An IČO (Identifikační číslo osoby) is the unique number used to identify your business in the Czech Republic.
If you register a Czech trade license and do not already have an IČO, one is assigned as part of the registration.
An IČO has 8 digits.
KEY FACT
Your IČO identifies your business. It is not your tax number and having an IČO does not mean you are registered for VAT.
What does IČO mean?
IČO stands for Identifikační číslo osoby.
The easiest English explanation is Czech business identification number.
IČO is used for freelancers, self-employed people, companies and other registered businesses in the Czech Republic.
You may sometimes see the older term IČ, but IČO is now the standard term.
What is an IČO used for?
Your IČO is one of the main numbers connected with your Czech business.
You will use it on things such as:
invoices;
contracts;
business documents;
applications;
forms for Czech authorities;
business communication.
Your IČO can also be used to find your business in Czech public registers.
When Do You Get an IČO?
If you register a Czech trade and do not already have an IČO, the IČO is assigned as part of completing the registration.
You do not receive it immediately just because you submitted the Trade License application.
The Trade License Office first needs to complete the registration and have your IČO assigned.
After the registration is successfully completed, the Trade License Office sends you the Extract from the Trade Licensing Register containing your IČO.
Do you need to apply separately for an IČO?
No.
If you register a Czech trade and do not already have an IČO, it is assigned during the registration.
You do not register your trade first and then make another application just for the IČO.
Where do you first see your IČO?
Your IČO appears on the Extract from the Trade Licensing Register you receive after the registration has been completed.
You can also find it later in Czech public business registers.
[IMPORTANT NOTE]
There is no separate “IČO certificate” you need to wait for after your trade license is finished.
Your Trade Licensing Register extract already contains the number.
Does Everyone Get a Different IČO?
Yes. Each registered business has its own unique IČO.
For a person operating a Czech trade, one person has one IČO.
You do not receive another IČO every time you change what your business does.
LEGAL REFERENCE
Act No. 111/2009 Coll., on Basic Registers, § 26(8) — each person may be assigned only one IČO, regardless of the number of activities they perform.
Does every trade activity get a different IČO?
No.
You can register several business activities under the same IČO.
For example, if you already have a free trade and add another activity later, your IČO stays the same.
What Happens to Your IČO When You Cancel Your Trade?
When you cancel your Czech trade license, your active trade registration ends.
Your previous IČO, however, remains connected with your business history.
If you decide to register a Czech trade again later, you do not start with a completely new IČO.
LEGAL REFERENCE
Act No. 111/2009 Coll., on Basic Registers, § 26(8) — each person can have only one IČO. An IČO that has already been assigned cannot later be assigned to another person
If you already had an IČO, you keep the same number when you register a trade again. ROS checks whether you already have an IČO and does not assign a new one.
Do you get a new IČO if you register a trade again?
No. If you had a Czech trade license before, cancelled it and later register again, the same IČO is reused.
During the registration, the system checks whether you already have an IČO. If one was assigned to you before, a new IČO is not assigned and your existing number is used.
This applies even when there has been a long break between the old trade and the new registration.
Do you need to remember your old IČO?
No. If you had a Czech trade license before but no longer remember your IČO, you do not need to know the number yourself. The registration process checks whether an IČO was already assigned to you.
You do not need to know the old number yourself for the same IČO to be used again.
What happens to your IČO if you suspend your trade?
Your IČO does not change.
Suspending your trade pauses the registered business activity. It does not create a new business identification number.
When you restart the trade, you continue using the same IČO.
Where Can You Find an IČO?
Your IČO can be found on your Trade Licensing Register extract, in Czech public business registers, through Pexpats Czech Business Search, and usually on your business documents.
Where to Find Your IČO
Place | Can you find the IČO? |
|---|---|
Trade Licensing Register extract | Yes |
Trade Licensing Register (RŽP) | Yes |
Pexpats Czech Business Search | Yes |
Business invoices and documents | Yes |
How to Find Your IČO If You Don’t Know It
If you already have a Czech business but do not know your IČO, you can search for your business using your full name.
Enter your full name in Pexpats Czech Business Search and select your business from the results. Your business details will include your IČO.
How to Find an IČO
You can use an IČO to check Czech business information.
Enter an IČO to find available Czech business registration information.
This can be useful when you want to check a client, supplier, freelancer or another Czech business.
Is IČO public information?
Yes. IČO is public business information.
Someone who knows your IČO can use Czech public registers to find available information connected with your business.
LEGAL REFERENCE
Act No. 455/1991 Coll., Trade Licensing Act, § 60(2)(a) and § 60(3) — IČO is recorded in the Trade Licensing Register, and this information is part of the public section of the register.
IČO vs DIČ
IČO and DIČ are different numbers.
IČO identifies the business, while DIČ is used for tax identification.
IČO vs DIČ
IČO | DIČ | |
|---|---|---|
What is it? | Business identification number | Tax identification number |
Czech name | Identifikační číslo osoby | Daňové identifikační číslo |
Main use | Identifies your business | Used for tax purposes |
Does it mean VAT registration? | No | No. Only after VAT registration. |
Used for normal business identification? | Yes | For tax purposes |
IČO vs VAT Number
An IČO is not a VAT number. You can have an IČO without being registered for VAT.
Receiving an IČO does not mean you are registered for VAT or that you should automatically add VAT to your invoices.
Your DIČ is used as your VAT number once you are registered for VAT.
Is IČO the same as a Czech TIN?
No. Your IČO identifies your business. Your Czech tax Identification ( TIN) number is used for tax purposes.
You may see both numbers on the same business documents, but they are not the same thing.
Do Foreigners Get an IČO?
Yes. You do not need to be a Czech citizen to receive an IČO.
If you successfully register a Czech trade, you can receive a Czech IČO in the same way as a Czech citizen.
LEGAL REFERENCE
Act No. 455/1991 Coll., Trade Licensing Act, § 5(2) — a foreign person can carry on a trade in the Czech Republic under the same conditions and to the same extent as a Czech person, unless the law provides otherwise.
Can you have an IČO without Czech Permanent Residency?
Yes.
Czech Permanent Residency is not a condition for receiving an IČO.
If you qualify for Trade License Registration and the trade is successfully registered, you can receive an IČO.
Your immigration status and your business identification number are separate matters.
Does an IČO Expire?
No. An IČO does not work like a licence with an expiry date.
The number remains connected with your business record.
What can change is the status of your trade. Your trade can be:
active;
suspended;
cancelled.
Your IČO can still remain in the business records even when your trade is no longer active.
If you need to check the current status of a Czech business or trade, you can search by IČO or name in Pexpats Czech Business Search.
Your IČO is one of the main business details used on Czech invoices. The exact invoice requirements depend on your tax and VAT situation.
IČO is the unique eight-digit number used to identify your Czech business.
If you do not already have an IČO, it is assigned as your Czech trade registration is completed. It then appears on your Trade Licensing Register extract.
You can find it on your Trade Licensing Register extract, in Czech public business registers, or by searching your full name in Pexpats Czech Business Search.
Yes. Foreigners can get an IČO in the Czech Republic.
The IČO remains connected with your previous business registration.
No. Your previous IČO is reused.
Yes.
Official Sources
Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ) Official information about IČO, including the one-person-one-IČO rule and how ROS handles an IČO that was assigned previously.
IČO — Czech Statistical Office
Trade Licensing Register (RŽP) Official information about Trade License Registration and the extract issued after registration, including the IČO when assigned.
Registration in the Trade Licensing Register — RŽP
Public Trade Licensing Register Official Czech register for searching businesses and checking public trade license information.
