Extract from the Czech Commercial Register, certified, apostilled

Decoding Czech Company Extracts: How to Read Them

Certified extracts for Czech legal entities are available only in Czech. This is currently the case and naturally makes them more difficult to read and understand in many situations.

The structure of the information in an extract may vary significantly depending on the type of legal entity and its individual characteristics, but the main sections are explained below. If you have difficulty reading the document:

• Use our company verification service directly on our website. The system provides information about Czech legal entities in English, making it easier to read;
• You can contact us using our contact details. We can help clarify any points for you free of charge. We simply ask that you send your questions by text message or email.

Now, let's proceed to the information. Most extracts for Czech companies contain the following sections.

Current Extract or Complete History of Changes

There are two types of extracts from the Czech Commercial Register: a current extract (containing information valid at the present time) and a complete extract (containing the full history of changes). The document header indicates which type it is. If the header simply says "Výpis", it is an extract containing current data only. If it says "Úplný výpis", it is a complete extract containing the history of all changes concerning the legal entity.

Further down in the extract, you can also see which type it is. A complete extract usually includes information that was previously valid but is no longer current (for example, former names or registered office addresses, former directors, and former founders). Such information is marked with the word "vymazáno" (deleted), together with the relevant date, and is usually underlined in the document.

Basic Information About the Legal Entity

This is the first section of the extract and contains general information about the legal entity, specifically:

• "Datum vzniku a zápisu" - date of the legal entity's incorporation and registration in the Commercial Register
• "Spisová značka" - file number and the name of the commercial court maintaining the company's records
• "Obchodní firma" - official legal name
• "Sídlo" - registered office address
• "Identifikační číslo" - identification (registration) number
• "Právní forma" - legal form
• "Předmět podnikání" - types of activities listed in the company's articles of incorporation

Management Bodies (Directors), Administration, and Liquidators

In the vast majority of cases, this section contains information about the legal entity's directors and their details. They are identified as "jednatel". The section lists the current directors and their details (name, date of birth ("dat. nar."), and date of appointment ("Den vzniku funkce")). It also often indicates how the directors may represent the legal entity ("Způsob jednání"), most commonly either jointly or separately.

Other governing bodies of the legal entity may also be listed, although they are much less common. For completeness:

• "Likvidátor" - liquidator, the person responsible for the liquidation of the legal entity, which is a clear sign that the legal entity is in liquidation
• "Prokura" - a governing body with limited powers
• "Představenstvo" - a governing body typically found in Czech joint-stock companies
• "Správní rada" - an administrative governing body of a legal entity
• "Dozorčí rada" - a supervisory body

It is difficult to explain the differences between these bodies briefly; they usually occur in certain specific types of legal entities, for example, joint-stock companies.

Founders and Shareholders of the Legal Entity

The next section usually lists the current owners of the legal entity who hold shares in it. The most common term is "Společník" (which can probably be translated as founder/partner), for whom the following information is provided:

• Name and surname
• "dat. nar." - date of birth
• "Vklad" - amount of authorized capital contributed by the shareholder
• "Splaceno" - amount of authorized capital actually paid up by the shareholder
• "Obchodní podíl" - the shareholder's interest in the legal entity's authorized capital, often expressed as a percentage

Other Additional Information

This section usually contains additional information about the legal entity, such as the total amount of authorized capital ("Základní kapitál"). It may also include individual characteristics of the company and agreements between shareholders. In some cases, it may contain information about decisions of the commercial courts concerning the legal entity.