Ask any long-term resident which number matters most and you will hear the same word: rodné číslo. The nine- or ten-digit code derived from a person's date of birth is on your contract, your health card and your child's school form. Without it, small tasks turn awkward. This guide explains how to get your Czech personal number as a newcomer, what the DIČ adds, and how to avoid paying anyone for a number that is free.
What is the rodné číslo and why does everyone ask for it?
Rodné číslo means "birth number". The Ministry of the Interior's portal for foreigners describes it as the personal identity number given to all Czech citizens and to foreigners staying in the country, temporarily or permanently. It identifies you for health insurers, banks, the labour office, schools and tax authorities, and employers need it for payroll.
It is not secret, but treat it as you would a social security number. Give it to institutions and employers, not to a stranger who offers to "organise your papers".
How do EU citizens get a Czech personal number?
The route is built into the residence file. When you apply for the osvědčení o registraci (registration certificate), the Ministry's officer requests a rodné číslo for you, unless you already have one. You do not fill in a separate form. The attribution time is 30 days, according to the Ministry, and may be longer if the data contains errors. The step-by-step is in residence in the Czech Republic for EU citizens.
The officer needs your first names, surname, maiden name if any, your parents' names including maiden names, and your place of birth. The place of birth must be a specific town or village that can be found on a map; a region alone is not accepted. Bring a birth certificate if your ID does not list it.
Where do you find your number once it is attributed?
The Ministry does not actively notify you. The number appears on your registration certificate, your biometric residence card or another residence document. If it is attributed but not yet printed on a document, you can collect an individual document at a Ministry office after booking through its Client Centre. Staff will disclose the number only in person, not over the phone.
If you have waited more than six months, visit a Ministry office. The portal says so explicitly.
Wondering whether your own route, as a worker, a freelancer, a student or a retiree, adds any step before the number arrives? Moovy can look at your case and tell you which file produces the number first. It does not obtain the number for you; the Ministry does.
Can you get a Czech personal number before you qualify for a certificate?
Sometimes you need the number sooner: a job, a mortgage, an enrolment. A foreigner without authorised stay over 90 days, or with a stay shorter than 90 days, can ask the Ministry for a number. The request goes to the Ministry of the Interior's department that handles personal numbers, at náměstí Hrdinů 1634/3, Praha 4, in person, by post, by data box or by email signed electronically. You provide a written, reasoned request, a copy of a document proving your date and place of birth, and a copy of a document proving nationality. A paper request needs a certified signature unless you sign in front of a Ministry officer.
The administrative fee is 1,000 CZK. Citizens of the EU, of EEA states and of states linked to the EU by a treaty, and their family members, are exempt. A long-term visa does not include the number, and the foreign police report does not trigger a request, so ask the Ministry directly.
What is the DIČ and when do you need it?
The DIČ (daňové identifikační číslo) is your tax identification number. It exists only after you register with the finanční úřad, the tax office. For an individual it is "CZ" followed by the rodné číslo. If you have no rodné číslo, the tax office builds a DIČ from its own identifier. Since 1 January 2021, even if you have a rodné číslo you can ask for a DIČ without it, at registration or later; the office decides within 30 days.
You do not need a DIČ just to live in the country. An employee is registered by the employer when it withholds income tax (within 8 days). Since 1 January 2024, a new self-employed person (OSVČ) no longer needs to register for income tax, according to the tax authority, but registration remains required for VAT and for employers. If your situation is unclear, ask the tax office.
What does the number actually look like?
The number is built from your date of birth, which is why Czechs read it almost like an identity code. In its usual form it has ten digits, written as six digits, a slash and four more, with the first six showing year, month and day of birth, and a month digit that tells the person's sex. For you, the practical points matter more than the code. It is printed on your certificate or residence card, and your bank, your doctor, your employer and the school will each want to copy it.
Because it is unique and permanent, keep a photo of the document in a safe place. If you lose the document, a duplicate costs 300 CZK, payable by card at a Ministry office, according to the portal.
How does the number fit into your first weeks?
Early. The sequence that works is: report your address to the foreign police, lodge the certificate file with the Ministry, wait for the number, then register with a health insurer, open the bank account and sign your contracts. Plan for the number to arrive within about a month, and ask your employer and your bank what they can start while it is pending. The full order is in moving to the Czech Republic.
If you are a freelancer, the number also becomes your DIČ if you register for VAT or choose the flat tax; the Finanční správa's page for people starting a business explains the registration. Keep every letter from the Ministry and the tax office, because a later correction is easier with the original in hand.
What are the common mistakes?
- Waiting until a bank asks. Start the certificate file at the beginning. A mortgage can stall without the number.
- Paying an agent for a "number service". The Ministry attributes it at no charge when it handles your certificate. If someone quotes a fee, ask what it covers.
- Assuming a visa carries it. A visa does not show a rodné číslo. Visit the Ministry.
- Thinking you always need a DIČ. It exists only after a tax registration.
- Having a number without knowing. If one was attributed during an earlier stay, the Ministry will not create a second. Slovak citizens born before 1993 are a special case: check with the Ministry.
What changes for British citizens?
A British citizen who arrived after 2020 is a third-country national. With an authorised stay of more than 90 days, the number is attributed automatically. Without one, the exemption from the 1,000 CZK fee is not listed for you, so confirm with the Ministry. British citizens covered by the Withdrawal Agreement who were resident before 31 December 2020 obtain it with their registration certificate. The wider picture is in moving to the Czech Republic from the UK.
The number stays with you for life, so there is nothing to renew. If you leave and come back years later, the same number applies.