A criminal record certificate in Czechia is the výpis z rejstříku trestů, and you can get one in a few minutes at any Czech POINT location — a Česká pošta branch or your city úřad — for 100 Kč. Online, through Portál občana with Identita občana login, the same document is issued free of charge as a PDF with an electronic seal. Below you'll find all the ways to obtain it, the 2026 fees, apostille requirements for use abroad, and a separate section on the certificate from your home country required for a residence permit (ВНЖ) or permanent residence (ПМЖ).
Rejstřík trestů is the state criminal records register, run under the Ministerstvo spravedlnosti (Ministry of Justice). The výpis confirms that you have no outstanding (unspent) convictions in Czechia: spent convictions (zahlazená odsouzení) don't appear on a standard výpis.
Typical situations where the certificate is requested:
Key principle: Czech government bodies (the živnostenský úřad, MVČR, courts) are required to request the Czech výpis themselves — you don't need to bring it to them. You need the certificate personally only when a private employer, a foreign institution, or an embassy asks for it.
Czech POINT is a network of thousands of government service contact points: Česká pošta branches, city and regional úřady, notaries, the Hospodářská komora, and Czech consulates abroad. The process is simple:
A note for foreigners: if you don't have a rodné číslo (Czech personal ID number) and the system can't find your record automatically, the request goes to the Rejstřík trestů for manual processing — the document won't be issued right away, so ask on the spot how long it will take. If the certificate is headed to another EU country, ask right away for the vícejazyčný formulář — the multilingual standard form under EU Regulation 2016/1191, which replaces a translation; it costs an extra 100 Kč.
The electronic option is the cheapest — there's no fee at all.
We've covered how to set up Identita občana in 10 minutes through your bank step by step in our guide to Identita občana and BankID.
Important: the electronic výpis is legally valid only in its electronic form — a regular printout is not a valid document. If you need an equivalent paper version, order an autorizovaná konverze (authorized conversion) at any Czech POINT — 30 Kč per page.
You can also apply directly at the Rejstřík trestů office at Soudní 988/1, Praha 4 — near the Pražského povstání metro station (line C). The fee is the same 100 Kč, and the výpis is issued with an officer's signature and an official seal. This is the version you need if the certificate will require an apostille for use abroad. If you're outside Czechia, you can order the výpis at a Czech consulate — the fee is 200 Kč in local currency equivalent, and the timeframe depends on the specific consulate.
| Method | Cost | Timeframe | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech POINT (post office, úřad) | 100 Kč | usually on the spot, a few minutes | paper |
| Portál občana (Identita občana) | free | a few minutes | PDF with electronic seal |
| Datová schránka | free | delivered to your data box | PDF with electronic seal |
| Rejstřík trestů office, Praha 4 | 100 Kč | on the spot | paper, suitable for apostille |
| Czech consulate abroad | 200 Kč | depends on the consulate | paper |
Výpisy issued at Czech POINT are intended for use within Czechia and the EU (with the multilingual form attached). If an institution in a third country requires the certificate, follow these steps:
After apostilling, you'll almost always need an official translation of the certificate into the language of the destination country — for how certified translations work, see our article on sworn document translation.
When applying for a long-term visa, residence permit (ВНЖ), or permanent residence (ПМЖ), the MVČR requires a doklad obdobný výpisu z rejstříku trestů — an equivalent criminal record certificate issued by your country of citizenship (for applicants over 15). Consulates also ask for certificates from countries where you've lived a total of more than 6 months over the past 3 years. Requirements for the document:
If you're preparing for permanent residence, it's worth checking our guides on the A2 Czech language exam and insurance for renewing your residence permit. In complex cases — refusals, old records, or unusual citizenship situations — it's worth consulting immigration lawyers.
100 Kč at Czech POINT or at the Rejstřík trestů office, 200 Kč at a Czech consulate abroad, and free online (via Portál občana or datová schránka). Additional fees where applicable: 100 Kč for the multilingual form for EU countries, 30 Kč per page for authorized conversion, and 600 Kč for an apostille.
The law doesn't set a validity period — it's up to whoever requests the certificate. Employers most often want a document no older than 3 months, while the MVČR accepts documents no older than 180 days. Always check the requirement with whoever is receiving the document.
Yes, if you have a datová schránka — the application is submitted from your data box and the výpis arrives there too, free of charge. If you have neither, your only option is Czech POINT in person, or through a representative with an officially notarized power of attorney (plná moc s úředně ověřeným podpisem).
Usually not: ask for the vícejazyčný formulář at Czech POINT for an extra 100 Kč — this standard multilingual form under EU Regulation 2016/1191 replaces a translation in EU countries. For non-EU countries you'll need both an apostille and a translation.
The výpis shows only unspent convictions and is issued to the person themselves upon request. The opis is the complete record history, including spent convictions; it's only released to authorized bodies (courts, police, prosecutors) for official purposes — you cannot order an opis "on yourself" for an employer.
Once the legally set period has passed, you can file a court application to have the conviction expunged (zahlazení odsouzení) — after the court's decision, the record no longer appears on the standard výpis. Timeframes depend on the type of sentence, so it's best to assess your situation with an attorney — contact our lawyers.
Yes. At Czech POINT, present your passport or residence card; if the system can't find you automatically, the Rejstřík trestů will process the request manually and issue the document later — ask about the exact timeframe when you apply.
Bottom line: for Czech purposes, the fastest and cheapest option is to download the výpis for free via Portál občana; for use abroad, get it from the Rejstřík trestů office at Soudní 988/1 and have it apostilled at the MZV for 600 Kč; and for the certificate from your home country needed for a residence permit or permanent residence, apostille it in advance and arrange a sworn translation.
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