Czech Criminal Record Certificate: Obtaining, Apostille and Legal Use

How and Where to Obtain a Czech Criminal Record Certificate

In brief, you can obtain a Czech criminal record certificate in the Czech Republic or at certain Czech consulates abroad (but not all of them). You may apply in person, authorize another person under a power of attorney to obtain the certificate for you, or apply through a "Datová schránka" if you have one.

The Best Place to Obtain a Czech Criminal Record Certificate

We have handled numerous requests for Czech criminal record certificates from our clients. Based on our experience, the best place to obtain your certificate depends on the country in which it will be used and the purpose for which it is required.

You need to determine:

• Is it for use abroad (outside the Czech Republic)?
• Is it for use within the Czech Republic?

The following sections explain the steps and certification methods for each option.

Certification for Use Abroad (Outside the Czech Republic)

For official recognition outside the Czech Republic, the criminal record certificate must be issued either by the Czech Ministry of Justice or by a Czech notary. These options ensure the document's international validity and allow an apostille to be placed on it if required by the destination country.

The Czech Ministry of Justice is the best option. This is because the Criminal Register is managed directly by the Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic. The most reliable option is to have the document issued directly at its office by its staff and bearing its official seal. Please note that it has only one dedicated office for this purpose, located at Legerova 7, Praha 2, Nové Město (open on weekdays; check the specific opening hours). We find this office efficient and helpful, with staff who aim to resolve matters quickly while following all required procedures.

There is another important point: to obtain a police clearance certificate issued directly by the Ministry of Justice, you must be registered in the Czech Population Register ("Registr obyvatel"). This register includes Czech citizens and foreigners with long-term visas and residence permits in the country. If you are not registered, you will need to provide your birth certificate at the Ministry of Justice office to obtain the criminal record certificate. This step can be complicated, as the birth certificate often requires an apostille and a sworn translation into Czech.

Any notary in the Czech Republic is also a good option for obtaining a certificate. Every notary has access to the Criminal Register and can issue the certificate for you. The document will be certified by the notary accordingly. This notarial certification makes the document legally valid abroad. We will not list specific addresses here; simply search for the notary nearest to your location. You can find numerous notaries in every city across the country.

It is important to note that although the registry is managed by the Ministry of Justice, the extract itself is certified by a notary. We have encountered only one case in which its practical use raised questions ("why is the certificate from the Ministry of Justice but verified by a notary?"). However, this was a rare exception, and the question was likely the result of the subjective judgment of the individual reviewing the document. Formally, the document should have been accepted without any additional questions.

A key advantage of the notarial procedure is that no verification against the Czech Population Register ("Registr obyvatel") is required, unlike at the Ministry of Justice. As a result, a notarized police clearance certificate can be obtained for any individual, even someone who has never lived in the country. If you encounter difficulties obtaining the document from the Ministry of Justice office, we recommend contacting a notary.

In many cases, recognition of a Czech criminal record certificate outside the country may require an apostille. Whether an apostille is required must be checked separately for the Czech Republic and the specific destination country. You can verify whether an apostille is needed in your case using the convenient form on our website, which provides a detailed explanation for each country.

If an apostille is required, the appropriate authority depends on where you obtained the document. The apostille can be issued either by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by an office of the Czech Notarial Chamber.

Where to Obtain an Apostille for a Czech Criminal Record Certificate and Addresses of the Relevant Authorities

The Certificate Is for Use in the Czech Republic

This is a relatively uncommon situation, as most Czech state authorities have direct access to the country's Criminal Register and can check an individual's information directly. However, if a physical certificate is required for internal use, the following options are available:

• At any Czech post office ("Česká Pošta"). This refers to Czech POINT contact points available at every post office in the country. The staff can process the request, although they may not always be familiar with the system, and processing can take some time.
• At any municipal or district administration office (Městský úřad, Městská část). These offices can also issue a police clearance certificate for use within the country.

Please note that documents obtained from a post office or municipal office are for internal use within the Czech Republic only (as provided by law). It is NOT possible to obtain an apostille for a certificate issued by a Czech post office or municipal office.