Checking a Czech business partner is easier than most people assume. The key facts about companies are public in Czechia and available online for free — you need no paid tool and no access through a lawyer. All you need is the company name or its IČO (an eight-digit identification number), and in a few registers you can put together a reliable picture of who you are actually dealing with within minutes.

It makes sense whenever the cooperation has a financial dimension: before you ship goods against an invoice with a due date, before a larger order, or before you send the company a deposit. Basic vetting of a partner is one of the steps that help you avoid the most common mistakes when entering the Czech market. The overview below walks you through the individual registers in the order in which it pays to go through them.

ARES — start here

The first step is ARES (the Administrative Register of Economic Subjects) at ares.gov.cz, run by the Ministry of Finance. Enter an IČO or a name and you immediately see the exact business name, registered seat, date of incorporation, scope of business and the statutory body. ARES works as a hub — it aggregates data from the other registers (the commercial register, the trade register and the VAT register), so it is an easy jumping-off point to dig deeper.

For example: if the company name on an invoice does not match the IČO, or the seat looks different from the contract, ARES reveals it in seconds. If you are checking a sole trader (OSVČ), you will also find them in the trade register at rzp.cz, where you can confirm a valid trade licence. One detail to note: the older address wwwinfo.mfcr.cz/ares no longer works, and ares.gov.cz is the current one.

The commercial register and the collection of documents

You draw the details about a company from the commercial register at or.justice.cz. It tells you who the directors and shareholders are, in what manner they may act for the company, the amount of registered capital and the history of changes. That matters, for instance, when signing a contract — it should be signed by a person authorised to act for the company.

A valuable part is the collection of documents (Sbírka listin), where companies are required to file their financial statements and founding documents. If a company has not filed statements for years, that is a signal worth noticing — either its records have gaps, or it is not diligent about its obligations. Even such a detail tells you whether this is a company you can count on for the longer term.

The VAT payers register and the "unreliable payer"

If invoicing is on the cards, look into the VAT payers register at financnisprava.cz. By IČO or DIČ you find out whether the company is a VAT payer and since when — which affects how you issue invoices to each other. VAT registration is a recurring theme when invoicing abroad, so it is worth knowing in advance.

The key item is the unreliable payer status. The Financial Administration flags a company that has seriously or repeatedly breached its VAT obligations, and this status lasts at least six months. Why does it matter to you? If you pay an unreliable payer and it fails to remit the VAT to the state, the authorities can claim the same tax from you as the customer — this is the so-called recipient's guarantee for the tax. The register also publishes the company's bank accounts used for business; sending payment to a published account is a further safeguard, and it ties in with how the company has its business account set up.

The insolvency register

The final, but no less important, check is in the insolvency register at isir.justice.cz. It is public, free and needs no registration — just enter a name or IČO. It tells you whether insolvency proceedings are running against the company, what stage they are at, and who the appointed insolvency administrator is.

Ongoing insolvency is a serious warning. It means the company has run into payment difficulties, and shipping it goods against an invoice with a due date, or accepting a deposit for future performance, is risky in that situation. If you find active proceedings in the register, it is time to reconsider the cooperation or agree on payment in advance.

What to check, step by step

So that you miss nothing, go through the partner in a simple order. Each point takes a few seconds, and together they give you a complete picture:

  • In ARES: does the company exist, and do the IČO, name and seat match what is on the invoice or contract?
  • In the commercial register: who is authorised to act for the company, and does it file its financial statements?
  • In the VAT register: is the company a payer, is it not listed as an unreliable payer, and are you sending payment to a published account?
  • In the insolvency register: are there no insolvency proceedings against the company?

The three biggest risks to watch out for are: a company the authorities have flagged as non-contactable or that cannot be traced, an unreliable-payer VAT status, and ongoing insolvency. Any one of them is a reason to slow down and gather more information before you commit.

Conclusion

Vetting a Czech partner is nothing lengthy — all the registers you need are public and free, and a company name or IČO is enough. In a few minutes you learn whether the company exists, who acts for it, where it stands on VAT, and whether insolvency is running against it. It is a cheap safeguard that can save you much more expensive trouble — and it becomes a routine you run for every new business relationship.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Czech public registers really free?

Yes. ARES at ares.gov.cz, the commercial register at or.justice.cz, the VAT payers register at financnisprava.cz and the insolvency register at isir.justice.cz are all public, and viewing them is free and needs no registration. Just enter a company name or IČO and the data is displayed online. What usually costs money are officially certified extracts, but you do not need those for ordinary vetting of a partner.

What does "unreliable payer" of VAT mean and why should I care?

An unreliable payer is a company the Financial Administration has flagged as one that seriously or repeatedly breached its VAT obligations. The status is published in the VAT payers register and lasts at least six months. If you pay such a company and it fails to remit the VAT to the state, the authorities can claim the same tax from you as the customer. That is why it pays to check the status before invoicing and to send payment to a published account.

How do I find out whether a company is in insolvency?

In the insolvency register at isir.justice.cz you enter the company name or IČO and immediately see whether insolvency proceedings are running against it. The register is public and free, and it also shows the stage of the proceedings and the insolvency administrator. Ongoing insolvency is a serious warning — shipping goods against an invoice with a due date, or sending a deposit, is risky in that situation.