A Slovak who is a member or director of a Czech s.r.o. sooner or later needs to sign a document for the Czech Commercial Register or an authority on which an officially certified signature is required. The first place that comes to mind is usually the registry office at the municipal office, but it will not certify a signature on such a document. We explain why that is so and what options remain.
Which Czech documents require a certified signature
A typical example is the entry of a new director, supervisory board member or procuration holder in the Czech Commercial Register. Under Section 12 of Czech Act No. 304/2013 Sb. on public registers, the applicant must submit with the application the consent of the person being entered, unless it follows from other documents attached. If the consent is not given by a declaration certified by a public instrument, the signature on the document recording the consent must be officially certified. The application for registration is filed, and the entry made, in the Czech language (Section 24 of the same Act).
A requirement for a certified signature may also arise with other documents addressed to the Czech register, land register or courts. It always follows from a particular Czech provision, so it must be assessed for each document separately, before you begin preparing it.
Why a Slovak municipality will not certify your signature
The certification of signatures at municipalities and district offices is governed by Act No. 78/2026 Coll. on the certification of documents and of signatures on documents, in force since 1 September 2026. It contains a list of cases in which certification is not carried out:
Certification of the authenticity of a signature on a document shall not be carried out where […] (c) the certification concerns the authenticity of a signature on a document that is to be used abroad […] this does not apply to a certificate of life for the Czech Republic […]
— Section 10(c) of Act No. 78/2026 Coll. (unofficial English translation)
From the perspective of Slovak law, a document for the Czech register is a document that is to be used abroad. The only exception is a certificate of life for the Czech Republic. The language of the document is not an obstacle, since the Slovak Act expressly excludes documents in the Czech language from the prohibition on foreign-language documents (Section 10(d)); what is decisive is the place where the document is used.
What options remain
A Slovak notary. On documents that are to be used abroad, the authenticity of a signature is certified only by a notary or a notarial candidate (Section 58(5) of the Notarial Code). Such certification is recognised in Czechia without further verification. Documents certified in either state and bearing an official stamp and the signature of an authorised official are valid and effective in the other (Article 4(1) of the Treaty between Slovakia and the Czech Republic on legal assistance, Czech Collection of Laws No. 209/1993 Sb.). Whether the Czech authority requires any other formalities for the document, such as particular details of the signatory, we assess for the specific document in advance.
A declaration by a Czech attorney. Under Section 25a of Czech Act No. 85/1996 Sb. on the legal profession, a declaration of the authenticity of a signature drawn up by an attorney has the same effects as official certification of the signature. It is an instrument of Czech law and its natural place is precisely documents intended for Czech proceedings. How the declaration comes into being and what it contains is examined in the attorney’s declaration of the authenticity of a signature.
An electronic signature. Czech law also recognises a declaration in respect of an electronic signature that the person acknowledges before the attorney as their own; the clause is then drawn up electronically (Section 25a(2)). Whether the electronic route is suitable for the particular document and the particular Czech authority is something we assess in advance.
What to watch out for
Do not sign the document in advance. A Slovak municipality may also certify a signature that you acknowledge as your own (Section 8(1) of Act No. 78/2026 Coll.). With a Czech attorney’s declaration it is different: a paper document must be signed directly in front of the attorney, and the law permits acknowledgement of a signature only for an electronic signature (Section 25a(1) of Act No. 85/1996 Sb.).
Bring a valid identity document. For a Slovak citizen a valid identity card or a passport with a photograph will suffice, since Czech law recognises the identity document of a citizen of a European Union Member State (Section 25a(9) of Act No. 85/1996 Sb.).
Assess the required form before preparing the document. A certified signature will not cover every act. The memorandum or deed of association of a Czech s.r.o., for instance, requires the form of a public instrument (Section 8 of Czech Act No. 90/2012 Sb. on business corporations), in practice a notarial deed. We describe the whole incorporation procedure, in which we sign the notarial deed for you under a power of attorney, in setting up a Czech s.r.o. from Slovakia.
A certified signature does not repair the contents. Neither official certification nor an attorney’s declaration confirms that a document is substantively correct. If the materials for the entry lack particulars that are recorded in the Czech register, for example the date of birth or the address of residence of a member of the statutory body (Section 25(1)(e) and (g) of Act No. 304/2013 Sb.), the register will not process the application even with a flawlessly certified signature. We therefore check the contents before the document is signed.
For completeness: if the document is addressed to a Slovak authority or court, a municipality or district office can certify the signature on it, and for a Slovak document we do not rely on a Czech attorney’s declaration. The restriction under Section 10(c) of Act No. 78/2026 Coll. concerns only documents that are to be used abroad.
How we handle it
We prepare or review the document, assess what form the Czech authority requires, and arrange the signature with the declaration at a meeting we would be having in any event. The details are on the page certification of signatures by an attorney. If a new Czech company is involved, the signatures form part of setting up an s.r.o. in the Czech Republic.
This article provides general legal information as at 12 September 2026. It does not constitute legal services or advice on your specific matter. Laws change and the details of your situation may differ. Check the appropriate course of action or contact us before making a decision.
