Enforcing a Foreign Judgment in the Czech Republic

If you have already obtained a court judgment in your home country against a Czech debtor, you may not need to start new litigation in the Czech Republic. Depending on where the judgment was issued, you may be able to enforce it directly against the debtor's Czech assets.

EU Judgments: Automatic Recognition

The Czech Republic is an EU Member State, which means that court judgments from other EU Member States are automatically recognised and enforceable in the Czech Republic under EU Regulation No. 1215/2012 (Brussels I Recast Regulation).

You do not need a separate court recognition proceeding. Instead, you obtain a certificate from the court that issued the judgment and submit it — along with a certified Czech translation — directly to a Czech bailiff to begin enforcement. This is a significant advantage for European creditors.

Non-EU Judgments

For judgments from non-EU countries (such as the United States, United Kingdom post-Brexit, Switzerland, or others), the process is more involved. You must first file a recognition and enforcement application (in Czech: uznání a výkon cizího rozhodnutí) with a competent Czech regional court.

The Czech court will verify that:

• The foreign court had proper jurisdiction
• The proceedings were conducted in accordance with due process
• The judgment does not violate Czech public policy (ordre public)
• There is reciprocity between the Czech Republic and the country in question

Bilateral Treaties

The Czech Republic has bilateral judicial cooperation treaties with a number of non-EU countries, which may simplify the recognition process. It is worth checking whether such a treaty exists with your country before assuming the full non-EU recognition procedure applies.

What Happens After Recognition?

Once a foreign judgment is recognised (or for EU judgments, once the certificate is obtained), it has the same effect as a domestic Czech judgment. You can use it to initiate full enforcement proceedings — bank account seizure, wage garnishment, real estate auction — against any assets the debtor holds in the Czech Republic.

Practical Tips for Foreign Creditors

Start the enforcement process as early as possible — Czech debtors who know a foreign judgment exists may transfer assets or attempt to hide them. A Czech attorney can conduct a preliminary asset search before you commit to the process, helping you assess whether enforcement is likely to be fruitful.