Apostilles in Czechia are issued by three authorities: the Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí (MZV, Ministry of Foreign Affairs) — for most documents (matriční doklady, certificates, diplomas after preliminary certification); the Ministerstvo spravedlnosti (Ministry of Justice) — for court and enforcement (exekutorské) documents; and the Notářská komora ČR (Czech Notarial Chamber) — for notarial deeds. Which office you need in Czechia depends entirely on which authority originally issued the document.
An apostille (apostila) is what makes a Czech document valid abroad — and a foreign document valid in Czechia. There's an important exception, though: Czechia has legal-assistance treaties with several countries, including Russia and Ukraine, and within the EU the apostille requirement has been dropped altogether — in both cases, the stamp isn't formally needed. Below we cover where to get an apostille, what it costs in 2026, and when you can skip it entirely.
Apostille and legalization (superlegalizace) are both forms of "higher certification" (vyšší ověření) of a public document. They confirm the authenticity of the signature and seal on the document — NOT its content. The difference is simple:
Both apostille and superlegalizace apply only to official (public) documents: matrika certificates, official statements, court rulings, diplomas, notarial deeds. Private documents (like an ordinary agreement between individuals) must first be notarized, and only then can the notary's signature be apostilled.
Before you go chasing a stamp, check whether you actually need one — there are two major situations where a document is valid without it.
Since 16 February 2019, Nařízení EU 2016/1191 (EU Regulation 2016/1191) has been in force. Under it, public documents issued in one EU country are accepted in another EU country WITHOUT an apostille. This covers birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates, criminal record certificates, and certificates of residence or of being alive. To avoid paying for a translation, you can request a free multilingual standard form (vícejazyčný standardní formulář) alongside the document, from the authority that issued it.
This is a key point for many people in the expat community. Czechia and Russia are bound by the legal assistance treaty 95/1983 Sb. (originally a ČSSR–USSR agreement that continues to bind Czechia and Russia as the USSR's legal successor), while Czechia and Ukraine are covered by treaty 123/2002 Sb. Under these treaties, official documents from Russia and Ukraine to be used in Czechia (and vice versa) — for civil-law matters covered by the treaty — formally require NEITHER an apostille NOR superlegalizace; a sworn translation into Czech is sufficient.
IMPORTANT in practice: the treaty exemption only applies to civil-law matters explicitly regulated by the treaty itself, and does NOT cover administrative proceedings. That's why banks and the OAMP (Foreign Police) often still require an apostille for residence-related procedures. Before gathering your documents, check the exact requirements with the specific institution you'll be submitting to, and consult a migration lawyer if needed.
There's no single "one-stop" office for apostilling Czech documents — it depends on which authority has jurisdiction over that type of document. Use the table below as a guide.
| Document Type | Where to Apply | Address / Department |
|---|---|---|
| Matriční doklady (rodný, oddací, úmrtní list — birth, marriage, death certificates), certificates from state administration bodies | Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí (MZV) | Konzulární odbor — oddělení legalizace, Hradčanské nám. 5, Prague 1 (Toskánský palác) |
| Výpis z rejstříku trestů (criminal record certificate) | Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí (MZV) | Same legalization department |
| Soudní listiny (judgments, rulings), exekutorské listiny (enforcement documents) | Ministerstvo spravedlnosti | Mezinárodní odbor civilní (International Civil Department) |
| Notářské listiny (notarial deeds) | Notářská komora ČR | Apostilles for notarial documents — since 1 October 2021 |
| Doklady o vzdělání (school certificates, diplomas) | First MŠMT (Ministry of Education) or your school/university, then MZV | Two-step procedure (see below) |
The Notářská komora ČR has been apostilling notarial documents since 1 October 2021, and you don't need to go to Prague specifically — applications can be submitted at any of seven regional offices: Prague, Brno, Plzeň, Ústí nad Labem, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové, and Ostrava.
You can't take a diploma or school certificate straight to MZV for an apostille. It must first be certified by an authority matching the type of school: certificates and diplomas from primary, secondary, and higher vocational schools (vysvědčení, výuční list, maturitní vysvědčení) are certified by the kancelář státního tajemníka at MŠMT (Karmelitská 529/5, Prague 1), with a 200 CZK fee per document; diplomas from public universities are certified by the university itself. Only after this can the certified document be submitted to MZV for the apostille. If you're going the other way — legalizing a foreign diploma for use in Czechia — you'll most likely need diploma recognition (nostrifikace) instead.
If your document is headed to a country that isn't part of the Hague Convention and with which Czechia has no legal assistance treaty, an apostille won't work — you'll need superlegalizace. For a Czech document, the process is: certification by the competent Czech authority (MZV or Ministerstvo spravedlnosti), then certification at the destination country's embassy in Czechia. For a foreign document destined for Czechia, it works in reverse — the final link in the chain is the Czech embassy (velvyslanectví ČR) in the country that issued the document.
The logic is reversed here: certification happens in the country that issued the document, and Czechia recognizes it. In short:
In almost all cases, you'll also need a sworn translation of the document into Czech, done by a soudní překladatel (court-certified translator). Our list of translators can help you find one. The apostille is usually applied BEFORE the translation, so the translator can translate the stamp itself as well.
Správní poplatky (administrative fees) in Czechia change periodically, so always check current amounts on the MZV and Ministerstvo spravedlnosti websites. As of 2026, here are the reference figures:
| Service | Správní poplatek (Fee) | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille on a Czech document (česká listina) | 600 CZK per certification clause | In person — usually same day; by post — up to 30 days |
| Apostille/certification of a foreign document (cizozemská listina) at MZV | 1,200 CZK per certification | Usually same day as submission |
| Superlegalizace (Czech portion, per ověření) | 200 CZK (plus embassy consular fees) | Depends on the embassy |
| Preliminary certification of a diploma/certificate at MŠMT | 200 CZK per document | Documents issued after 2005 — often same day |
In-person payment is typically by card at a terminal; by post, payment is made via bank transfer to the authority's account. If you have multiple documents, the fee is charged per certification clause, separately for each one.
Under the legal assistance treaty (95/1983 Sb., which applies to Russia as the USSR's legal successor), formally no — for civil-law matters, a sworn translation is sufficient. However, banks and the OAMP often ask for an apostille for residence-related procedures (which are administrative proceedings not covered by the treaty). Check requirements with the specific institution in advance.
Similarly: under treaty 123/2002 Sb., an apostille is formally not required for civil-law matters — just a sworn translation into Czech. But for administrative procedures (for example, at the OAMP), the institution may still request an apostille, so verify the requirements in advance.
At the Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí, legalization department (Hradčanské nám. 5, Prague 1). For how to obtain the certificate itself, see our guide to the criminal record certificate.
Not at MZV — at the Notářská komora ČR. Since 1 October 2021, apostilles on notarial documents have been issued by the Notarial Chamber itself, available at seven regional offices across Czechia.
As of 2026: 600 CZK for an apostille on a Czech document, and 1,200 CZK for certifying a foreign document at MZV; the Czech portion of superlegalizace costs 200 CZK per ověření. Always check current figures on the MZV website, since správní poplatky change from time to time.
No. Under Nařízení EU 2016/1191, a marriage certificate from an EU country is accepted in Czechia without an apostille. Ask for the multilingual standard form to save on translation costs. For more on the formalities, see our guide to getting married in Czechia.
The apostille itself never expires. But the document it's attached to (such as an extract from a register or a certificate) may have a limited validity period — often 3–6 months, depending on the receiving institution's requirements. Go by the document's issue date, not the apostille's.
There's no single "one-click apostille" online service in Czechia — documents must be submitted in person or by post to the relevant authority. Check current procedures and office hours on the MZV or Ministerstvo spravedlnosti websites. For complex cases (such as family reunification), it's easier to consult a migration lawyer in advance.
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