Legalization of official documents from the Czech Republic

What is legalization, how does it work and why is it needed?

In simple terms, document legalization is an additional certification process that makes documents valid for use in another country. We are talking about extra verification on top of what already has. For example, a document issued and certified by a Czech government authority needs this additional certification to be recognized outside the country. This process makes them "legal" (legally valid) in the country where it will be used.

The legalization procedures between Czech republic and other countries are different, with each country having its own specific requirements. However, there are always one of three possible scenarios:

1. No additional vrification required
2. The apostille procedure
3. Consular legalization (superlegalization)

You can check which of these options applies to your case using the verification form available on this page above. Specify the country where you will be using the documents, and you will receive detailed instructions on what is required for your particular case.

Verification form for document recognition procedures from/to Czechia

Below we will explain each of these three options in detail.

No additional legalization required

In fact, many countries recognize documents from the Czech Republic without requiring any additional certification, meaning no legalization is needed at all. Only needs to have the official certification from the state authority that issued it. This typically occurs when the Czech Republic and the other country have signed an agreement on mutual document recognition without additional certification. Surprisingly, Czechia has such agreements with many countries.

The apostille procedure

The second, also common option is legalizing documents through the apostille procedure. Simply put, this is an additional certification stamp that validates them for use abroad (you can see an example of this stamp here). Countries participating in the 1961 Hague Convention agreed to mutually recognize documents having this type of authentication. As of 2025, 126 nations have joined this agreement, making this method widely accepted.

Read more about the apostille process on this page:

What is an apostille, complete guide to apostille

Consular legalization

This is a less common and more complex method of certification for use outside the Czech Republic. This process requires more than just certification by a government office – the document must first be authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country ("releasing" the papers), and then legalized by the consulate of the destination country (therefore the term "consular legalization"). In other words, both the issuing and receiving countries validate the document.

This method is relatively uncommon, applicable between Czech republic and only a few dozen other countries. In most cases, other options are used instead.

Read more about the consular legalization on this page:

Consular legalization services for Czech documents