollection of documents.\u201d While this is a terminological change, it appears in all new forms and guidelines.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>2. The transfer of a business interest is no longer sufficient with officially certified signatures<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

This is the change that will affect the most transactions. Until now, it was sufficient for the parties to sign a contract for the transfer of a business share and have their signatures officially certified. According to the amended <\/a>Section 115(4) of the Commercial Code <\/a> Such a contract must be in the form of a notarial deed or must be a contract authorized by an attorney.<\/p>\n\n

Authorization by an attorney is not the same as signature verification. An attorney drafts or reviews the contract, verifies the identities of the parties, assesses its compliance with the law, advises the parties, and attaches a certificate of authorization. Furthermore, the authorized document is filed with the central registry of the Slovak Bar Association on the very day of authorization. <\/p>\n\n

The practical implications are twofold. While the transfer of a business interest is more administratively and financially demanding, it also reduces the potential for disputes regarding the authenticity and content of the contract. When selling a company or bringing in an investor, this means that the timeline for closing the transaction must be planned with regard to the availability of a notary or attorney. We also address this topic in an article about <\/a>What are the most common ways to structure a company’s sales<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>3. The Articles of Association and any amendments thereto must be in a qualified form<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The same logic applies to the formation of a company. Pursuant to the amended Section 57(1) of the Commercial Code, the articles of association or the certificate of incorporation must be drawn up in the form of a notarial deed or as a document certified by an attorney. The same applies to subsequent amendments, including changes to the registered office, the scope of business, or the amount of the registered capital. <\/p>\n\n

There is an exception, but it is narrow.<\/strong> When forming a limited liability company (s. r. o.) through a simplified process using an electronic form, neither a notarial deed nor authorization by an attorney is required. However, this procedure is subject to strict conditions\u2014including a maximum of five shareholders, a maximum of 15 business activities consisting exclusively of unregulated trades, and only cash contributions. As soon as the company requires a regulated trade, a non-monetary contribution, a sixth partner, or a non-standard provision in the articles of association, the exception no longer applies. <\/p>\n\n

In practice, this means the end of the model in which a founder downloaded a template, customized it to his liking, signed it with a certified signature, and established the company without a lawyer reviewing the documents. If you\u2019re considering which business structure to choose, you\u2019ll find a practical comparison in the article on this topic, <\/a>What is the difference between a sole proprietorship and a limited liability company? <\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>4. Resolutions of the General Meeting Regarding Managing Directors and Shares<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The amended Section 127a of the Commercial Code introduces a specific form of resolution for selected decisions of the general meeting of a limited liability company. This does not apply to all resolutions, but only to a precisely defined set: <\/p>\n\n