The business register in the Czech Republic is the Obchodní rejstřík (Commercial Register), kept by the rejstříkové soudy (registry courts) under the Ministry of Justice and published at or.justice.cz. It is one of six public registers of legal and natural persons and is exceptionally open: the entries, the sbírka listin (collection of deeds) and the financial statements filed in it are all freely accessible online. Sole traders normally appear not here but in the separate trade licensing register.

The company registry in the Czech Republic

The register is governed by zákon č. 304/2013 Sb., o veřejných rejstřících právnických a fyzických osob (Act No. 304/2013 Coll. on the public registers of legal and natural persons), which lists the six public registers: the register of associations, the foundation register, the register of institutes, the register of unit owners’ associations, the commercial register and the register of public benefit corporations. Seven registry courts keep the register, and a new Ministry of Justice portal is running in parallel in verification operation while or.justice.cz remains the operative public interface.

Registration does not always go through the court. Entries may also be made directly by a notary where the registered facts arise from a notarial deed containing the notary’s statement of legality and the applicant submits the required documents.

Sole traders and the trade licensing register

The Živnostenský rejstřík (Trade Licensing Register) is a different instrument altogether. It is not one of the public registers but a public list and an information system of public administration, administered by the trade licensing authority within the Ministry of Industry and Trade under the živnostenský zákon (Trade Licensing Act), and only part of its content forms the public part. A Czech sole trader — a podnikající fyzická osoba (self-employed natural person) — holds a trade licence and appears there. In the commercial register a natural person appears only exceptionally: on their own application, where they are an entrepreneur with residence in the Czech Republic or fall within the statutory category of foreign persons, or where a law requires the entry.

Both registers, together with the tax, statistical, insolvency and other state registers, are aggregated in ARES — Administrativní registr ekonomických subjektů (Administrative Register of Economic Subjects), operated by the Ministry of Finance, which also offers a public interface for machine access.

Legal forms that can be registered in the Czech Republic

Corporate forms are set by zákon č. 90/2012 Sb., o obchodních korporacích (Act No. 90/2012 Coll. on business corporations) and by zákon č. 89/2012 Sb., občanský zákoník (Act No. 89/2012 Coll., the Civil Code).

  • Veřejná obchodní společnost — v.o.s. (General partnership) — all partners are liable jointly, severally and without limitation; typical of small owner-run businesses.
  • Komanditní společnost — k.s. (Limited partnership) — the komplementář is unlimitedly liable while the komanditista answers only up to their contribution.
  • Společnost s ručením omezeným — s.r.o. (Limited liability company) — members are liable only up to their unpaid contributions. The statutory minimum contribution is CZK 1 unless the memorandum sets a higher figure, which makes this by far the most common Czech form.
  • Akciová společnost — a.s. (Joint-stock company) — capital divided into shares; shareholders are not liable for the company’s debts.
  • Družstvo (Cooperative) — a membership entity whose members are not liable for its debts unless the statutes impose a contribution obligation.
  • Sociální družstvo (Social cooperative) — a cooperative pursuing publicly beneficial activities aimed at the work and social integration of disadvantaged persons; its name must contain the words sociální družstvo.
  • Evropská společnost — SE (European Company), evropské hospodářské zájmové sdružení — EHZS (European Economic Interest Grouping) and evropská družstevní společnost — SCE (European Cooperative Society) — the EU-law forms; in the grouping the members are unlimitedly liable.
  • Odštěpný závod zahraniční osoby (Branch of a foreign person) — registered for both foreign legal and foreign natural persons; not a separate legal entity, so the foreign founder remains liable.
  • Spolek and pobočný spolek (Association and branch association) — non-profit membership entities in the register of associations.
  • Nadace and nadační fond (Foundation and endowment fund) — asset-based, purpose-bound entities in the foundation register.
  • Ústav (Institute) — an entity providing socially or economically useful services, in the register of institutes.
  • Svěřenský fond (Trust fund) — created under the Civil Code; it has no legal personality and is administered by a trustee. It is recorded not in the public register but in the separate evidence svěřenských fondů (register of trust funds), which is only partially public.

Alongside these, the register’s own list of legal forms covers existing public benefit corporations, unit owners’ associations, commodity exchanges, European groupings of territorial cooperation, state enterprises and a range of public-law forms.

Information available from the Czech business register

The rule is set out in Section 3 of Act No. 304/2013: the registry court publishes the data on the registered person and the documents held in the collection of deeds in a manner allowing remote access, and enables an officially certified electronic copy to be obtained. No reason need be given and access is free.

The collection of deeds is what makes the Czech register unusually informative. It contains the founding documents and statutes, decisions on the appointment and removal of members of governing bodies, liquidators and insolvency administrators, and — expressly — the annual reports, the ordinary, extraordinary and consolidated účetní závěrky (financial statements), the proposal for the distribution of profit and the auditor’s report. Czech financial statements are therefore genuinely public documents, retrievable free of charge from the company’s own file.

What is restricted

The one significant closure is recent and complete. The Evidence skutečných majitelů (Register of Beneficial Owners), established by zákon č. 37/2021 Sb., had a public part with open data. On 17 December 2025 the Ministry of Justice made the public part of the register and its open data inaccessible to the public, citing the Court of Justice judgment in joined cases C-37/20 and C-601/20 together with Czech Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court case law holding unrestricted public access to be a disproportionate interference with privacy. No partial public extract remains. Access continues for the registered entity itself, through its data box; for privileged users with remote access, meaning public authorities and anti-money-laundering obliged persons on request, for whom an automated application route was launched at the same time; and for other subjects entitled by statute on request. Remote accesses granted before that date remain valid.

The register of trust funds is partially public: a search by designation or identification number is open, while full records require proven legal interest, trustee status or privileged status.

Documents that can be obtained from the register

  • Výpis z obchodního rejstříku — platný (Current extract from the Commercial Register) — the data currently in force: business name, identification number, seat, legal form, subject of business, the statutory body and the manner of acting on the company’s behalf, capital and members or shareholders. The standard proof of existence and of representation.
  • Výpis z obchodního rejstříku — úplný (Full extract) — all data ever recorded, including deleted and historical entries. Used for due diligence, ownership history and litigation.
  • Částečný výpis a úředně ověřený opis (Partial extract and officially certified copy) — the registry court issues on request a certified partial or full copy of an entry or of a deed from the collection of deeds, as well as a potvrzení o tom, že určitý údaj ve veřejném rejstříku není (confirmation that a given entry does not exist). An officially certified electronic copy is available online.
  • Listiny ze sbírky listin (Documents from the collection of deeds) — founding deeds, statutes, appointment and removal decisions and merger documentation, used to verify constitutional documents and authority.
  • Účetní závěrka, výroční zpráva a zpráva auditora (Financial statements, annual report and auditor’s report) — filed in the collection of deeds and used for credit, tender and counterparty analysis.
  • Ověřený výpis přes Czech POINT (Certified extract at a Czech POINT counter) — commercial register and trade licensing register extracts issued over the counter as certified documents.
  • Výpis z evidence skutečných majitelů (Extract from the Register of Beneficial Owners) — a full extract available to the recorded entity through its data box and to privileged users; typically required for subsidy applications and bank onboarding. It is no longer obtainable by the general public.
  • Výpis z veřejné části živnostenského rejstříku (Extract from the public part of the Trade Licensing Register) — issued by the trade licensing office and containing the name or business name, seat, identification number and, if requested, the subject of business and the location of premises, valid as at the date of processing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the business register in the Czech Republic called?

The Obchodní rejstřík (Commercial Register), one of six public registers of legal and natural persons kept by the registry courts under the Ministry of Justice.

Is the Czech register free and public?

Yes. The registry court publishes both the entries and the documents in the collection of deeds with remote access, free of charge and without any need to state a reason.

Are financial statements of Czech companies public?

Yes. Annual reports, ordinary, extraordinary and consolidated financial statements, the profit distribution proposal and the auditor’s report are filed in the collection of deeds and can be downloaded from the company’s file.

Where do sole traders appear?

In the Trade Licensing Register, a separate public list administered under the Ministry of Industry and Trade. A natural person is entered in the commercial register only on request or where the law requires it.

Can I look up beneficial owners of Czech companies?

Not as a member of the public. The public part of the Register of Beneficial Owners was closed on 17 December 2025; access remains for the entity itself, for authorities and for anti-money-laundering obliged persons.

What is the minimum capital of a Czech s.r.o.?

The minimum contribution is CZK 1 unless the memorandum of association sets a higher amount, which is why the limited liability company is the dominant Czech corporate form.

Sources

Keywords

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