Criminal Record Check for a Czech Visa or Job

Almost every visa application and many job offers in the Czech Republic ask for a criminal record check — but which one? Your home country’s, a Czech one, or both? The answer depends on which direction the document needs to travel, and getting it backwards wastes time you usually don’t have. Here’s how to sort it out.

This is one piece of the broader relocation checklist — for the full picture, see our guide on moving to the Czech Republic.

• There are two different directions: your home-country check for Czech authorities, or a Czech check for use elsewhere — don’t confuse them.
• EU citizens get an automatic bonus: a Czech criminal record request pulls your home-country record too, so you often don’t need to arrange anything separately.
• US citizens typically need an FBI Identity History Summary, apostilled and translated for Czech use.
• Most criminal record checks are valid for around six months — plan the apostille and translation steps within that window.

This is the single most common point of confusion, so it’s worth untangling first.

Direction one: your home-country check, for Czech authorities. If a Czech employer, embassy, or immigration office is asking for proof of your clean record, they usually want a certificate from your country of citizenship — your domestic police clearance certificate (for US citizens, this is the FBI Identity History Summary). This document needs an apostille from your home country’s designated authority, followed by a certified translation into Czech.

Direction two: a Czech check, for use outside the Czech Republic. If you’ve lived in Czechia and need to prove your record here — for a visa application to a third country, for example — you’ll request a Výpis z rejstříku trestů (Czech criminal record certificate). This one needs an apostille from Czech authorities and a certified translation into whatever language your destination requires.

The two processes mirror each other but involve completely different documents, issuing authorities, and destinations — mixing them up means starting over.

Where you get this depends entirely on your citizenship.

US citizens typically need an FBI Identity History Summary (sometimes called an FBI background check or identity history summary check). It can be requested directly from the FBI or through an FBI-approved channeler, and can be issued as a digital PDF or hard copy. Once issued, it needs an apostille from the US Department of State before it can be used in the Czech Republic — and it’s valid for only six months from the issue date, so timing matters.

UK citizens typically use a police certificate issued through ACRO or the relevant national body, followed by the same apostille and translation process.

For any nationality, the underlying principle is the same: get the apostille in your home country, ideally before you leave, since arranging it remotely afterward is considerably more complicated.

This is a detail that surprises a lot of EU citizens in a good way.

If you’re an EU citizen requesting a Czech criminal record certificate, Czech authorities are legally required to also request your criminal record from your home country’s register automatically, as part of the same application. You don’t need to separately travel home or contact your home country’s authorities — the Czech Criminal Register handles that request on your behalf under EU law. Processing for these cross-border requests is typically around 25 working days.

This route saves considerable time and hassle for EU citizens compared to the home-country channels US or UK citizens have to navigate separately.

You can apply for a Výpis z rejstříku trestů at any CzechPOINT service point — commonly available at post offices — or directly at a Criminal Register office.

One detail worth knowing: if the certificate is intended for use outside the EU, it’s generally better to obtain it directly from the Criminal Register office rather than through CzechPOINT, since CzechPOINT-issued records aren’t always accepted internationally and can run into legalization complications.

If you already hold Czech residency, your birth name is typically already verified in the foreigner’s register, so the process is straightforward. If you don’t have residency, you’ll need to provide a document proving your birth or maiden name — a birth certificate or similar. It’s also possible to request the certificate through a power of attorney, so you don’t need to be physically present in the Czech Republic.

Where translation fits in depends on which direction your document is traveling.

A home-country check for a Czech employer or authority needs both an apostille (from your home country) and a certified translation into Czech, produced by a court-appointed translator registered with the Czech Ministry of Justice.

A Czech Výpis for a Czech employer doesn’t need translation at all — it’s already in Czech.

A Czech Výpis for use abroad needs an apostille from Czech authorities plus a certified translation into the destination country’s language.

In all cases, legalization happens before translation — the apostille stamp itself gets translated along with the rest of the document. Some bilateral treaties between the Czech Republic and specific countries may exempt certain documents from the apostille requirement, so it’s worth checking whether one applies to your situation. For more on the legalization paths, see our relocation documents guide, and for what certified translation involves, our certified translation guide.

Most criminal record checks — both FBI Identity History Summaries and Czech Výpis certificates — are valid for around six months from their issue date. The EU automatic route takes roughly 25 working days to process, which is worth building into your timeline if you’re relying on it.

The practical approach: request the document, get the apostille, arrange the translation, and submit it all while the underlying check is still fresh. Letting it expire mid-process means starting the whole sequence over.

If you’re planning a wedding in the Czech Republic, note that a criminal record check is sometimes requested alongside your other documents — see our guide on marriage documents for foreigners for the full picture.

We produce certified translations accepted by Czech authorities and employers — accurate, fast, and done by a registered court translator.