How to Submit an Application

You can arrange an appointment to submit your application for birth registration by phone or email:

Phone: +44 (0) 207 243 7931 (daily from 09:00 to 12:00)

Email: London.Consulate@mzv.gov.cz

If you are unable to reach us by phone (which may happen due to a high volume of calls), please send us an email including your phone number so that we can contact you. Please also indicate which documents you have available and what you are applying for.

Note: The Embassy processes around 100 emails per day. We will do our best to respond as soon as possible, but replies may not be immediate.

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Required Documents for Birth Registration

The most important supporting document for registering a birth in the Czech registry is a UK birth certificate (the green version, known as a Certified Copy of an Entry).

The UK birth certificate must first be legalised with an apostille (official stamp and signature) issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

The document must then be officially translated into Czech, including the apostille. Both the original document and the apostille must be translated, and the translation must be firmly attached to the original documents. Translations prepared by applicants themselves are not accepted.

A list of translators who have provided their details to the Embassy is available.

Important notice:
Recently, some private companies have been offering to arrange apostilles and translations. However, we have identified several issues with documents obtained through such intermediaries, including:

• ● apostilles issued for incorrect documents
• ● translations lacking proper certification
• ● translations into Slovak instead of Czech

For these reasons, we strongly recommend arranging the apostille independently and using authorised translators.

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Birth Registration and Issuance of a Czech Birth Certificate

To determine a child’s Czech citizenship, register their birth, and issue a Czech birth certificate, it is important whether the child was born within a marriage. If not, it is also relevant whether the mother or father is a Czech citizen.

Required documents generally include:

• ● The child’s UK birth certificate with apostille (must be the full version showing both parents — usually green, “Certified Copy of an Entry”).
  Short versions (“Certificate of Birth”, usually red) are NOT sufficient.
• ● Certified Czech translation of the birth certificate including the apostille
• ● Valid ID (passport or ID card) of both parents
• ● Birth certificates of both parents
• ● Czech marriage certificate of the parents
• ● Proof of any additional citizenship of the child (e.g. foreign passport), if applicable
• ● If applicable, proof of parents’ additional citizenship (naturalisation certificate and foreign passport)

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Determining Paternity

Paternity may be acknowledged by a joint declaration of the parents, including before the child is born (if conceived). Such declaration becomes effective after the child is born alive and is recorded in the registry afterwards.

In these cases, the Embassy will provide the appropriate form (Form 10c) and instructions.

If the child was born outside marriage and the mother is not a Czech citizen (and the father is listed on the foreign birth certificate), the following must also be provided:

• ● Form 10a (acknowledgement of paternity by a Czech citizen father)
• ● DNA test confirming paternity, carried out in an accredited laboratory in the Czech Republic

Note: Testing is conducted after the child turns one year old.

If the father is not listed on the birth certificate, Form 10b must be used instead.

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Application Forms

All forms will be provided at the time of application submission.

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Important Information

• ● All documents must be submitted in original form (copies are not sufficient).
• ● All documents except the UK birth certificate will be returned immediately after submission.
• ● The birth certificate will remain in the registry archive in Brno.
• ● The child must be present if aged 15 or over (with some exceptions).

Processing time:
Please note that issuing a Czech birth certificate and citizenship certificate may take up to 5 months, as the application is processed through several authorities in the Czech Republic. The Embassy cannot influence this timeframe.

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Special Naming Cases

If the child’s surname combines both parents’ surnames, includes a hyphen, or differs in format (e.g. used as a middle name), you must provide an additional official document from the UK (such as a letter from a school, GP, or employer) confirming the child’s full name.

This letter must:

• ● be on official letterhead
• ● include date of birth and address
• ● bear an original signature and stamp
• ● be translated into Czech by a certified translator

In such cases, the child must be present from age 12.

The same applies to girls using a surname in masculine form.

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Important Notice on Permanent Residence

Registering a birth automatically creates a permanent residence in the Czech Republic for the child (based on the Czech parent’s residence), under Czech law.

This applies not only to newborns but to all individuals whose birth is registered in the Czech registry.

• ● This residence can later be cancelled.
• ● Permanent residence may create obligations such as paying municipal waste fees.
• ● This obligation does not apply if the registered address is, for example, an official address in Brno (e.g. Dominikánská 2).

For further information, contact the Brno City Municipality: Tel: +420 542 175 141 or 142