Apostilles and Czech translations, explained

What an apostille is

An apostille is an official certificate, usually a stamp or an attached page, that confirms a public document is genuine. The Czech Republic and many other countries, including Australia, the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand, are part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so an apostille from the country that issued the document is enough for Czech offices to accept it.

The key point: the apostille comes from the country that issued the document, not from the Czech Republic. That is why you want it done before you leave. Where to go depends on where the document is from:

Which documents need one

It depends on your permit and your family, but these are the usual ones:

How to get one

1. Get a good original. Order a fresh official copy of old or damaged certificates. Offices sometimes keep one, so order two.
2. Send it to the issuing country's apostille office. Use the office in the table above, by post or in person.
3. Keep it flat and together. Do not unstaple or laminate an apostilled document. That can make it invalid.

Allow one to two weeks, more around holidays.

Sworn Czech translations

Most Czech offices want foreign-language documents translated into Czech by a sworn translator (soudní překladatel). The translator attaches the translation to the original, or to a certified copy, and adds a stamp and a translation clause.

• Get the apostille first, then the translation, so the apostille is translated too.
• Translations are usually done once you are in the Czech Republic, and cost a few hundred crowns per page.
• Ask the translator for two sets if you will need the document at more than one office.

Timing: the 180-day rule

Some documents have to be recent when you hand in your application. A police check, for example, usually has to be less than 180 days old on the day you apply. Order it too early and you will be ordering it again.

Work backwards from your appointment date: police check, then apostille, then post, then your appointment.

Common mistakes

• Trying to get an apostille for a foreign document from a Czech office. It has to come from the issuing country.
• Ordering the police check months early and letting it expire.
• Translating the document but not the apostille.
• Removing staples or laminating the document.