Use of Public Space
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If you want to organise an event, sell your products, build an outdoor terrace for your restaurant, renovate an apartment building or dig up a public space, you will need a permit.
What is a public space?
This is a publicly accessible space in the city, such as a park, pavement, road, square or green space. This space belongs to all residents of Bratislava. It is important how it looks and how we behave in it. Also, it is important to respect the established rules.
In accordance with a binding city document (City Ordinance No.15 /2012), public space is defined as a street, square, park, marketplace or other space accessible to the public without restriction: namely, publicly accessible land owned by the city, local roads which are generally accessible, used streets, parking lots owned by the city, spaces and squares that serve local transport and that are included in the road network as first and second class local roads, passable sections of these roads and their components, pavements, road greenery, and public greenery.
The division of public space
If you plan to use a public space (such as a road, pavement, square or road greenery) that is managed and owned by the city, this may be seen as the special use of these areas. An application will be handled by the Transport Department if it relates to:
- Roadways
- Pavements
- Squares
- Road greenery
When using a public space away from the roads, you will need to request permission to use the public space from the city, which is the landowner. An application will be handled by the Real Estate Management Department if it relates to:
- Public greenery
- Paved areas
- Other areas
The division of public space
To apply, you will need to:
- Submit necessary attachments (may vary on a case-by-case basis)
- Pay the administration fee
Required attachments
Tax duty
Once the permit for the use of public space has been issued, it is necessary to issue a Notice of the Creation, Change and Termination of the Tax Liability for the Use of Public Space. This form shall be delivered directly to the applicant together with the permit. The applicant is required to complete the form and then deliver it to the city through Bratislava City Hall’s mail office to the Department of Local Taxes, Fees and Licences no later than the date of the commencement of use. The department will issue the Landowner's Consent as well as a tax assessment decision based on the information given on the form.
It is necessary to ask for permission to use public spaces in the following situations:
Excavations
Accidents and breakdowns
Work involving construction, scaffolding and containers
Itinerant sales
Events
Film shooting
Outdoor terraces
The use of Janko Kráľ Park and the Tyrš Waterfront
Excavations
Outdoor terraces and restaurants
Outdoor terraces are an important form of active use of public spaces, often serving to extend the interior spaces of businesses. Due to our climate, outdoor terraces are mainly used seasonally.
The Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava has created a document that explains the city's requirements for outdoor terraces, clearly defines outdoor seating in public spaces and regulates the conditions for placing outdoor terraces on Bratislava city property.
Janko Kráľ Park and the Tyrš Waterfront
(Sad Janka Kráľa a Tyršovo nábrežie)
Janko Kráľ Park is a national cultural monument (covering both Janko Kráľ Park itself as well as the Tyrš Waterfront). It is therefore specifically protected under the Monuments Act. The opinion of the Bratislava Regional Monuments Office regulates the activities in the park based on the following sectors: sector A (highest monument protection), sector B (monument protection with certain exemptions compared to sector A), sector C (exemptions in protection).