How do I check a Czech company (ARES)?
Search the company by name or 8-digit IČO in ARES (Administrativní registr ekonomických subjektů), the Ministry of Finance’s free system that combines data from the commercial register, the trade licensing register, the VAT register and other public registers. For the commercial register extract (výpis z obchodního rejstříku), with the statutory body and partners, and for filed documents such as annual accounts in the collection of deeds (sbírka listin), use the Ministry of Justice’s public register at or.justice.cz.
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How to check it manually
- Search ARES by IČO or name and check the name, legal form, registered office, date of registration and which source registers list the company.
- Check the VAT register data in ARES: whether the company is a VAT payer, whether it has been designated an unreliable VAT payer, and its published bank accounts.
- Open the company on or.justice.cz and read the current extract: statutory body (for example the jednatel of an s.r.o.), how the company is represented, partners or shareholders, and registered capital.
- Open the collection of deeds (sbírka listin) for filed annual accounts and corporate documents.
- Search the insolvency register (ISIR) for insolvency proceedings.
What it tells you
- The official registration, status, statutory body and representation rules.
- VAT payer status, including any unreliable-payer designation, and published accounts.
- Whether insolvency proceedings have been opened, through ISIR.
What it doesn’t tell you
- Beneficial owners in full: the register of beneficial owners (evidence skutečných majitelů) has its own access rules.
- Whether filed accounts are complete or current: check the dates of the documents in the collection of deeds.
How SONAR automates it
When you screen a company registered in this country, SONAR looks it up in ARES, the Czech administrative register of economic entities and puts the company record (legal name, number, status, legal form and registered address) in the report with a link or ID for the source and the date it was retrieved. SONAR does not pull the directors from this register yet, so check them manually as described above.
The same run screens the company itself, and any people SONAR finds in its other sources, against 8 sanctions lists, the OpenSanctions PEP dataset, the ICIJ Offshore Leaks Database and adverse media, and returns PASS, REVIEW, FLAG or NOT RUN for each check. A source that could not be reached is shown as NOT RUN, never as clear.
SONAR is a due-diligence tool for checking vendors, partners, resellers and suppliers. It compiles public-record data. It is not a regulated AML / KYC provider, does not verify identity documents, and is not legal advice.
You can try it on 2 companies a month for free, no card needed; every report includes a receipt for each source it used.
Frequently asked questions
What is an IČO?
The 8-digit identification number of a Czech legal person or entrepreneur. It is the reliable way to search ARES and the public register.
Is ARES an official register?
ARES is the Ministry of Finance’s information system that brings together data from the official registers. For the commercial register extract itself, use the Ministry of Justice’s public register at or.justice.cz.
How do I check whether a Czech company is insolvent?
Search the insolvency register (ISIR) at isir.justice.cz by IČO or name, and check the commercial register extract for liquidation.
Official sources
Run these checks on a company you’re about to sign
Registry record, owners, sanctions, PEP, ICIJ Offshore Leaks and adverse media in one report, with a receipt for every source. 2 free reports a month, no card.
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