Slovakia Ends Online-Only Company Registration, Requires Notary or Lawyer

Slovakia is tightening the rules for registering new limited liability companies, ending the option to complete the process entirely online without professional oversight. Under amendments to the Commercial Register Act taking effect August 17, founders of limited liability companies — the most common business structure in Slovakia — will be required to have their founding documents either notarized or authorized by a lawyer. Recording subsequent changes to a company's registration will also become more complex under the new rules. A significant additional change is that data published on the Commercial Register website will become legally binding, giving official online records greater legal weight than before. The changes mark a reversal from earlier reforms that had simplified and digitized company formation, instead prioritizing legal certainty and document authenticity over administrative ease.