Frequently Asked Questions about apostille in Czech republic

Question 1

What Is Apostille Certification for Documents in the Czech Republic?

Accepted Answer

Apostille Certification for Czech Documents: General Information

What Is an Apostille and Why Is It Needed?

In short, an apostille is an additional certification that ensures that documents are recognized for use in countries other than the country in which they were issued. An apostille can be placed on any official document, most commonly one issued by a government authority or a notary. An apostille may or may not be required — each case varies for the Czech Republic and every other country.

Czech apostille stamp example

Therefore, in many cases, you may need this certification to validate Czech documents abroad, as well as foreign documents for recognition within the Czech Republic.

How to Check Whether You Need an Apostille for Czech Documents

The requirement for an apostille between the Czech Republic and another state varies on a case-by-case basis. For some countries, it is mandatory for documents to be recognized there; for others, it is unnecessary; and in certain cases, this procedure does not exist at all.

On our website, we have a dedicated form to check whether an apostille is required between the Czech Republic and your specific country. Select the country, and the form will provide a detailed explanation of whether this certification is needed in your particular situation — including the current regulations in 2026 and actual cases we have encountered (including any special circumstances). This is the most reliable way to obtain this information.

APOSTILLE VERIFICATION FORM (if an apostille is required from or for the Czech Republic)

Below, we provide a list of countries where apostille are typically required or not required. However, please note that this list does not include every country in the world. For the most accurate information, we recommend using the form above.

Main countries where an apostille is (formally) NOT REQUIRED: Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Switzerland.

Although these states should not require this type of certification for Czech documents, our experience and our clients’ reviews show that many still demand one in practice. We recommend obtaining an apostille anyway, just in case.

Main countries where an apostille is REQUIRED: Australia, Azerbaijan, England (United Kingdom), Armenia, Belgium, Germany, Georgia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Israel, Italy, India, Kazakhstan, Canada, China, Latvia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, the United States of America (USA), Tajikistan, Turkey, Finland, Sweden.

Czech documents will only be recognized with an apostille in these states. Similarly, Czech authorities require the same certification for documents from these countries.

Some countries do not use apostille but instead require so-called "consular legalization" (also called "superlegalization" or "consular certification").

Superlegalization is usually required by the following countries: United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai), Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and many African states. For detailed information on superlegalization, visit THIS PAGE on our website. We also assist with obtaining this type of certification.

Czech Documents That May Require an Apostille

Most commonly, our clients request apostille for the following documents issued in the Czech Republic:

Any documents notarized by Czech public notaries (powers of attorney, extracts, notarized copies, including personal documents, and more)
Marriage certificates ("oddací list")
Birth certificates ("rodný list")
Death certificates ("úmrtní list")
Documents from Civil Registry Offices
Criminal record certificates (confirming no convictions in the Czech Republic)
Extracts concerning Czech legal entities for international use
Land Registry extracts and property purchase/sale contracts
Translations by court-appointed translators (also called “sworn translators”)
Company financial statements and documents from the tax authorities
Diplomas from Czech educational institutions and universities, and certain documents from educational institutions
Commercial contracts and agreements
Court-issued documents, including court decisions and judgments

Question 2

How and Where to Apostille Documents from the Czech Republic

Accepted Answer

Where to Obtain an Apostille for Documents Issued in the Czech Republic

First and foremost, only documents issued directly by Czech state authorities can be apostilled in the Czech Republic. Documents issued by other countries must be apostilled in the country where the document was issued. In the Czech Republic, only documents issued by Czech government authorities can be apostilled.

An apostille for documents from the Czech Republic can only be placed within the territory of the Czech Republic itself, by state authorities located directly in the country. No diplomatic missions abroad handle this matter.

There are three main state authorities responsible for issuing apostille. Each of them is authorized to certify ONLY SPECIFIC types of documents and specializes exclusively in them.

The correct choice depends on the document type:

Notarial Chamber of the Czech Republic: For all documents issued and certified by any Czech notary. This includes powers of attorney, extracts, and certificates that have been notarized.
Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic: For any official documents from Czech courts, including company extracts certified by a court, divorce decrees, and other court decisions.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic: For most other documents, such as Civil Registry documents, police clearance certificates, and university or secondary school diplomas.

Please see below for the addresses, business hours, types of documents they certify, and other details for each authority.

Notarial Chamber of the Czech Republic

The Notarial Chamber of the Czech Republic ("Notářská komora České republiky") apostilles any documents issued by notaries in the country — essentially, anything bearing a notary’s signature. Examples of the documents it handles include a power of attorney with a notarized signature, a criminal record certificate obtained from a notary, and an extract for a Czech company — in general, any document issued to you by a notary.

The notarial document must be certified for use abroad ("do zahraničí"). You must mention this to the notary, as they use different stamps for documents intended for use within the Czech Republic and outside the country.

Address in Prague: Apolinářská 12, Prague 2

Business hours:

Monday–Thursday: 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM (lunch break: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM)
Friday: 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: closed

The Notarial Chamber of the Czech Republic has other branch offices in major cities across the country, including: Brno, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové, Ostrava, Plzeň, and Ústí nad Labem. Please look up their specific addresses as needed.

It is important to note that you can submit any document certified by a Czech notary for an apostille at any of the Notarial Chamber's branch offices. For example, a document notarized in Brno can be apostilled at the Notarial Chamber’s Prague office.

Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic

The Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic ("Ministerstvo spravedlnosti České republiky") apostilles any documents issued by Czech courts, including extracts from the Trade Register certified by city courts ("Městský soud"), as well as any court decisions.

It has a single office in Prague: Na Děkance 3, Prague 2

Business hours: Mondays and Wednesdays only: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (lunch break: 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic ("Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí České republiky") handles all other documents that do not fall into the two categories above, including:

Civil Registry documents (matrika), including birth, marriage, and death certificates
Criminal record certificates issued directly by the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic (not through a notary, but directly by the Ministry’s offices)
Diplomas confirming completed secondary education and university degrees from the Czech Republic
Medical documents
Commercial documents (invoices, certificates, etc.)
Documents issued by the country’s tax authorities

It has a single office in Prague: Hradčanské náměstí 5, Prague 1

Business hours:

Monday and Wednesday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (lunch break: 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM)
Tuesday and Friday: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday: closed

IMPORTANT! In almost all cases with this types of document, you need an additional “intermediary” certification — a stamp from the administration or ministry that oversees the state authority that issued the original document. For example, an apostille for a university diploma first requires a stamp from the Czech Ministry of Education. An apostille for a certificate from a Civil Registry Office first requires certification from the regional administration corresponding to the Registry Office’s location. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will not issue the final apostille without this “intermediary” stamp. It is impossible to list every possible scenario here; please inquire further, as the requirements depend on the specific document and its place of issuance. The only exception is a criminal record certificate issued by the offices of the Czech Ministry of Justice; these certificates can receive an apostille directly from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

General Tips for All State Authorities

Below, you will find key information that may be useful and important to know before visiting the authority to obtain an apostille:

All state authorities charge a fee for the apostille service. You can pay this fee by card AT EVERY LOCATION. Please ensure that you have a valid payment card before your visit: it is the easiest method for both you and the staff handling your case.
Apostille are often issued immediately, but this is limited to a maximum of 5 documents per visit. If you have more than 5 documents that require an apostille, you will have to leave the documents and collect them later.
Although you can deal with all these state authorities without a personal visit (by mail), it is a slow and complicated process. We strongly advise having someone apply for the certification in person.

Question 3

Is a Personal Visit to the Czech Republic Required to Obtain an Apostille?

Accepted Answer

This question concerns whether the individuals named in the documents must personally travel to the Czech Republic for the apostille procedure.

An apostille can be obtained without your personal presence in the Czech Republic. However, the original document must be physically delivered to the Czech Republic and processed locally.

Any document issued by Czech state authorities or notaries can be apostilled by a third party who has physical possession of it. This person must personally visit the necessary authorities in the Czech Republic, submit the document and application in person, and later collect the completed apostilled document.

In theory, you can use postal services to deal with all Czech state authorities that issue apostilles, meaning that you can send them documents from outside the Czech Republic. In reality, however, this is difficult and extremely slow because of delivery times. In addition, there is a risk that the government office to which you send the document may misunderstand your request. You could also send it to the wrong institution, as several different organizations in the Czech Republic issue apostilles.

Furthermore, many Czech documents need to be processed by several authorities before an apostille can be issued. An important question is how these organizations coordinate the apostille process remotely (would you need to send the document to each authority yourself?). In summary, it is far more efficient to have a local representative who is physically present with the document manage the entire process on the ground.

Apostille for Documents from the Czech Republic

Check Apostille Requirements for Czech and Foreign Documents