Apostille, superlegalization and verification of the documents in the Czech Republic
When submitting a foreign public document to Czech authorities or courts, or vice versa, when using Czech public documents abroad, you will in most cases need an apostille or superlegalization and an official sworn translation into or from the Czech language. This higher certification, i.e. apostille or superlegalization, serves to prove that the document is issued or certified by the competent authority of the country in question. The authenticity of the official stamp and the signature on the document are thus verified.
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 verification 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, extracts from the Commercial Register, extracts from the Penal Register, sentences, certificates etc. Thus if a public 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”) , apostille is sufficient in this case. The Apostille Convention was intended to reduce the requirements of diplomatic or consular authentication.
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. It can be a ministry, a court or other state authority.
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. for use abroad, these documents require diplomatic or consular verification, such as the submission of Czech documents in Iran, Libya or the United Arab Emirates.
4. Where can I do superlegalization in the Czech Republic?
Superlegalization is a higher verification of a document certified in the country of origin, e.g. if a Czech notary certifies a signature on a power of attorney, a state authority, usually a ministry, first verifies the notary's stamp and the embassy in the Czech Republic subsequently superlegalizes such state authentication. Therefore, the first step is the notarization, the second step is the authentication (by the state organ/agency that holds records of registered notaries public) and third step is the superlegalization itself. Superlegalization is done at the competent embassy in the Czech Republic, i.e. the embassy of the state in which the document will be presented. This embassy superlegalizes the document, which means that it stamps it with a stamp that verifies that the document was issued by the competent Czech authority.
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 are 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 and its supplements
- 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. € 60 excluding VAT, but the price depends on the type of public document and the type of verification.
Contact form
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. 59/1986 Coll..
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
Bulgaria - No. 207/1964 Coll.
Montenegro - Czech Act No. 207/1964 Coll.
Kosovo - 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. Apostille is required
Italy - Czech Act No. 508/1990 Coll., Apostille is required
Yemen - Czech Act No. 76/1990 Coll., suspension of the contract from 11.4.2019
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 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. 6/1989 Coll.
Tunisia - Czech Act No. 40/1981 Coll.
Ukraine - Czech Act No. č. 123/2002 Coll.
Uzbekistan - Czech Act No. 133/2003 Coll.
Vietnam - Czech Act No. 98/1984 Coll.
* - exemption of documents from superlegalization 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:
Afghanistan • Albania • Andorra • Angola • Antigua and Barbuda • Argentina • Armenia • Australia • Azerbaijan • Bahamas • Bahrain • Barbados • Belarus • Belgium • Belize • Bolivia • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Brunei • Bulgaria • Burundi • Montenegro • China • Cook Islands • Costa Rica • Croatia • Czech Republic • Denmark • Dominica • Dominican Republic Republic • Ecuador • El Salvador • Estonia • Fiji • Philippines • Finland • France • Georgia • Guatemala • Guyana • Honduras • India • Indonesia • Ireland • Iceland • Italy • Israel • Jamaica • Japan • South Africa • South Korea • Canada • Cape Verde • Kazakhstan • Colombia • Kosovo • Cuba • Kyrgyzstan • Cyprus • Lesotho • Liberia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Latvia • Austria • Luxembourg • Malawi • Malta • Marshall Islands • Mauritius • Mexico • Moldova • Monaco • Mongolia • Namibia • Germany • Netherlands • Nicaragua • Niue • Norway • New Zealand • Oman • Pakistan • Palau • Panama • Paraguay • Peru • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • Rwanda • El Salvador • Samoa • San Marino • Saudi Arabia • Northern Macedonia • Seychelles • Singapore • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Sao Tome and Principe • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Senegal • Slovakia • Slovenia • United Arab Emirates • United Kingdom • United States of America • Serbia • Swaziland • Suriname • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Tajikistan • Thailand • Tonga • Trinidad and Tobago • Tunisia • Turkey • Ukraine • Uruguay Uzbekistan • 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.
