Apostille, superlegalization and verification of foreign documents in the Czech Republic
When filing a public foreign document with a Czech authority or a Czech court or when using Czech documents in your country, you will in most cases need to translate it officially to and/or from Czech language and obtain Apostille or superlegalization. You will also have it apostilled or superlegalized (depending on the country of origin of such foreign documents) in order to be accepted by the given authority.
Our Czech law firm specializes in apostille and legalization service of public documents issued by the authorities of the Czech Republic. We can arrange of your document like the birth, marriage certificate, university diploma and other official documents to be recognized in countries all over the world.
1. What is an Apostille and when I need it?
Apostille is a type of higher recognition of a document required for international acceptance of public foreign documents. An Apostille is needed when using a document in other country, e.g. diplomas, birth certificates, deeds, extracts from registers, powers of attorney, marriage certificates, birth certificates, extracts from the Commercial Register, extracts from the Penal Register, sentences, certificates etc. Thus if a foreign documents are submitted for official purposes, and it was issued by a state that has acceded to “The Hague Convention Abolishing The Requirements Of Legalization For Foreign Public Documents” from 1961 (the “Apostille Convention”). Objective of Apostille Convention was to reduce the requirements of diplomatic or consular legalization; this document must then have an Apostille affixed to it and be officially translated into Czech language.
2. Where can I get an Apostille in the Czech Republic?
Each country designated its competent authorities which issue an Apostille. The list of the authorities can be found at the web page of the Apostille Convention including the list of countries which are party of the Apostille convention: http://www.hcch.net. It can be a ministry, a court or other state authority. The Apostille on Czech documents can be obtained at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs or at the Czech Ministry of Justice depending of the particular document.
3. When I need to super legalize a foreign documents?
Documents from countries which are not party to the Apostille convention have to be super legalized, i.e. they need diplomatic or consular legalization so that they can be used abroad (e.g. in the Czech Republic documents from Canada, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc.). In addition you might need Czech documents to be superlegalized for the use in foreign countries which are not party to the Apostille convention.
4. Where can I do superlegalization in the Czech Republic?
The superlegalization is a higher verification of a document legalized and authentified in the country of origin, e.g. in case a notary legalizes a signature on a Power of Attorney, a state organ first authentifies the stamp of a notary, and the competent Embassy in the Czech Republic then super legalizes such state authentication. Therefore, first step is notarization (by a notary public), second is the authentication (by the state organ/agency that holds records of registered notaries public) and third is superlegalization. The superlegalization is done at the Embassy in the Czech Republic, which by means of a stamp, verifies that the foreign document was issued by a relevant authorized organ.
5. Apostille and superlegalization services both for individuals and corporate clients in connection with relocation
We offer exclusive and long-term cooperation both to individuals and to companies and corporate clients. Does your company plan to expand in other countries or relocate its employees? Our Czech law firm will help you with part of the bureaucratic burden.
Type of documents issued by Czech authorities, which is usually subject to Apostille or superlegalization:
Notarial acts
- verification of signature by notary
- certified copy
- extract from Czech Commercial Register, Czech Trade License Register, Czech Cadastre Register
- police clearance certificate/extract from Czech criminal record
Certificate of origin, export
Tax documents
- Certificate of Czech tax domicile
- Confirmation of Czech tax registration
- Confirmation of indebtedness in Czech Republic
School and Educational documents
- University diploma/degree
- High school diploma
- Confirmation of study at public university
Registry documents
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- death certificate
- certificate of citizenship
- confirmations of personal status
- certificate of Czech Nationality and Naturalisation Certificate
Certified translations
Usually we ensure for superlegalization, legalization or certification by Apostille within 5 days. No power of attorney is needed for this purpose.
The price of superlegalization or obtaining Apostille including administrative charges and delivery approx. € 55.
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List of States with which the Czech Republic has concluded legal aid agreements, according to which superlegalization (Apostille) of documents issued by the relevant authorities in these countries is not required in the Czech Republic:
Certain bilateral international treaties on legal aid provide for exemption from the obligation to obtain a more authentic attestation issued by the authorities of the other Contracting Party. All public documents or only certain types of public documents may be exempted. List of states with which the Czech Republic has concluded a bilateral agreement on legal aid, which specifies public documents that are exempt from higher verification:
Afghanistan – Czech Act No. 44/1983 Coll.
Albania - Czech Act No. 97/1960 Coll.
Algeria - Czech Act No. 17/1984 Coll.
Belgium - Czech Act No. 59/1986 Coll. *
Belarus - Czech Act No. 95/1983 Coll.
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
Bulgaria - No. 3/1978 Coll.
Montenegro - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
France - Czech Act No. 83/1985 Coll.
Georgia - Czech Act No. 95/1983 Coll., Apostille is required
Croatia - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
Italy - Czech Act No. 508/1990 Coll., Apostille is required
Yemen - Czech Act No. 76/1990 Coll. *
Korea (North Korea) - Czech Act No. 93/1989 Coll.
Cuba - Czech Act No. 80/1981 Coll.
Cyprus - Czech Act No. 96/1983 Coll.
Kyrgyzstan - Czech Act No. 95/1983 Coll.
Hungary - Czech Act No. 63/1990 Coll.
Macedonia (FYROM) - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
Moldova - Czech Act No. 95/1983 Coll.
Mongolia - Czech Act No. 106/1978 Coll.
Poland - Czech Act No. 42/1989 Coll.
Portugal - Czech Act No. 22/1931 Coll.
Austria - Czech Act No. 9/1963 Coll.
Romania - Czech Act No. 1/1996 Coll.
Russian Federation - Czech Act No. 95/1983 Coll.
Greece - Czech Act No. 102/1983 Coll. *
Slovakia - Czech Act No. 209/1993 Coll.
Slovenia - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
Serbia - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
Syria - Czech Act No. 8/1986 Coll.
Spain - Czech Act No. 6/1989 Coll.
Switzerland - Czech Act No. 9/1928 Coll.
Tunisia - Czech Act No. 40/1981 Coll.**
Ukraine - Czech Act No. 123/2002 Coll.
Uzbekistan - Czech Act No. 133/2003 Coll.
Vietnam - Czech Act No. 98/1984 Coll.
* - exemption of documents from superlegalisation is valid only in accordance with the respective bilateral agreements for documents related to the request of the court;
** - the exemption of documents from superlegalisation is valid only in accordance with the relevant bilateral agreement for documents sent under international judicial cooperation.
List of Countries in which only Apostille of Czech documents is sufficient:
Albania • Andorra • Antigua and Barbuda • Argentina • Armenia • Australia • Azerbaijan • Bahamas • Barbados • Belgium • Belize • Belarus • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil - Apostille verification from August 14, 2016 • Brunei Darussalam • Bulgaria • Cook Islands • Montenegro • China - Only Hong Kong and Macau • Denmark • Dominica • Dominican Republic - Apostille verification from August 30, 2009 • Ecuador • Estonia • Fiji • Finland • France o + Fr. Polynesie, Affars and Issas, Guadelupe, Fr. Guyana, Comoros, Martinique, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna • Grenada - since April 7, 2002 (previously headed by Great Britain) • Georgia • Honduras • Croatia • India • Ireland • Iceland • Italy • Israel • Japan • South Africa • Cape Verde • Kazakhstan • Colombia • Republic of Korea • Costa Rica • Cyprus • Kyrgyzstan • Lesotho • Liberia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Latvia • Luxembourg • Macedonia • Malawi • Malta • Marshall Islands • Mauritius • Mexico • Moldova • Monaco • Mongolia - Apostille Validation as of December 31, 2009 • Namibia • Germany • Niue • Netherlands + Netherlands Antilles, Aruba • Norway • New Zealand • Oman • Panama • Peru • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Austria • Romania • Russia • Greece • Salvador • Samoa • San Marino • Seychelles • Sweden • Slovenia • United States o + American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands of the United States • Serbia • Suriname • Saint Lucia • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Tome and Principe - from. July 15, 2008 • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Swaziland • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Tonga • Trinidad and Tobago • Turkey • Ukraine • Uzbekistan (effective April 15, 2012) • United Kingdom on (+ Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey) , Isle of Man, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Virgin Islands, British Solomon Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Saint Helena, South George and South Sandwich Islands ( South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands) • Vanuatu • Venezuela.
For more information you can contact us also at:
ECOVIS ježek, advokátní kancelář s.r.o.
Betlémské nám. 6
110 00 Prague 1
e-mail: office@ecovislegal.cz
www.ecovislegal.cz/en
About ECOVIS ježek advokátní kancelář s.r.o.
The Czech law office in Prague ECOVIS ježek practices mainly in the area of Czech commercial law, real estate law, dispute management, as well as finance and banking law, and provides full-fledged advice in all areas, making it a suitable alternative for clients of international law offices. The international dimension of the Czech legal services provided is ensured through past experience and through co-operation with leading legal offices in most European countries, the US, and other jurisdictions. The Czech lawyers of the ECOVIS ježek team have many years of experience from leading international law offices and tax companies, in providing legal advice to multinational corporations, large Czech companies, but also to medium-sized companies and individual clients. For more information, go to www.ecovislegal.cz/en.
