Certified Copy
A certified copy is a copy verified by an authorised institution as verbatim identical to the presented original. The institutions authorised to certify documents are not responsible for the contents of the documents, nor do they verify that the information in the documents is accurate, true or in compliance with law.
What institutions can certify documents?
Certified copies are issued by:
- Česká pošta,
- a regional authority (in Czech krajský úřad),
- a municipal (or city district) authority,
- public administration contact points (Czech POINT),
- Czech Chamber of Commerce.
What do you need to bring?
Bring the document of which you need a certified copy.
What documents cannot be certified?
Certified copies cannot be issued for documents that due to their uniqueness cannot be substituted. The corresponding authorities, therefore, will not issue, among others, a certified copy of:
- an ID,
- a passport or
- a residence permit document.
Furthermore, a certified copy cannot be issued if:
- the presented document is in other than Czech or Slovak languages,
- the certifying officer does not know the language in which the document is written and it is presented without a sworn translation into Czech or Slovak (not applicable if the copy was made by the certifying officer on a copy machine at the applicant’s costs).
You can find more information on what documents cannot be certified and under what conditions certification of a document cannot be done in Act no. 21/2006 Coll., the so-called Authentication of Documents Act.
How do I recognise a certified copy?
Every certification is marked on a certified document with a certification clause and an official stamp.
After having been certified, the document is marked in a way that no additional text can be added.