How do I get a criminal record certificate from the Czech Republic?
In short, this can be done within the country or at some Czech consulates abroad (but not all).
Czech criminal record certificate ("Výpis z rejstříku trestů") can be received directly within the country through:
- Notaries of state
- The Czech Ministry of Justice offices
- CzechPoint branches at post offices or local government offices of state (note: certificates from CzechPoint are not valid for international use)
- Some Czech embassies/consulates (availability varies by location)
However, the Czech Criminal Records Registry ("Rejstřík trestů") is NOT public register. This means that Police Clearance Certificates cannot be obtained by just anyone – only the individual in question can request their own record, or a third party if they have a power of attorney from the person (we assist with this – contact us if you cannot visit the country in person. We will handle everything.)
If you are planning to use the certificate outside the Czech Republic, we strongly recommend having it verified either by a notary or directly at the Ministry of Justice offices. These documents can then be apostilled or superlegalized.
Some Czech consulates also process police clearance certificates, though based on our experience, not all consulates offer this service. Typically, only major consulates in capitals and large cities handle these requests. You may try contacting the nearest Czech consulate to inquire about this option. Note that certificates issued by consulates do not include an apostille – they come with consular certification only that could not be then apostilled.
A criminal record certificate from the Czech Republic can be requested by citizens of any country. However, the individual must be registered in the so-called Czech Population Registry ("Registr obyvatel"). This registry includes all Czech citizens, foreign nationals currently living in the country, and individuals who previously lived in the state under long-term visas or temporary/permanent residence permits. For cases where a person has never lived here, a birth certificate would be required to obtain the police clearance certificate (based on our experience, such unusual situations are extremely rare, please contact us for clarification as needed).
Additional information about obtaining a criminal record certificate
The Czech Republic operates a dedicated Criminal Records Registry ("Rejstřík trestů" ), which tracks convictions of each individual. In case any person (include foreigners) has been convicted by the country’s state authorities, then, of course, this information is entered in the register.
The primary issuer of the criminal record certificates from the Czech Republic is the Criminal Records Registry itself, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. However, applicants have several options for getting the document, including through any notary public in the country. When choosing where to certify your document, the optimal method depends on where you plan to be using it. We generally recommend Ministry of Justice certification for most purposes. Both Ministry-certified and notarized versions can then receive an apostille. We typically advise getting this apostille authentication even when the destination state doesn’t officially require it.
From our experience, a criminal record check from the Czech Republic is often required when applying for a residence permit in other states. This applies to cases where a person has lived in Czech republic for a significant period, and when applying for residency elsewhere, they are asked to prove that they were not convicted in the Czech Republic during their stay. A Certificate of No Criminal Record will solve this issue.
Frequently asked questions about getting a Czech criminal record certificate
Can I get a Czech criminal record certificate without traveling/visit there?
Yes, absolutely. Any third party located in the country can do this, but a power of attorney is still required.
The Czech Criminal Records Registry is confidential, meaning they can only be requested either by the individuals themselves, or through a representative with a power of attorney. While remote processing is possible (without traveling to the country), you will still need to authorize someone locally via power of attorney. This person can then submit the request to the relevant authorities, collect the document, and arrange certification of the document if needed. Based on our experience, a power of attorney can always be notarized, no matter where the applicant is currently located.
Additionally, if you have a personal "Datová schránka"(pronounced “Da-to-va skhran-ka”) in the Czech Republic, you can request the certificate through it. However, in our experience, these documents are often used outside the state, and a certificate obtained via "Datová schránka" will not be valid abroad.
Outside the Czech Republic, criminal record certificates are often issued by Czech consulates, though not all of them provide this service. You can try contacting the nearest one. However, even if the consulate issues the certificate, they cannot apostille it, which is often a requirement.
Customers reviews about us
ALL CUSTOMER REVIEWS (summary 31 reviews)(23 July 2024)
Rating:
Review: Arkadiy was a great help in obtaining documents from the registry office, he stayed in constant contact, worked very quickly, and always advised what would be the best/most effective approach. I definitely recommend working with him.
This review is from RusCzech`s company Yandex Business profile
(26 January 2025)
Rating:
Review: I contacted this company for assistance with legalizing a marriage certificate issued in Prague. Arkadiy promptly clarified what needed to be done for the document to be accepted by the migration authorities in China – we settled on obtaining an apostille. For the apostille process, I sent the original document to Prague, everything arrived without issues, and Arkadiy processed the apostille as quickly as possible before sending it back to me. The migration office accepted the document without any problems (I only needed to add a Chinese translation). I highly recommend this firm, the processing time was minimal, I checked other companies, and their estimated processing times were 2-3 times longer. Thank you so much for your help!
Check this review on RusCzech`s company Yandex Business profile
(30 April 2025)
Rating:
Review: It’s so hard to find honest people and companies these days! But RusCzech s.r.o. truly deserves trust and praise! Arkadiy prepared a Czech criminal record check for me in just 2 days and sent it to Uzbekistan! He’s an honest and responsible person! He was always available and ready to help with advice! Thank you, Arkadiy! I highly recommend everyone to work with Arkadiy specifically. Thanks again Arkadiy!
Check this review on RusCzech`s company Google Business profile