A virtual registered office is a legal service where a company registers a provider’s rented address as its seat instead of its own premises. To register it, you must always supply the property owner’s written consent to the seat, with officially verified signatures. It suits firms that do not need physical offices and want a presentable address separate from their home. The concept is legal in both Slovakia and Czechia; the paperwork differs slightly.
What is a virtual registered office and is it legal?
A company’s seat is the address recorded in the commercial (public) register, and the law does not require the firm to actually operate there. A virtual office is therefore not an off-the-books “mailbox” but an ordinary, legal rented address. What matters is that the address really exists, is traceable and that the company collects its mail there.
For the fundamentals of setting up and running a company, see our overview of professional accounting in Slovakia and our note on Slovak tax advisory for companies.
What does the law say about the seat address — Slovakia vs Czechia?
In both countries you must prove a legal right to the premises via the owner’s consent. In Slovakia, since 1 October 2020, registration requires the owner’s written consent with an officially certified signature (Section 2(3) of the Commercial Code defines the seat as the registered address).
In Czechia, under Section 14 of Act No. 304/2013 on public registers, the owner’s declaration of consent must be no older than three months and bear officially verified signatures. A virtual-office provider supplies this document as part of the service in both countries. The consent must be current and name the specific company, so providers issue it when the contract is signed.
When is a virtual office worth it?
It suits online businesses, e-shops, consultants and freelancers who do not need premises, and it solves the case where an entrepreneur does not want the seat at their home address. A prestige city-centre address also looks more credible to clients and banks. For a firm that actually runs a warehouse or shop, however, it does not replace the needed operating address. It replaces the administrative seat address, not the place where the business actually operates.
What does the service usually include?
Besides the address and the owner’s consent, providers typically offer mail handling — receiving, scanning and forwarding post — and the company’s name on the building. Some add short-term meeting-room rental for client meetings or inspections. Prices vary by location and scope; check how fast the provider forwards official mail, as delays can mean a missed deadline. Check too whether the provider offers electronic notification of new mail and how long it has operated.
What obligations does a seat bring?
Official mail from the tax office and courts goes to the seat address, and you remain responsible for actually receiving and responding to it. In Czechia most official communication for a company now goes to the mandatory data box (datová schránka). A fictitious or unreachable seat is risky — the tax authority may treat the company as uncontactable, complicating registrations and routine administration. So even with a virtual office the company needs someone who regularly checks both the post and the data box.
How to register or change the seat?
Changing the seat means changing the data recorded in the register. You need a shareholders’ decision, the new owner’s consent with a verified signature (in Czechia no older than three months) and a filing via a notary or the registration court. The address must also be updated with the tax authority. The process is manageable, but filing errors delay registration, so prepare the address and consent in advance.
Sorting out the seat for a new or existing company? We help with the address, the owner’s consent and the register filing.
FAQ
Is a virtual registered office legal?
Yes. The seat is the address recorded in the commercial or public register, and the law does not require the company to operate there. You must supply the owner’s written consent — in Slovakia with an officially certified signature, in Czechia a declaration no older than three months with verified signatures.
What do I need to register a virtual office?
Chiefly the property owner’s written consent to the seat. In Slovakia it must carry an officially certified signature (mandatory since 1 October 2020); in Czechia the declaration must be no older than three months with verified signatures. Providers supply this document as part of the service.
Does official mail go to a virtual office?
Yes, official mail from the tax office and courts goes to the seat address, though in Czechia most of it now arrives in the company’s data box. Either way, how quickly the provider forwards paper mail matters, especially for letters with running deadlines.