Bound trade – conditions and branches

Chapters of the article

• What is a trade
• Conditions and list of trades
• Summary

What is a trade

A trade is a form of business that is characterised by the Trade Act as a regularly carried out, independent activity that an individual carries out at his own risk, on his own behalf and with the aim of earning money, while having to comply with the rules laid down by the Trade Act. A trade thus allows people to work for themselves without having an employer. However, it also means that tradespeople do not have certain benefits that employees have, such as fixed working hours or holiday entitlement.

Tradespeople also have to pay their own social security and health insurance and take care of their own taxes, which includes having to file an annual tax return. People working in a trade are known as self-employed (self-employed).

There are two basic categories of trades: notifiable trades and licensed trades. Reportable trades are subdivided into free trades, craft trades and tied trades. In this text, we will focus specifically on bonded trades.

Trade reporting tied

In order to register for a reporting tied trade, you must meet specific criteria for that trade. Most often, these criteria relate to professional education, experience, specific qualifications, certification from relevant government agencies, extended experience in the field, registration in professional registers and so on.

This is because professions practised in the context of a tied trade carry a higher risk of harm to the health, safety or property of clients and therefore require their operators to comply with certain standards and requirements. We will look at the specific requirements for each profession in the following chapter.

Conditions and list of trades

The bound trade comprises a total of 33 trades. For each of these trades there are different conditions for their exercise. These are summarised in the annex to the Trade Licensing Act. Let’s take a brief look at the branches of the bound trade and the conditions for their exercise:

• Geological work: these require a certificate of professional competence issued by the Ministry of the Environment.
• Tobacco processing and manufacture of tobacco products.
• Manufacture and sale of hazardous chemicals: In the case of manufacturing, a degree in chemistry, mining, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, fire protection, food science, medicine, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, natural sciences, agriculture or forestry and experience depending on the level of education obtained are required. In the case of sales, proof of a certain length of experience in the field is sufficient.
• Production and repair of mass-produced prostheses, braces and bandages: a degree in orthotics – prosthetics and, if applicable, experience are required.
• Ophthalmic opticianry: A qualification as an optometrist, optician or ophthalmic technician is required. In case of retraining, 4 years of experience in the field is also required.

• Hazardous waste management business: you must have a degree in science or engineering and experience according to your educational background.
• Constructionproject activity: You must have a degree in a construction or architectural discipline and the length of experience according to your education. You must also have an authorization or registration in the list of registered persons.
• Building construction, alteration and demolition: Here again, you must have a degree in a construction or architectural discipline, the length of experience required by your education and authorisation or entry on the list of registered persons.
• Buying, selling, destroying and disposing of pyrotechnic articles of categories P2, T2 and F4 and carrying out fireworks: you need to have a certificate of professional competence to carry out these occupations. To obtain this certificate, you must be over 18 years of age, have at least a secondary education with a high school diploma, be fully competent, have good character and be medically fit.
• Buying and selling cultural relics or objects of cultural value: You must have a degree in fine arts, restoration, art history, conservation, arts and crafts, or antiques dealing, and the length of experience required by your degree.
• Trade in pet animals: You must have a degree in animal husbandry, zootechnics or veterinary medicine and relevant experience.
• Activities of accounting consultants, bookkeeping, tax record-keeping: You must have a degree in the field and experience.
• Real estate brokerage: You must have a degree in law, economics, finance, marketing, commerce, construction and building construction. Depending on your degree, you may also need work experience.
• Independent insurance claims adjusters: In this case, you only need a high school diploma, regardless of your field of study.
• Conducting voluntary auctions of movable property: You must have a university degree or even a lower education. In this case, however, you must also have experience.
• Valuation of assets for movable, immovable, intangible assets, financial assets and business premises: For valuation of movable and immovable assets, you must have a degree in a field specialising in the valuation of assets and, where applicable, experience. For the valuation of intangible assets, financial assets and business plant, you must have a university degree in property valuation and, where applicable, experience.
• Performing surveying activities: you must have a degree in surveying and experience according to your level of education.
• Inspections, surveys and tests of designated technical equipment in operation: You must obtain a certificate issued by the railway administration.
• Restoration of works of fine art: You must have completed a course of study in restoration, fine art or an arts and crafts discipline. You must also have completed an appropriate length of work experience.
• Special protective disinfection, disinsection and extermination: In all cases, you must have professional and practical knowledge in the field and hold a valid certificate of competence.
• Organisation of courses to acquire the knowledge to carry out special protective disinfection, disinsection and extermination: You must have professional competence.
• Mountain guiding: You need to have a high school diploma and a professional qualification for guiding or re-qualification for the activity and 4 years of experience.
• Water lifeguarding: You need to be qualified for the activity of open water lifeguard or for the activity of master lifeguard.
• Technical and organisational activities in the field of fire protection: You must have a degree in a field specialising in fire protection or a certificate of competence issued by the Ministry of the Interior, or retraining and 2 years’ experience.
• Provision of health and safety services: You must provide evidence of training in occupational health and safety and relevant experience.
• Provision of physical education and sports services: You must have a university degree or higher vocational training in a field specialising in physical culture, physical education and sport. It is also possible to undertake retraining. No work experience is required.
• Running a driving school: You need a professional certificate issued by the competent regional authority and one year of experience.
• Day care for a child under three years of age: You need to have a professional qualification to practice certain health or social professions, a kindergarten teacher or a professional qualification to act as a nanny for children up to the start of compulsory schooling.
• Psychological counselling and diagnosis: You must have a university degree in psychology. You must also have 1 year’s work experience in the field in the case of a single-subject degree and 3 years’ work experience in the field in the case of a multi-subject degree.
• Animal Dressage: You must have a degree in a discipline focused on animal husbandry, zootechnics or veterinary medicine and an appropriate length of experience.
• Activities where the integrity of the human skin is compromised: You must be qualified to practise certain health professions. Alternatively, you must have a degree in cosmetology and a certificate of professional competence for activities involving damage to the integrity of human skin.
• Massage, convalescent and restorative services: You must be qualified to practise certain health professions or to practise as a physiotherapist or massage therapist. You may also have a university degree in rehabilitation or physical education or a professional qualification in classical massage or sports massage.
• Operating a solarium: You must have a professional qualification to practise certain health professions or a university degree in physical culture, physical education and sport or a special certificate of qualification to operate a solarium.

Summary

A tied trade is a specific form of business defined by the Trade Licensing Act which requires specific criteria such as professional education, experience, registration in the register, etc. These requirements are in place because of the higher risk of damage to the health, safety or property of clients. There are 33 branches of bonded trades, which include, for example, the manufacture and sale of hazardous chemicals, real estate brokerage, running driving schools, massage services or operating solariums.