Guidance

Czechia: Knowledge Base profile

Published 19 March 2024

Version 2.0

About: Czechia

This document contains useful information about Czechia which will assist HM Passport Office staff process passport applications.

Contacts

If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.

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Publication

Below is information on when this version of the document was published:

• version 2.0

• published for Home Office staff on 14 March 2024

Changes from last version of this document

This document has been updated with minor formatting changes.

Czechia: names

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about names in Czechia.

Names in Czechia consist of:

• up to 2 forenames

• 1 surname

Czechia law allows for naming conventions from other EU member states, this means a person’s name can be amended once by declaration, if the person:

• has more than 2 forenames and this is a naming convention of another EU member state

• holds a passport or a birth certificate from another EU member state that shows 2 surnames in use

Change of name

Changes of name are allowed in Czechia.

Marriage certificates issued in Czechia have a section which confirms the maiden surname (if any) and stipulates the agreed surnames, confirming the name which the person is changing to following the marriage.

If a woman takes her husband’s name after marriage, they usually add a female suffix for example, ‘ova’ or just the letter ‘a’. When citizens register their marriage, they can decide to use the male version of their husband’s surname.

A change of name after marriage can take 5 months to be completed.

In order to change the name on a Czechia passport, the customer must change their name on the Czechia Citizen Register Database (ISEO) first. They can change their name at the Embassy within their country of residence.

Czechia: nationality

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about nationality in Czechia

Dual nationality has been allowed in Czechia since 1 January 2014.

A person born in Czechia is not automatically a citizen of Czechia.

If a customer renounced their Czechia citizenship prior to 1 January 2014 they can apply to regain it at Czechia embassies or in person at a regional authority.

Czechia: legitimacy and parental responsibility

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Czechia.

Legitimacy

Czechia do not recognise a difference between legitimate or illegitimate births. All children are legitimate from birth, whether the parents are married or not.

Parental responsibility

Each parent has parental responsibility, whether the parents are married or not.

Czechia: adoption

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about adoption in Czechia.

Adoption is legal in Czechia.

Adoption by same sex couples is not allowed.

Czechia: surrogacy

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about surrogacy in Czechia.

Surrogacy is not regulated by law in Czechia.

As the definition of a mother in Czechia is the person who gave birth to the child, surrogacy can only be carried out using the adoption process.

Czechia: gender recognition

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about gender recognition in Czechia.

Transgender citizens are recognised in Czechia.

Czechia: civil partnerships and marriage

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about marriage and civil partnerships in Czechia.

Civil partnerships and same sex relationships are recognised and treated the same as a marriage in Czechia.

Couples can choose to have a religious or civil marriage in Czechia.

Czechia: documents

This section tells HM Passport Office operational staff about documents in Czechia.

Following the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, HM Passport Office cannot accept Multilingual Standard Forms (MSFs) issued by member states. An MSF will:

• contain a reference to the convention signed at Vienna on September 8 1976, this may be on the reverse of the document

• be marked as a Formul A (birth certificate), normally in the top right corner on the front of the document in the language of the country where the document was issued

  • there will also be marriage certificates and death certificates that will have a different Formul version that is also not acceptable

These documents are an extract of a civil registration record translated into the language needed and not a full, original certificate.

Birth certificates

All birth records in Czechia are recorded in a General Registry Record book kept in individual registry offices governed by the Ministry of Interior. There is no time limit for a parent to register their child’s birth.

The Czechia authorities only issue one type of birth certificate a Rodny List. They issued a different version before 1 January 1993 which was A5 size on green paper.

If the customer identifies a mistake on the birth certificate, the Registry Office corrects it in their birth book, and add a note to the ‘Additional notes’ section of the birth certificate.

Hospital notifications exist and they are sent from the hospital where the child was born to the Registry Office.

Marriage certificates

A marriage certificate in Czechia is an Oddaci List. For marriages:

• before 2000 certificates are A5 size

• since 2000 certificates are A4 size

Civil marriages are automatically registered in the book of marriages in the relevant Registry Office. Religious marriages must be registered within 3 days of the ceremony. Marriages that take place overseas can be registered in a special registry office in Brno.

Registration of a marriage (and change of name) can take up to 5 months.

Death certificates

Deaths in Czechia are reported to the Registry Office in the relevant district, by the certifying doctor who attended the death. A central register of deaths is managed by the Ministry of the Interior.

Death certificates are only issued to eligible persons, for example:

• the next of kin

• relevant authorities

• a person authorised by the next of kin to collect the certificate

• or a person that proves they need the document for dealing with authorities

Identity documents

There are 2 identity documents issued in Czechia. These are the National Identity Card and passport.

The Czechia authorities issue the national identity card to those aged 15 or older. If a person is under the age of 15 and does not have a passport, they can use their birth certificate for identity purposes.

Identity documents are issued on a national level and the identity card is laminated.