New Commercial Register from August 2026

From 17 August 2026, a new Act on the Commercial Register Act No. 29/2026 Coll. will take effect in Slovakia, bringing the most significant changes to the registration of companies in recent decades. It replaces the current legal regulation from 2003, and its main objective is to modernise the functioning of the Commercial Register, simplify administration and increase the reliability of registered data.

From a practical perspective, this is a relatively significant shift – the Commercial Register will no longer be merely a formal record-keeping tool, but will become a system whose data can be relied on directly without any further proof

The existing system has long been criticised mainly for complicated procedures and insufficient quality control of submitted documents. The new legislation responds to this by significantly strengthening the responsibility of professional groups such as attorneys and notaries, while also placing greater emphasis on the interconnection of public registers and electronic data processing.

For entrepreneurs, this means that administration should become simpler and faster. On the other hand, greater attention will need to be paid to the quality of legal acts and documentation.

Notaries as an alternative to courts

One of the most significant changes is the expansion of notaries’ powers. Under the new rules, they will be able to carry out registration not only for limited liability companies, but also for other legal forms

In practice, entrepreneurs will be able to choose whether to use the registry court or a notary as the registrar. This step is expected to speed up registrations and, at the same time, relieve courts of part of their agenda. However, a notary may not carry out a registration if they prepared the underlying documents for the relevant act, thereby strengthening the principle of independent review

Stricter rules on representation and greater responsibility

The new Act also restricts the range of persons who may represent an entrepreneur during registration. Under the new rules, this will be possible only through an attorney, notary or the entrepreneur’s own employee

The aim is to eliminate unprofessional intermediary services and reduce the risk of errors in submissions. This is also linked to an increase in sanctions – fines imposed on statutory representatives for breaches of obligations may reach up to EUR 4,000 and may be imposed repeatedly

End of “formal signatures” – focus on content

A stricter form of corporate documents is also an important change. While in many cases official verification of a signature was sufficient until now, under the new rules the document will need to be executed in the form of a notarial deed or authorised by an attorney

The purpose of this change is to ensure that legally significant documents are not merely formally correct, but that their content has also undergone professional assessment. The attorney or notary will therefore be responsible for the document’s compliance with the law, which should significantly reduce the number of errors and disputes arising in practice

Reservation of a business name as a new tool

The new Act also introduces the possibility to reserve a business name before the company itself is established. Reservation will be possible for a period of 60 days for a fee of EUR 50 and will be recorded in a separate register

This change reflects the needs of entrepreneurs who want to build a brand before the company is created. In practice, it eliminates the risk that the chosen name will be taken by another person before the actual registration takes place

More flexible ownership structures

From the perspective of corporate planning, the abolition of restrictions relating to the so-called chaining of companies is also significant. Single-member limited liability companies will be able to own other companies, and the limit on the number of companies in which a natural person may be the sole shareholder will also be abolished

This change creates room for the formation of more flexible holding and investment structures, which is important especially for larger business groups and start-ups

Legal binding effect of data in the Commercial Register

A key new feature is the introduction of the legal binding effect of data published in the Commercial Register. In other words, data available online will be usable directly in legal and business relationships without the need for additional proof

In practice, this means a lower administrative burden – for example, it will no longer be necessary to repeatedly submit extracts from the Commercial Register to public authorities or business partners

Practical impact on companies

For existing companies, it is important that the Act does not require retroactive changes to data already registered. The changes will therefore apply mainly to new registrations and to changes within companies

From a practical perspective, however, it will be necessary to take into account that every more significant change – for example, a transfer of a business share, a change of managing director or an adjustment of registered capital – will be more demanding procedurally and will require high-quality legal preparation

Conclusion

The new Act on the Commercial Register brings a combination of simplification and stricter requirements. On the one hand, the speed and accessibility of registration are increasing; on the other hand, the requirements for professional expertise and document quality are also rising

For entrepreneurs, this means that although some processes will be simpler, it will be difficult to manage them without expert advice. Properly setting up corporate steps and preparing documents in good time will be key to smooth functioning after August 2026

 

 

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