Who needs a police clearance?
For a trade license, the trade office checks that you have a clean criminal record (bezúhonnost). Czech citizens and most people with a Czech residence permit are checked through the Czech register. Everyone else brings a police clearance from abroad. For your own list, use the checker on required documents.
| Your situation | Police clearance |
|---|---|
| Czech citizen with trvalý pobyt | Not required |
| Any nationality with permanent residence (trvalý pobyt) | Not required |
| EU citizen with a Czech temporary residence permit | Not required |
| Non-EU spouse or registered partner of an EU citizen, with a temporary residence permit based on that relationship | Not required |
| UK citizen with a temporary residence permit under art. 50 (Withdrawal Agreement) | Not required |
| EU citizen without a residence permit, more than 3 months in CZ, with proof (rental contract or property) | Not required, the proof of stay replaces it |
| Ukrainian with temporary protection (dočasná ochrana) | Not required, a sworn statement with notarized signature instead (template) |
| EU citizen, new or less than 3 months in CZ | From your home country, with apostille, or through CzechPOINT (not for all nationalities, up to 25 days) |
| UK citizen with a long-term visa or no permit | From the UK, with apostille |
| US citizen with a long-term visa or no permit | From the US with apostille, or an affidavit from the US embassy in Prague instead |
| Ukrainian with a long-term visa or no permit | From Ukraine, with apostille |
| Other non-EU citizens with a long-term visa or no permit | From your home country, with apostille or superlegalization |
Business visa: needed as well
For a business visa application you also need a police clearance (criminal record extract) from your home country, with an apostille or superlegalization and not older than 90 days, even if you would not need one for the trade license itself. The same rules for the original paper and the translation apply.
Not older than 3 months
The 3 months count from the day the police clearance was issued, not from the date of the apostille, superlegalization or translation. Don't bring one that expires in a few days: the registration itself takes time.
Original paper, with an apostille
The office needs the original paper document; a scan or copy is not enough. Many countries signed the Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961, which abolishes legalisation of foreign public documents. In reality, the Czech authorities still require the apostille even for many of those countries, so don't hand in a foreign police clearance without one. Countries outside the convention need superlegalization instead.
Translation in the Czech Republic
We don't recommend a translation made abroad: almost never do those comply. The police clearance and the apostille must be translated by a translator registered at a Czech court. We arrange that for you: 1,500 CZK per standard page (normostrana) from a common language such as English, German, French or Spanish. Less common languages cost more; ask us first.
US citizens: the affidavit
Instead of a police clearance with apostille from the US, US citizens can get a bilingual affidavit at the US embassy in Prague. This is definitely the better choice. Only US citizens can use this.
EU citizens: CzechPOINT
Some EU citizens can request their home country's police clearance through CzechPOINT. It is not possible for all nationalities and can take up to 25 days, but no apostille and no translation are needed.
Ukrainians with temporary protection
No police clearance is needed. Instead you sign a sworn statement with a notarized signature: our čestné prohlášení template.
More than one country?
Officially you need a police clearance for every country where you spent more than 6 months in the past 3 years. There are ways to avoid this, so ask us before you order several.
Source: the information portal of the Czech Ministry of the Interior, ipc.gov.cz, Visa and residence permit types, checked in October 2026. The rules change regularly; the ministry page is leading. Sample pictures of all documents: Vzory dokladů vydávaných cizincům (PDF).
