New Legal Framework for the Commercial Register

On 3 February 2026, the National Council of the Slovak Republic approved the government’s proposal for a new Act on the Commercial Register. Subject to the President’s signature, the Act will enter into force on 17 August 2026.

The adopted legislation aims to streamline the incorporation process for companies, accelerate registration proceedings, reduce financial and administrative burdens for businesses and to enhance transparency of data recorded in the Commercial Register.

Below we outline the specific key changes and their practical implications for the business environment.

Expansion of Notarial Registration

The new Act significantly expands the role of notaries as registration authorities. While under the previous framework notaries were authorised to carry out initial registrations and amendments primarily for limited liability companies, this competence will now extend to additional corporate forms.

In practice, founders and companies will in most cases be able to choose whether to submit an application for registration or amendment through the registration court or through a notary acting as registrar.

The objective is to transfer part of the registration agenda from courts to notaries, thereby accelerating and streamlining registration proceedings. The Act, however, clearly defines situations in which exclusive jurisdiction remains with the registration court.

The registration court will continue to have sole competence in cases of initial registration or amendments resulting from a domestic or cross-border transformation, in proceedings concerning the removal of a registered entity, and in cases where the applicant is exempt from court fees.

In addition, the registration court will remain competent in proceedings relating to general alignment of registered data, special alignment, correction of registered entries, annulment of entries in the Commercial Register, amendments or deletions on specific statutory grounds, as well as the registration and deletion of annotations.

The new legislation also introduces an important control mechanism. A registrar may not perform a registration if he or she has prepared the underlying documents on which the registration is based. This introduces the “four-eyes principle” into practice as a tool to enhance oversight and transparency. Where such circumstances arise, the registrar must refuse to carry out the registration and promptly inform the applicant or their representative.

Mandatory Authorisation of Selected Corporate Documents

The new Act introduces stricter formal requirements for certain key corporate documents. In several important cases, a notarised signature will no longer suffice.

Instead, either attorney authorisation or execution in the form of a notarial deed will be required. This requirement will apply in particular to:

• constitutional documents of commercial companies;
• agreements on the transfer of a business interest;
• resolutions on increases or decreases of registered capital where the proportion of ownership interests changes;
• resolutions appointing or removing statutory body members;
• amendments to the memorandum of association where voting rights proportions are modified.

Specific requirements are also introduced in the context of cross-border transformations and changes of legal form. The transformation project must either be authorised by an attorney or executed in the form of a notarial deed, and its approval by the competent corporate body must take the form of a notarial deed.

The involvement of an attorney or notary is expected to reduce the risk of errors, ambiguities and disputes, particularly in connection with transfers of ownership interests and changes in internal corporate arrangements.

Limitation of Sanction-Driven Practices in Registration Proceedings

The new framework also introduces significant changes to registration proceedings themselves. Applications for registration will now be subject to mandatory authorisation, reinforcing the emphasis on professional drafting and formal accuracy.

Rules governing representation are also tightened. The registration authority will recognise only powers of attorney granted to an attorney, a notary, or an employee of the principal. The aim is to limit sanction-driven practices and eliminate the involvement of intermediaries lacking appropriate professional accountability.

Importantly, the Act does not introduce mandatory legal representation. Applicants may still file registration applications independently. However, where representation is chosen, it must be entrusted exclusively to the categories of persons specified by law.

Abolition of Restrictions on Single-Member Limited Liability Companies

The new Act brings a significant change to the rules of incorporation of single-member limited liability companies.

Abolished will be two restrictions contained in the existing Commercial Code, pursuant to which a limited liability company with a sole shareholder could not be the sole founder or sole shareholder of another company, and an individual could act as sole shareholder in no more than three companies.

These restrictions were intended to prevent so-called “chain formation” of companies. In practice, however, these measures proved ineffective and were easily jeopardized by formal (without real power) involvement of an additional person.

Reservation of a Company Name

For the first time, the Act introduces the possibility to reserve a company name prior to incorporation. A reservation may be made for a period of 60 days for a fee of EUR 50.

A public register of reserved company names will be established and administered by the District Court in Žilina, accessible via a dedicated electronic portal.

This represents a practical tool designed to support the development of a company’s business identity at an early stage.

Adjustments to Sanctions and Fees

The maximum fine for breaches of obligations under the Commercial Register legislation will increase from EUR 3,310 to EUR 4,000, and fines may be imposed repeatedly. This applies in particular to failures to submit mandatory registration applications or to file required documents with the collection of deeds.

At the same time, certain registration fees will be reduced. The fee for the initial registration of a joint-stock company will decrease from EUR 750 to EUR 550, for a limited liability company and other legal forms from EUR 300 to EUR 220, and the fee for registering amendments will decrease from EUR 66 to EUR 50.

Conclusion

The new Act on the Commercial Register represents one of the most significant developments in Slovak corporate law in recent years. It affects registration proceedings, the formal requirements for key corporate documents, and the rules governing corporate accountability. For entrepreneurs this means that procedures previously regarded as standard practice will need to be reassessed. In certain areas, the new rules depart from established practice and will require adjustments to internal processes and closer scrutiny of formal requirements.