Why Czech Legal Entities Must Add Documents to the Collection of Deeds of the Czech Commercial Register
The legislation of the Czech Republic requires all Czech legal entities to add a number of documents relating to their activities to the Collection of Deeds of the Czech Commercial Register ("Sbírka listin obchodního rejstříku").
In practice, these include various notarial documents relating to the legal entity (any changes within the company, changes of shareholders, appointment and removal of directors, restructuring of the organization, etc.) as well as documents related to financial reporting.
In most cases, notarial documents appear in the Collection of Deeds automatically because they are processed directly by the Commercial Register and, accordingly, are added to the collection by the register employee handling the matter. Accounting documents, however, are almost never added automatically, even though the law requires them to be filed in the Collection of Deeds. In this case, the company owner is responsible for adding them to the collection.
The absence of required documents may cause various problems for the company. Based on actual cases we have encountered in practice:
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Restrictions on the legal entity's activities through the loss of business licenses. If certain documents are missing, the Commercial Register may initiate a request for the company's business licenses to be revoked. If, as a result, the organization no longer holds any business licenses, including a GENERAL trade license, any business activity conducted by the company is considered unlawful. This is a fairly serious violation.
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A legal entity may face a substantial fine of up to CZK 400,000 (approximately EUR 16,000). In practice, large fines are imposed very rarely and generally in more serious cases involving significant violations, where a Czech company has, firstly, failed to fulfil its obligation to file documents and, secondly, breached certain procedural requirements when dealing with the resulting issue. Nevertheless, the possibility of fines should be kept in mind.
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Compulsory liquidation of the legal entity. Since 2020, the Czech Ministry of Justice has had the authority to initiate compulsory liquidation of Czech companies that systematically fail to fulfil their obligation to add documents to the Collection of Deeds of the Commercial Register, and we have already encountered such cases in practice. However, from the perspective of the consequences for shareholders and directors, this is not the best way to liquidate a company in the Czech Republic.
FAQ
What Is a Company's "Sbírka listin" in the Czech Republic?
Very simply translated into English, "Sbírka listin" is the Collection of Deeds, or document archive, of a legal entity in the Czech Republic. Czech legislation requires Czech legal entities to make a number of company documents publicly accessible. The archive where these documents are made available is known as the legal entity's "Sbírka listin".
Why Does a Czech Company Need to Add Documents to the Collection of Deeds (Sbírka listin)?
First and foremost, it is a statutory obligation of every legal entity to make certain documents publicly available. If a company fails to fulfil this obligation, it may face substantial fines. Furthermore, if the company systematically fails to comply with this requirement, there is a risk that it may be placed into so-called compulsory liquidation.
What Documents Must a Czech Company Publish in the Collection of Deeds?
First and foremost, these include the following documents:
- Financial statements, including annual accounts and balance sheets.
- Amendments to the company's Articles of Association, changes of directors, and any changes relating to the company's incorporation or corporate structure.
- The company's constitutional documents.
How to Add Documents to the Collection of Deeds (Sbírka listin)?
There are several ways to submit these documents:
- Through the Czech Ministry of Justice portal.
- Through the company's so-called Data Box (Datová schránka) (you can find more information about what this is on the relevant page of our website).
- Documents can even be submitted by email to the relevant regional Commercial Court responsible for the company.
- There are also options for submitting documents on electronic media, for example on a CD, again to the relevant regional Commercial Court.
Not all owners of Czech companies understand how to do this in practice or which documents they are required to submit. Contact us and, of course, we will be happy to help you with this matter.
How to View a Company's Documents in the Czech Republic and What Can You Learn from Them?
A number of company documents can be found in the Collection of Deeds. In the vast majority of cases, you can find the company's constitutional documents as well as its accounting documents there.
You need to search for the legal entity by name or registration number on the website of the Czech Ministry of Justice, select the relevant legal entity, and click on "Sbírka listin". There you will find the archive containing all publicly available documents of the company.
All documents, however, are provided in Czech. Many legal entities in the Czech Republic are not particularly diligent about adding documents to this collection. Nevertheless, the Collection of Deeds can still provide some useful additional information about a company.
Customers reviews about us
ALL CUSTOMER REVIEWS (summary 49 reviews)(3 February 2023)
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Review: Huge thanks for your help! Everything was handled very efficiently and precisely.
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(6 December 2024)
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Review: Thank you very much to Arkadiy for helping me obtain an important document from the Czech Republic! Excellent, flawless work. He was always available, quickly offering different solutions to any issues that came up. The document was received in the shortest possible time, most of the waiting was just due to Russian postal delivery, but that can't be helped. I don't know what I would have done without your company. Thank you again!!!
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(15 May 2026)
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Review: We're glad we contacted this company. We spoke with Arkadiy. We needed an apostille for our marriage certificate. He was always in touch and explained everything in detail and clearly. The apostille was made in Prague very quickly. They sent it back via courier delivery, which was convenient for us. The prices were reasonable!
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