General 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 Czech citizents and foreigner) has been convicted by the country’s state authorities, then, of course, this information is entered in the register. However, the Czech Criminal Records Registry 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.)
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 or through any office of notary . 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.
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).
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.
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)
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.
Frequently asked questions about getting a Czech criminal record certificate
Can I get a Czech criminal record certificate (PCC) 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 36 reviews)(27 October 2022)
Rating:
Review: We were thoroughly impressed by the professional and efficient resolution of our issue. As a family (Russian citizens) temporarily in Turkey, we needed to apostille our Czech marriage certificate issued 10 years ago. After sending our documents to the Czech Republic through Rus Czech, all required stamps were completed in just one day and returned to us. Arkadiy was always in touch, providing exceptionally thorough and detailed answers to all our questions. We haven't encountered such flawless service in years! We highly recommend this company thanks a lot to them!
Check this review on RusCzech`s company Google Business profile
(16 November 2022)
Rating:
Review: We asked for help getting an apostille on our marriage certificate in Prague. Arkadiy responded immediately, explained the whole process clearly, helped us make an action plan, and after receiving our power of attorney, completed all the documents in just one day. Many thanks and yes, I definitely recommend!
Check this review on RusCzech`s company Yandex Business profile
(22 August 2024)
Rating:
Review: A huge thank you to Arkadiy for his quick resolution of our issue! You could really feel his commitment to providing quality service, and helping with all questions. I highly recommend!!!
Check this review on RusCzech`s company Yandex Business profile