Paperwork & Translation

Czech Post is the provider of the postal services throughout the whole country (see the map), including parcels and cash transfers (both domestically and internationally). For the purposes of sending letters and postcards, it is possible to use orange mailboxes that you can find in the public spaces all over the country.

Post offices can be found in towns and often also in villages, but opening hours differ from office to office. In the towns, the services are separated and each “window” specializes in different services. In bigger offices, there is a machine with options, which will give you a ticket with the number of the right “window”.

Fortunately, the website of the Czech Post is in English and you can also find it useful to check Price calculator for letters and parcels.

Useful words:

• listovní služby – post services
• podání – sending
• výdej – collection
• balíkové služby – parcels
• obyčejné psaní – ordinary mail
• doporučené psaní – registered letter
• známky a kolky – stamps

When it comes to sending parcels, you can choose from various providers. Czech Post has rather negative feedback when it comes to their package delivery service, so you should better use private companies.

You can send parcels domestically and internationally. The dimensions and weights of the packages and way of submitting (whether you have to take the package to a drop off place, or the package will be picked up by a courier) vary from company to company. You can also use the online price comparative tool Eurosender for the best shipping solution.

• DPD
• PPL
• Zásilkovna – Czech company providing peer-to-peer sending of parcels at low prices.
• Czech Post

If you expect delivering of the package, in addition to delivery by a courier to hands, it is also possible to use a wide network of pick-up places (which are often part of other shops, such as newsstands), the biggest network is run by Zásilkovna.

Czech POINT is a system providing assisted access to the public administration system:

• extracts from public administration information systems: e.g. an extract from the Criminal Register (also an extract from your home country) or the Land Register (cadastral records);
• submission to the state administration: e.g. a registration of trade in the Trade Register;
• basic registers: e.g. an extract from basic registers or submission of a request for data change;
• data mailboxes – e.g. a request to set up a data mailbox, a request to invalidate access data and issue new ones, etc.;
• Authentication of documents (=vidimace) – click for details (only for documents in Czech and Slovak language);
• Legalisation of signature (= ověření podpisu) – click for details;
• and more (full list).

These services are provided at the so-called contact points of public administration that are marked with a blue Czech POINT logo – MAP of contact points.

You can obtain an extract from the Criminal Record register at the Czech POINT service points (MAP of contact points).

• Ask for the Criminal Record including an attachment with records from other EU member states (= ‘výpis z rejstříku trestů s přílohou’). It can be obtained for EU countries (except for HU, PT, NL and FI). You will have to present yourself with your ID/passport and residence permit (if you have one). You will receive a confirmation that your application was submitted, and once your home country will provide information about your Criminal records, the Czech POINT will notify you by email, that your extract from the Criminal Record register is ready. This process may take up to 25 working days and the fee is CZK 100.

For non-EU citizens, please, contact your Embassy to get the Criminal Record.

In some cases, for the purpose of application proceedings (such as temporary/permanent residence), it is necessary to submit original documents or verified copies. You can obtain verified copies either at Czech POINTs (only for documents in Czech and Slovak language) or at notaries (see below).

You can obtain an authentication of documents/legalisation of signature at the Czech POINT service points (MAP of contact points).

1. Authentication of documents (=oveřená kopie; vidimace) – click for details
   • Bring your original document and a hard copy (if you don’t have it, a hard copy can be made by the clerk on the spot, CZK 3/page).
   • Fee is CZK 30 for each A4 page.
   • Only for documents in Czech and Slovak language.
2.  Legalisation of signature (= ověření podpisu; legalizace) – click for details
   • Legalisation is the official confirmation that a signature on a document is authentic or acknowledged as authentic. But having a document legalised does not mean that its content is correct or accurate or in compliance with the law.
   • Bring the document which you want to verify the signature on and a proof of identity (ID or passport and residence permit, if you have one)
   • Fee is CZK 30 for every legalised signature on a document.

If the services of Czech POINT are not sufficient, or you have documents other than Czech or Slovak language, you can visit a state-authorized notary:

In some cases, for the purpose of application proceedings (such as temporary/permanent residence), it is necessary to submit a photo. Such service refers to ID and document photo (=‘průkazová/dokladová fotografie’). The most common size of the photo is 3.5 x 4.5 cm. You can obtain the photo in stores below:

• there is a self-service photo printer in every dm drogerie (drugstore) shop,
• Cewe Fotolab in Nova Karolina mall,
• Kopycentrum in Poruba.

1. You can access it 24 hours a day from anywhere.
2. You will save on postage. Setting up and using a data mailbox is free of charge.
3. It replaces the classic method of delivery in paper form. 
4. It is a faster and more efficient way of communicating with the public administration office – documents are considered delivered the moment you hit the send button.
5. Important: Once you set up a Data Mailbox, you are obliged to use it for all public institutions, i.e., you cannot send documents by post anymore.

The easiest way to apply for a Data Mailbox activation is to visit any Czech POINT location. You can also set up Data Mailbox online – see the guide here.

You will need to provide:

1. Your ID / Passport;
2. Your temporary / long-term / permanent residence permit or long-term visa (If you don’t have either, read our guide on Residency & Citizenship).

Most requests for the establishment of a data mailbox are processed on the spot (at Czech POINT places) and the applicant receives a confirmation of the establishment of a data mailbox containing unique login information. After the initial login, you can set your own password.

Sending documents is similar to any other email platform. You create a text, add attachments, enter the address of the institution (represented by a combination of numbers and letters), and then press send.

The documents are considered delivered the moment you log into the Data Mailbox, otherwise, the message is considered received and read 10 days after sending. (Make sure to set notifications so that you don’t miss any message by accident.)

• There is no limit to the size of the document.
• The time for which the messages are stored in the Data Mailbox is limited. This period is 90 days from reading the message (attention – not delivery), after which they are irreversibly deleted.

The original online Data Mailbox is available only in the Czech language, however, you can download the application Datovka.

Datovka is a cross-platform desktop application for accessing Data Mailboxes and permanently storing data messages on your local disc, similar to your email client. The application has an English version; installation is in Czech only. After installation and login, you can go to Settings (cogwheel), select the last bookmark (jazyk) and switch the setting to English. After the restart, the application will be in English.

Imagine you have found yourself in a situation where you have an official document in your hands (such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, criminal record extract, diploma of higher education) and need to present this document to Czech Authorities. First ask the particular Czech Authority what kind of verification is needed for this kind of document. 

There are three ways to translate and verify such documents:

1. In some situations, just a verified translation (into the Czech language, see the list of certified translators below) of the documents from your home country will be enough.
2. In other situations, an apostille will be required along with a verified translation (see below for more information).
3. In a small number of cases the superlegalisation, along with the verified translation, will be requested (see below for more information).

Please keep in mind that either apostille or superlegalisation has to be done by authorities in your home country, or you can use services of a private agency (contacts below in the section Apostille & Superlegalisation).

For some official documents, you will probably need the services of a court-appointed interpreter (soudní tlumočník) or certified translator (soudně ověřený překladatel). 

• Online register of the members of the Chamber of Court Appointed Translators and Interpreters.
• Online register of Interpreters by the Ministry of Justice (in Czech).

As the above mentioned registers might be a bit of a challenge to use, there are also agencies that can take care of your needs:

Imagine you have found yourself in a situation where you have an official document in your hands (such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, criminal record extract, diploma of higher education) and need to present this document to Czech Authorities. First ask the particular Czech Authority what kind of verification is needed for this kind of document. 

There are three ways to translate and verify such documents:

1. In some situations, just a verified translation (into the Czech language, see the list of certified translators above) of the documents from your home country will be enough.
2. In other situations, an apostille will be required along with a verified translation (see below for more information).
3. In a small number of cases the superlegalisation, along with the verified translation, will be requested (see below for more information).

Please keep in mind that either apostille or superlegalisation has to be done by authorities in your home country, or you can use services of a private agency (contacts below).

The map below showing only cases when you want to use documents issued by a Czech Authority in a foreign country. The procedure for translating and verifying documents differs depending on the country in which you want to submit the document, please see the map.

*The guide below is only for cases when you want to use documents issued by a Czech Authority in a foreign country (eg. a Czech woman and a man from Honduras had a wedding in Ostrava and if they would like to legalise this marriage in Honduras the Czech wedding certificate needs to be accepted by the authorities in Honduras and thus this guide is right for them).*

The apostille is a higher degree of verification of the signature and stamp of the authenticity of the document. An Apostille, along with the superlegalisation, are two different ways of verifying public documents. These verifications credibly prove the fact that the document was issued or verified by a certain judicial or administrative body of a country or its signature witnessed by the official authority. Simply put, the national authorities thus confirm to a foreign authority or institution (vice versa) that they can trust this document and it is not a forgery.

Importantly, you can only obtain this verification in the country where the document was issued. So, for example, if you have a Bulgarian birth certificate, only the Bulgarian Ministry can give you an apostille for it. If you are not in Bulgaria, the quickest way is probably to call the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria and arrange it there.

You will need an apostille clause for states with which the Czech Republic has not signed a bilateral international agreement on an exemption from document authentication. It will, therefore, be a party to the Apostille Convention.

The apostille clause is issued in each state by one or more apostille authorities, which you can handle in person or by post. Don’t forget to secure stamps in advance (available at every Czech Post Office branch). In the Czech Republic, there are two bodies authorized to provide verified documents with an apostille or higher verification:

1) Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic – International Civil Department (for documents issued or verified by courts, including documents prepared or verified by notaries and bailiffs);

2) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic – Consular Department – legalisation department (for other documents issued or verified by state administration bodies or other bodies, ie registration documents, business documents, health documents, documents issued by financial authorities, study documents, education documents).

In some cases (and in some countries) the apostille is not sufficient so it is necessary to provide additional verification, the so-called superlegalisation. Superlegalisation is based on the principle of double verification.