Making changes to existing Czech companies

Supporting documentation for specific changes

Every modification you plan to make must be supported by documents. Since different changes require different documents, we will detail the necessary documents for the most frequent scenarios below.

Changing company founders or owners and share redistribution

A change of founders is processed based on a share transfer agreement ("smlouva o převodu obchodního podílu"). This agreement serves as the legal basis for one founder to sell their company share to another party, forming the foundation for the founder change. It requires certified signatures from all parties involved, plus a confirming signature from the company director acknowledging the company’s receipt of the agreement.

The document, or its certified copy, is then submitted with the relevant Trade Court together with the data amendment application signed by the director, thereby enabling the update in the Trade Register. Please note that in some cases, founders’ resolution approving the share transfer might be necessary, depending on the specific provisions of the company’s charter.

The situation becomes more complex when the transfer involves a redistribution of shares. For example, a company with two founders (each holding a 50% share) is transitioning to three founders (each holding a one-third share). In this case, in addition to standard procedures, a formal division of shares must be conducted, which is processed through a notarial deed. This is a relatively complicated procedure that significantly increases the cost of changing the company's founders.

Changing director(s) of a Czech company

The decision to change directors is made by the company's founders. It is necessary to examine the articles in the company's charter regarding founders’ meetings and the requirements for a valid resolution. The outcome of the founders’ meeting is a founders' meeting protocol ("Rozhodnutí valné") or a single founder's decision ("Rozhodnutí jediného společníka") if there is only one founder. Czech law does not require any certification of the founders’ meeting protocol, which means signatures do not need to be notarized. Therefore, in most cases, such meetings may be conducted outside the country.

When appointing a director who is not a resident of the Czech Republic or, more specifically, a non-EU national, a criminal record certificate from their country of citizenship must be submitted. For certain countries, this document requires apostille certification.

If the total number of directors remains unchanged, the application to the Trade Register is submitted directly and signed by either the outgoing or incoming director. However, should the number of directors increase (for instance, from two to three), amendments to the company's charter become necessary and will require a notarial deed.

Changing the legal address of a Czech company

To change a company's legal address, a permit for the new legal address ("souhlas s umístěním sídla") is required. This permit can be issued by the owner of any real estate located in the Czech Republic. The permit must be notarized, and it must be clear from the Czech Real Estate Cadastre that the person issuing the address permit is indeed the owner of the property.

The permit is often issued by someone acting under a power of attorney from the property owner; in this case, a notarized copy of this power of attorney is required. In rare cases, the consent of the general meeting of founders may be required for the change of the legal address (this depends on the articles of the company's charter and is actually very rare in practice).

If the municipality of the address does not change (for example, the address was in Prague and remains in Prague), the application to change the legal address is submitted directly to the Trade Register and signed by the company director. If the municipality changes (for example, the legal address was in Karlovy Vary and will be in Prague), an amendment to the charter and the preparation of a notarial deed are required. The notary prepares the deed and directly records the changes in the Trade Register.

Further details and nuances on changing a legal address in the Czech Republic (preparing link for you, coming soon) are available on a separate page of our website.

Updating personal details of founders and directors

This refers not to changing the founders or directors themselves, but to updating certain personal information about them that is recorded in the Trade Register. Examples include a change of residential address or surname.

The requirements are highly case-specific and depend on what information is being changed and which document can serve as proof. However, in our experience, the Trade Register is generally flexible in such updates.

For example, a change of surname due to marriage would require a certificate of name change. A change of residential address would require a proof of the new address or a certified copy of a personal document (such as a passport) showing the address. If you are unsure what is required in your specific situation, please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to advise.

Changing a legal entity’s name

The process is straightforward: changing the name of a Czech legal entity requires a notarial deed to amend the company’s charter (which is done via this notarial deed). The new name must be available, meaning there should not be another legal entity already registered in the country with the identical name.

You can check the availability of a company name on our website using our verification system for Czech legal entities. Enter the proposed name there; if the system finds no matches, the name is available. However, please note that there are currently around half a million legal entities registered in the Czech Republic. We recommend creating a more complex name consisting of 2-3 words.

Increasing or decreasing the legal entity’s registered capital

This is the most complex modification. Both capital increases and decreases involve significant difficulties. Additionally, all registered capital changes require a notarial deed, which immediately increases the cost.

When increasing the registered capital of a Czech legal entity, a document is required to confirm that the capital has been contributed to the company. For increases up to 20,000 CZK, a founder’s declaration will be enough, which is simple to prepare.

However, for larger amounts, the following requirements apply:

• Obtain a document confirming the capital contribution. This confirmation can be issued by a Czech bank, which requires opening an account. Opening a bank account in the Czech Republic often presents difficulties, especially if the company has non-resident stakeholders (read more about the challenges of opening a bank account in the Czech Republic for companies with non-resident owners).
• Transfer the funds to the account (this is the owner’s responsibility, which can be difficult with large amounts).

Reducing the registered capital also involves challenges. The company must demonstrate that it has no outstanding liabilities and that no third parties have claims against it. This process includes the publication of a notice on the official platform called Obchodní Věstník. This notice formally notifies third parties to submit their financial claims against the company. If no such claims are present, the registered capital may be reduced. The challenge lies in the fact that this notice must be published for nearly four months (as per law), and the process costs approximately 150-200 EUR.

Changing company licenses and business activities

The situation here is individual; we need to check which licenses you are changing and what your company’s charter says about this.

All licenses in the Czech Republic are divided into two types: simple (unrestricted) and qualified (restricted), and the procedure for changing them depends on this classification.

Simple (unrestricted) licenses are typically recorded in the company's charter as "simple" licenses. These include all licenses listed in the Czech official register of unrestricted licenses. However, as of 2025, specific licenses are recorded directly in the Trade Register. We are preparing more detailed information on this, but the essence is that in addition to the general wording "simple (unrestricted) licenses" in the charter, the specific business activities must also be recorded in the Czech register of legal entities. Unrestricted business activities can be registered in the Trade Register simply by submitting an application; no additional requirements are needed.

Qualified (restricted) licenses must be recorded in the company's charter through a notarial deed, specifying the exact license and business activity (NOT using general wording). These licenses must then be registered in the Trade Register.

Do not forget that after registration in the charter and the Trade Register, they must also be formally recorded with the relevant trade licensing authority ("Živnostenský úřad").