What is a Czech point?

Czech POINT (Czech National Point of Access to Documents and Information) is an integrated system of public administration providing standardized access to services from various government agencies. The primary aim of this system is to facilitate citizens' access to public services, particularly for those who, for various reasons, lack the ability or preference to use digital channels. Czech POINT enables in-person operations, such as converting documents from paper to digital form or identity verification for issuing digital identification tools.

Czech POINT contact points, identifiable by their blue symbol, are located in Czech Post offices, municipal and regional offices, as well as through notaries, the Chamber of Commerce, the Agrarian Chamber, and other authorized organizations. The system includes over 7,000 workstations throughout the Czech Republic and is also available at consulates abroad.

Czech POINT was launched as a government project on June 22, 2005, and began full operation on January 28, 2008, allowing municipal and regional authorities, notaries, and other legal entities to issue official documents, such as extracts from the real estate cadaster, penalty registry, and commercial register.

Czech POINT Project History

The Czech POINT project, focused on creating a unified system for access to public and municipal services, was initially launched as a pilot project in the spring of 2007 in 37 municipalities across the Czech Republic. In August of the same year, ?eská Po?ta began testing the system at 74 workstations. The Chamber of Commerce of the Czech Republic joined the initiative in early September, adding ten more workstations to the pilot project.

The legislative foundation for Czech POINT was solidified with amendments to Law No. 365/2000 on Information Systems of Public Administration, adding Section 8a to regulate the system’s operations. The project officially launched for active operations on October 1, 2007. Successful integration and broad acceptance by municipalities, the Czech Post, the Chamber of Commerce, and notaries expanded the system to 6,449 workstations by January 2011, significantly increasing citizens' access to services nationwide.

Services Offered by Czech POINT

Czech POINT offers the following services:

1. Real Estate Register Extracts: Anonymous applicants can request extracts based on a document proving ownership or a property list. For buildings divided into apartments or other units, the specific unit number must be provided.
2. Commercial Register Extracts: Anonymous applicants can request extracts using an organization's identification number. Full extracts with all company information or current data extracts are available.
3. Trade Register Extracts: Requests require the organization’s identification number.
4. Insolvency Register Extracts: Applications require an organization's identification number or personal details.
5. Criminal Record Extracts: Issued based on a written request, which is archived per legal requirements. Authorized representatives may also obtain extracts with power of attorney.
6. Trade Law Applications: Includes applications for concessions, updates to the trade register, and other forms.
7. Driver's Points Record Requests: Available under amendments to the Road Traffic Act, after applicant verification.
8. Qualified Supplier Register: An extract that can serve as proof of qualification for a tender submission, requiring registration and knowledge of the organization’s ID number.
9. MA ISOH Participant Register: Access to the automobile accident module for submissions or checks has been available since 2009.
10. Document Conversion: Legal document conversion from paper to digital form and vice versa. Converted documents hold the same legal status as a certified copy.
11. Central Execution Register Extract: Since July 1, 2016, extracts containing active executions have been available from Czech POINT for 50 Czech crowns per page and are also available online.

These services provide access to important public registers and simplify citizens' interactions with government administration.

Czech POINT Branches

Czech POINT branches, including municipal offices, Czech Post offices, notary offices, and the Chamber of Commerce, provide centralized access to more than 30 government services, with a total of 7,187 access points. These contact points were developed based on the principle that citizens should have convenient access to services without needing to visit multiple government agencies.

Core Czech POINT Services Include:

• Extracts from various public registers: such as the real estate register, commercial register, criminal record, and more.
• Submission of applications and documents according to laws, such as the Trade Act.
• Access to basic register extracts: including the population register, personal register, and address and real estate identification register.

Additional Services:

• Providing information and extracts from the electronic prescription system.
• Submitting applications to access and amend data in primary registers.
• Providing data to third parties upon request.

Czech POINT plays a crucial role in simplifying citizen-government interactions by allowing necessary operations to be conducted in one place, significantly saving time and resources.

Data Boxes in Czech POINT

In the Czech POINT system, data boxes play a crucial role in digital communication between government bodies and individuals, as well as among private individuals themselves. Introduced in 2009, data boxes allow for the exchange of electronic documents with legal force equivalent to handwritten documents. Here are the key aspects of working with data boxes in the Czech POINT system:

1. Legal Validity: Documents sent through data boxes hold the same legal authority as handwritten documents.
2. Guaranteed and Registered Delivery: The system ensures message delivery and logs each transaction.
3. Legal Fiction of Delivery: If a recipient does not respond within ten days, the message is considered delivered, unless otherwise stated by law.

Czech POINT offers the following services for managing data boxes:

• Creating a Data Box: Applications for opening a new data box for legal entities or individuals.
• Access Management: Requests to disable data box access, invalidate access credentials, and issue new ones.
• Delegation of Authority: Adding or removing authorized persons with access to the data box.
• Message Management: Enabling or disabling message delivery from individuals or organizations to the data box.
• Access Recovery: Assistance with restoring data box access after temporary suspension.
• Handling Complaints and Requests: Assistance in resolving issues related to data box access and issuing new access credentials.

These services ensure a high level of reliability and security in information exchange and enable users to manage their legally significant documents efficiently through electronic channels.

Mediated Identification in Czech POINT

The Czech POINT system offers a mediated identification procedure, which complies with the legal requirements for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (Act No. 253/2008 Coll.). This procedure is essential for entities required to conduct primary identification of their clients—both individuals and businesses.

Key aspects of mediated identification in Czech POINT:

• Legal Justification: The requirement to issue a public document verifying identity is based on legislation aimed at preventing illegal activities.
• Physical Presence: Identification must be conducted in person, which can be challenging if the client or responsible party is in another city or outside the country.
• Czech POINT Convenience: To simplify this process, clients can visit any Czech POINT location, where staff will assist with the necessary identification procedures.
• Required Documents: To conduct identification, two forms of ID and other documents required by law must be presented.

This Czech POINT service greatly facilitates the identification process for individuals and organizations bound by anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations, offering a convenient and accessible solution across the Czech Republic.

Authorized Document Conversion in Czech POINT

Authorized document conversion in the Czech POINT system is a service that bridges the digital and physical aspects of document handling. This service ensures the legal validity of documents as they are converted from one format to another—from electronic to paper or paper to electronic. The primary objective is to maintain the accuracy and content of the document post-conversion.

Key features of authorized conversion:

1. Document Conversion: Documents can be converted directly from your data box or after they are saved in the Czech POINT storage system.
2. Document Retrieval: After converting a paper document to an electronic form, the electronic version can be obtained directly at a Czech POINT branch or sent to your data box. Paper versions of electronic documents can also be obtained at the branch.
3. Legal Validity: Converted documents carry the same legal authority as their originals, making them fully valid for submission to official institutions.
4. Conversion Verification: If there is any doubt about the accuracy of a completed conversion, you can verify the information by entering the document number in the Central Repository of Checkpoints.

This service is especially important when legal continuity of documents transitioning between digital and physical forms is required, making Czech POINT a convenient access point for such operations.

Electronic Document Legalization in Czech POINT

Electronic document legalization through the Czech POINT system provides a modern and convenient way to certify electronic signatures on documents, making them officially recognized and legally binding. This service is particularly valuable for documents requiring verification of the authenticity of an electronic signature and is available at government service contact points, where both identification and legalization can be conducted simultaneously.

Key aspects of electronic legalization in Czech POINT:

1. Authentication Check: The process includes an official verification of the electronic signature, ensuring that the document was signed by an authorized person.
2. Simplicity: There’s no need to print or scan documents. An electronically signed document is uploaded to the Czech POINT system’s storage, and at the relevant branch, you can officially confirm the document as your own.
3. Official Signature Certification: During electronic legalization, a notation is added to the document, converting a regular electronic signature into an officially certified signature, giving the document legal standing.
4. Signature Sheets for Multiple Signatures: If a document requires multiple signatures, a special signature sheet is created, which can also be legalized.

Additional information about the Czech POINT system:

• Comprehensive Functionality: Czech POINT not only offers legalization services but also serves as an extensive catalog of forms and requests for various state and municipal information systems.
• Czech POINT@office and Czech POINT@home: These platforms are used to process requests and issue official documents and extracts, such as criminal record checks, through the Citizen’s Portal and in-office environments.

Electronic legalization through Czech POINT significantly simplifies the official document certification process, enabling citizens and organizations to save time and resources while meeting legal requirements.