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Datová Schránka - Data Box

The electronic way the Czech authorities will communicate to you

datove schranky Since summer 2009 a new electronic messaging system called datová schránka "data boxes" is in use by all czech governement bodies (such as the tax office, trade license register, commercial court, social office etc). This electronic system should replace the paper correspondence by registered letter (eventually).

Is it obligatory to have a datová schránka?

Any legal entitly registered at commercial court (so every s.r.o, a.s. or foreign company) must have a datova schranka.
It is possible to register volutarily for a datová schránka, even as private person or živnostenský list owner.

Datová Schránka is a web-based system

The datova schranka is a web-based system which uses an online portal with 2 internet addresses:


This system is not an email system. It is a stand-alone secure, encrypted environment, which is much more secure than email, where the user has to log in in order to read messages sent to him into his "data box".

This system is designed to eventually eliminate all mail / paper document streams from / to the authorities. This is at least the theory.

Practise so far has shown that despite a person having a databox the authorities may keep sending registered letters to (possibly the wrong / old) mail address, so it is advisable to set up mail forwarding to the new address AND keep your correspondence address up-to-date.

Automatically considered received & read

In all of their wisdom, the czech government decided that a message will automatically be considered received & read after a set number of days after it entered your box, whether you actually read it or not, so if you do not check your datová schánka regularly, and take action where required, you may be in for a few surprises.

Therefore it is wise to enable notification that something arrived in your box.
A notification by email is free of charge, but sms notification costs 3 CZK per sms.

Registering your databox for the first time - automatic for SROs and ASes

Owners of new s.r.o's and a.s'es will received a registered letter to their business address (sídlo) that urges them to go to the postoffice to pick up their username and password.

With this it is possible to log on for the first time and it is highly recommended to change the password into something that doesn't look like your cat walked over your keyboard.

Your databox will be most likely empty. Not even a welcome message 'to get the look and feel' is there.

Datová schránka not activated

There are several scenarios in which a datova schranka does not get activated:

Companies newly registered at commercial court should receive the letter automatically


There are 3 ways to recuperate from this situation, of which the first two ridiculous (they are needlessly complicated, time-consuming and Kafka-esque, but officially supported by the Datové Schranky provider):


Let's take the third option, shall we? Print out your vypis z obchodního rejstríku or vypis z živnostenského rejstríku from the Internet (it doesn't have to be the original paper, a print-out is good enough), get your passport and head to CzechPoint (at most big postoffices).

There they are able to create / re-issue the username and password for you. Be so clever to ask for an email instead of a registered letter, then you will have your username / password in a matter of hours. If you do not specify an email address or different correspondence address, once again the codes will be sent to your (old) sídlo.

Also, when applying, it is possible to correct names, addresses or any other mistakes in the data on the spot * - Czechpoint corrects it and prints out a paper with latest data for you.

Amazingly, this service is free of charge, unless you forget your password twice, the second time around it costs 200 CZK **.

If you want to correct mistakes later through the Datové Schránky portal, the good old XML Filler (17 Mb of user-interface hell in Czech) will automatically install on your PC just to change one typo in your basic correspondence address. So much for the secure environment.

Note that the second time around there is a chance that you cannot log in right away, but first must enter a 5-digit code which you must select from a 12-digit code according to instructions in Czech.

ESL monthly reporting for EU transactions

As per 2010, any business that sends invoices to VAT-registered EU customers are obligated to report monthly / quarterly with an electronic document in a special format, a so-called ESL. This report can be sent using the datová schránka or with special software + an electronic signature.

This has big consequences for consultants who perform their work here in Czech Republic but send an invoice to a company based in another EU country. Their accounting has because of this rule has become more complex and will need monthly attention instead of just yearly accounting for an Income Tax Return. See also

Getting official documents in your databox

If you get a notification (by email or sms) log on as soon as possible, before the document disappears.
It is highly recommended to save AND print the message so you have a backup of the document.

The moment you 'collect' the document a notification to the sender will be sent, which is also a legal proof you have read the text. So logging on and not reading properly will not excuse you lateron.

Since most likely it will be a text full of legal wordings, have a czech person read it and explain it to you. (or contact us)

Sending documents with your databox

After logging in on www.mojedatovaschranka.cz it is possible to send messages to by uploading documents from your computer. There are no restrictions to the document format as far as we can tell. In order to identify a receiver uniquely, at least 3 things must be known: datová schránka ID, ICO and business name.

There is a built-in search function to get this information needed for sending. Searches for business / individuals based on ICO do return proper results, but in those most users will hardly be interested (since so few actually use their databox!)

If the slightest mistake is made in the name of the receiver, the message will never get to him, so double-check all diacritics carefully!

Secure communication between users

The datové schranky system also allows communication between end-users, as long as the receiver also has a databox. So, in theory, it is possible to use your datová schránka as an instant electronic registered letter system. It is not only free of charge, but you also can save yourself a trip to the postoffice.

Note hoewever, that if the other person does not read his databox, or has no access to it, he will not be aware of what you have sent him. Also the jury is still out on the fact if this stands in court, so it might be wise to send a registered letter anyway as backup for important matters.

Alexio Datová Schránka services

Alexio can apply for and set up your Datová Schránka. The one-off cost of this is 2500 CZK.

Alexio.cz can watch the Datová Schránka for you. This means that we receive the notification and we will read the messages which will be in Czech and inform what actions should be taken. We charge 2500 CZK annually.

Back Contact Us 07/10/2015