How to Find a Czech Company in the Business Register (ARES)

ARES (Administrativní registr ekonomických subjektů) is the Czech government's unified database of all economic entities operating in the Czech Republic. It aggregates data from multiple registers including the Commercial Register, Trade Register, and VAT register, making it the primary starting point for any company lookup.

The system is operated by the Czech Ministry of Finance and is freely accessible at ares.gov.cz.

You can search for any Czech company by:

• Company name (obchodní firma) — partial name search works
• ICO number (IČO) — 8-digit identification number, the most precise method
• Address — useful when you have a physical address but not the company name

1. Go to ares.gov.cz
2. Enter the company name or ICO in the search field
3. Click "Vyhledat" (Search)
4. Click on the result to see full company details
5. Use the "Obchodní rejstřík" tab for more detailed information

The Commercial Register (Obchodní rejstřík) is the official register of companies incorporated in the Czech Republic. It is maintained by the regional courts (krajské soudy) and contains detailed information about:

• Statutory representatives and their signing authority
• Shareholders and ownership structure
• Share capital (základní kapitál)
• Date of incorporation and registered address
• Annual accounts and financial statements

You can access it directly at or.justice.cz.

The IČO (Identifikační číslo osoby) is an 8-digit unique identifier assigned to every business entity in the Czech Republic. Think of it as the Czech equivalent of a company registration number or EIN.

Key things to know:

• Always exactly 8 digits (leading zeros are significant, e.g. 09586563)
• Used on all invoices, contracts, and official correspondence
• Can be used to verify a company's VAT registration status
• Never changes, even if the company changes its name or address

An official extract (výpis z obchodního rejstříku) is a certified document confirming a company's legal status. You may need this for contracts, tenders, or due diligence.

There are two types:

• Free extract (výpis zdarma): Available directly from or.justice.cz, not officially certified but sufficient for most internal purposes.
• Certified extract (ověřený výpis): Available at any Czech Point location (post offices, municipal offices, notaries). Costs approx. CZK 100 per page.

Neither ARES nor the Commercial Register contains phone numbers or email addresses — only the registered address and statutory details. To find decision-maker contacts, use:

• The company's own website (often listed in the register)
• LinkedIn — search by company name to find employees
• firmy.cz — Czech business directory with phone numbers for many companies
• rejstrik.penize.cz — aggregates register data with financial summaries