Apostille and sworn translation for Czechia: who does not need an apostille and how to translate documents correctly
Updated: 13 November 2026
Marriage and birth certificates, diplomas, criminal record extracts — for a residence permit, marriage or studies in Czechia, foreign documents must be properly verified and translated. A mistake at this stage gets the application returned and costs time. Here is how it works in 2026.
- Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and several other countries — no apostille needed thanks to legal assistance treaties.
- Russia — a treaty formally exists, but the Czech Ministry of Justice currently recommends an apostille.
- Belarus — documents are accepted without an apostille only for Belarusian citizens holding a long-term visa, long-term or permanent residence in Czechia.
- Kazakhstan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and other Hague Convention members — apostille required.
- Translation only by a Czech sworn (court) translator, bound to the document.
Three verification regimes
- Bilateral treaty: the document is accepted without further verification; only an official Czech translation is needed. Such countries include Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, Mongolia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and several EU states.
- Apostille: for states party to the 1961 Hague Convention (Czechia joined in 1999). The apostille is issued by the competent authority of the country that issued the document.
- Superlegalisation: for all other countries — verification by the issuing country’s foreign ministry and the Czech embassy.
Special cases: for Georgia, Belgium, Italy and Greece the treaty covers court documents only — other documents need an apostille. For Russia and Poland the Czech Ministry of Justice recommends an apostille.
Order: apostille first, then translation
- Obtain the document (or a notarised copy) in the issuing country.
- If required, have the apostille added there.
- Have the document translated together with the apostille by a Czech sworn translator.
What the translation must look like
- The translator is listed in the official register of the Czech Ministry of Justice (Act No. 354/2019 Coll.).
- The translation is bound to the original or a certified copy and carries the translator’s clause and seal.
- Translations made abroad by someone other than a Czech sworn translator are usually not accepted.
- A laminated original cannot be bound — translate a notarised copy instead.
How old documents may be
For residence applications, documents (other than the passport and photo) usually must be no older than 180 days. This most often concerns criminal record extracts and confirmations, but embassies ask for recent documents in other cases too — check in advance.
Common mistakes
- Translation made in Ukraine or elsewhere instead of by a Czech sworn translator.
- Apostille added after translation — so the translation does not include it.
- Russian documents without an apostille.
- An outdated criminal record extract.
- The translation is not bound to the document.
Need a translation?
We will tell you whether your document needs an apostille and provide a sworn Czech translation, properly bound.
Sources
- Ministerstvo spravedlnosti ČR — příručka k ověřování listin (18. 5. 2026)
- MZV ČR — postup při ověřování cizozemských listin
- MV ČR — ověření cizích veřejných listin u žádostí o pobyt
This article is for general information only and is not legal or tax advice. Check the current rules before making a decision, or contact us.