Opening a Czech company from abroad is possible for founders from both EU and non-EU countries. The basic Czech corporate procedure does not change significantly based on your nationality. What does change are the practical requirements around it: how your foreign documents must be authenticated, whether they need an apostille, how a power of attorney should be prepared, what your home-country tax obligations may be and how a Czech bank or other regulated institution assesses you as a non-resident founder.
This guide therefore does not repeat the general process of establishing a Czech business. For the full procedure, see our guide to opening an s.r.o. in the Czech Republic. Here, we focus specifically on the issues that arise when the founder is doing business in the Czech Republic from outside the country.
Registering a Czech company from outside the country?
AMS Europe works with founders from across Europe, North America, the Gulf and Asia every week — we know in advance which questions come up for each starting point and prepare your file accordingly.
What foreign founders should know before starting
Most of the process can be handled remotely under a power of attorney, without the founder travelling to the Czech Republic.
The requirement that varies most is legalisation of foreign documents. There are three possible regimes, depending on the country that issued the document: documents accepted with no further certification under a bilateral treaty, documents requiring an apostille under the Hague Convention, and documents requiring full consular legalisation because the issuing country is not a Convention party. Getting this wrong is a common reason for delays at the notary.
Certified translation is a separate requirement from legalisation, and the two are often confused. Foreign documents submitted to a Czech notary or public authority generally have to be in Czech or accompanied by an official translation. An apostille does not remove the translation requirement, and a translation does not remove the legalisation requirement — plan for both at the same time.
The bank runs its own KYC review, independent of the registration itself. It may ask about the ownership structure, source of funds, actual business activity, counterparties and expected payment flows. Foreign founders should prepare for this review before the company is established, rather than afterwards.
What we actually need from you
A copy of your passport. No certification, no apostille. It is an identity document, not a public document to be legalised.
A power of attorney. We draft it. You sign it and have your signature certified by a notary in your country. This is what makes remote incorporation possible: it lets us handle the notary, the trade licence and the Commercial Register without you travelling.
Everything else — the founding deed, the trade licence application, the registered address, the entry in the Commercial Register, the tax registration — we prepare and file on the Czech side.
If a founder is a company rather than an individual, we also need a current extract from its commercial register and the document proving who is authorised to sign. The same certification rules apply to those documents as to the power of attorney described below.
The one thing that changes by country
Your signature on the power of attorney is certified by a notary in your country. Whether that certification is accepted in the Czech Republic as it stands, or needs a further step, depends on which of three regimes your country falls into.
| Your country | What the power of attorney needs | Czech translation |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | Certified signature only — nothing further | Yes |
| Slovakia | Certified signature only — nothing further | Usually not required |
| Ukraine | Certified signature only — nothing further | Yes |
| Germany | Certified signature + apostille | Yes |
| United Kingdom | Certified signature + apostille | Yes |
| United States | Certified signature + apostille | Yes |
| India | Certified signature + apostille | Yes |
| United Arab Emirates | Certified signature + full consular legalisation | Yes |
There is also a route that bypasses the whole table, and for some founders it is the fastest option — see signing at a Czech consulate below.
Opening a Czech company from Poland
Poland has a bilateral legal assistance treaty with the Czech Republic, so Polish documents are accepted without an apostille. A signature certified by a Polish notary is enough on its own. A certified Czech translation is required.
Opening a Czech company from Slovakia
Slovakia is covered by the same kind of treaty, so no apostille is needed. Slovakia also has an advantage no other country here shares: Czech administrative procedure expressly permits the Slovak language, so a Slovak-language power of attorney usually needs no translation at all. A specific notary or bank may still ask for one.
Opening a Czech company from Ukraine
Ukraine has a bilateral treaty with the Czech Republic covering legal assistance, so Ukrainian documents — including a power of attorney with a properly certified signature — are accepted without an apostille or consular legalisation. A certified Czech translation is required.
Opening a Czech company from Germany
Unlike Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, Germany does not have a bilateral treaty with Czechia that removes the legalisation requirement. It is covered by the Hague Apostille Convention instead, so the notarised signature requires an apostille. In Germany, the apostille is issued by the regional authority — the president of the Landgericht or the relevant Regierungspräsidium, depending on the federal state. A certified Czech translation is required.
Opening a Czech company from the UK
The UK is a Hague Convention party, so the notary’s certification requires an apostille from the Legalisation Office. Brexit did not change the apostille requirement. However, the UK no longer benefits from the EU simplifications available to member states. A certified Czech translation is required.
Opening a Czech company from the USA
The US is a Hague Convention party. The practical detail that trips people up is who issues the apostille: it comes from the Secretary of State of the state where the notary is commissioned, not from a federal office. A notary in Texas means a Texas apostille. A certified Czech translation is required.
Opening a Czech company from India
India is a Hague Convention party, and apostilles are issued centrally by the Ministry of External Affairs. Allow extra time for this step — it is often the slowest part of the process for Indian founders. A certified Czech translation is required.
Opening a Czech company from the UAE
The UAE is the exception. It is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille is not available at all. The power of attorney needs full consular legalisation: attestation inside the UAE ending at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then legalisation at the Czech diplomatic mission. This process takes longer, so it is best to start it early — or use the consulate route below.
The shortcut: signing at a Czech consulate
A power of attorney signed at a Czech embassy or consulate is certified by Czech officials, so it needs no apostille and no consular legalisation, whatever your nationality. For founders in countries outside both the treaty list and the Hague Convention — the UAE above all — this is usually faster and cheaper than the full legalisation chain. It requires one in-person appointment at the embassy or consulate.
A Czech company does not automatically give you the right to live here
Ownership and residence are two separate legal questions. A foreign individual or company can be the sole owner of a Czech s.r.o. without any visa or permit — the same for an EU founder and a non-EU founder. What differs is living here: EU founders benefit from free movement, while non-EU founders need a separate immigration route if they intend to live in Czechia.
If you plan to relocate and run the business in person rather than own it remotely, a residence permit is its own process and does not follow from owning the company.
Not sure what your country requires?
Tell us your citizenship and where you will sign. We will confirm whether your power of attorney needs an apostille, legalisation, or nothing at all.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to come to the Czech Republic to register a company?
No. A power of attorney covers the notary, the trade licence and the entry in the Commercial Register. An in-person step may still be required later when opening the bank account, depending on the bank.
Do I need to send a criminal record certificate?
Usually not. We obtain the necessary Czech records ourselves wherever possible. If your specific case requires one from your home country, we will tell you before you order it, because it follows the same certification rules as the power of attorney.
Which countries do not need an apostille?
Among the countries on this page: Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine, each under a bilateral treaty with the Czech Republic. Germany, the UK, the US and India need an apostille. The UAE needs full consular legalisation.
What if my country is not listed here?
The same three factors determine the requirement: whether a bilateral treaty with the Czech Republic removes the requirement, whether the country issues apostilles under the Hague Convention, or whether full consular legalisation applies. Ask us before ordering anything — the wrong sequence usually means paying twice.
Do I need a residence permit to own a Czech company?
No. Ownership does not require a visa or residence permit. Those are only relevant if you intend to live in the Czech Republic.
Where do I pay tax if I own a Czech company from abroad?
Owning a Czech company does not change your personal tax residency. The company pays Czech corporate tax on its profit; where you pay tax on income you draw from it depends on where you are tax resident and on the double tax treaty between that country and the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic has a treaty with every country on this page, but the relief actually available depends on the type of income, so it is worth confirming with a tax adviser before you start receiving income from the company.
